El Paso Zoo

Background

El Paso Zoo has a dark history when it comes to elephants. Most notable was the vicious beating of Sissy in 1999, caught on videotape. The USDA charged the City of El Paso with multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act and fined the City $20,000 for Sissy’s cruel treatment. Sissy was later retired to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, where she is thriving.

A disturbingly similar incident occurred in 2006, in which one of the same people implicated in Sissy’s beating was caught striking another elephant, Juno. He hit her so hard that he broke the wooden handle of the tool he was using to trim her feet. This time, the zoo employee was terminated. Results of an USDA investigation are pending.

Savannah, 55, and Juno, 39, spend their days confined to approximately one-half acre in the main exhibit yard at El Paso Zoo. In contrast, free-ranging elephants move almost continuously for 20 out of every 24 hours, and walk on average from 5 to 14 miles per day. Both Savannah and Juno have been observed displaying intensely repetitive, abnormal behaviors, such as swaying and rocking. These behaviors are unseen in free-ranging elephants and are generally linked to poor welfare, including lack of space.

Update

In March 2007, the El Paso City Council shamefully voted to keep Juno and Savannah in their inadequate zoo exhibit. The decision was based on information provided by new zoo director Steve Marshall, who recommended keeping the elephants and even suggested a third elephant could be added to the already cramped elephant enclosure! In his presentation, he also stated there are "more improvements on the way," ignoring the basic fact that no matter how many toys or artificial enrichment devices are placed in the elephants’ small pen, it will not be enough to keep these highly intelligent animals physically or psychologically healthy.

An El Paso Times article stated, "By approving Marshall's recommendations, the council effectively agreed that the El Paso Zoo will replace the elephants when they die and will continue to exhibit elephants." Thus, the El Paso Zoo will find itself in a never-ending cycle of premature elephant deaths and replacements, treating living beings as if they were worn out household appliances who can be used and discarded at the Zoo’s convenience.

What Is Being Done to Help Juno and Savannah?

IIDA will continue monitoring the situation at El Paso Zoo and any proposed changes to the elephant exhibit, and lobby to keep the zoo from acquiring additional elephants. We will continue to appeal to the City of El Paso to close its elephant exhibit and send Juno and Savannah to a sanctuary, where they would live on thousands of acres and enjoy the highest quality of life possible in captivity.

Bios

Based on El Paso Zoo medical records, Savannah suffers from captivity-induced nail and foot cracks, flank abscesses, and decreased joint mobility indicating arthritis. Savannah displays abnormal repetitive behaviors, known as stereotypic behavior, by constantly rocking forward and back. This contributes to her foot problems and is an indicator of stress and boredom caused by living in a small enclosure that restricts movement and does not provide stimulation for these highly intelligent animals.

Since arriving at El Paso Zoo in 2002, Juno has suffered a variety of health problems, including digestive disorders requiring pain and anti-inflammatory medications, foot problems, and weight gain. Excessive weight is known to cause problems with the feet and joints due to increased pressure on these areas. Lack of space and movement contributes to this problem. Like Savannah, Juno displays stereotypic behavior, incessantly swaying from side to side. Juno's medical records from earlier this year show an unexplained laceration to her trunk, not inconsistent with misuse of a bullhook.

The much-loved Mona, who died in 2001, had suffered from foot problems such as nail cracks and abscesses. After her death, it was revealed that she also had severe arthritis, with bone on bone contact, indicating that Mona lived in excruciating pain.