Oregon Zoo
Oregon Zoo Elephant Program: A Record of Pain, Suffering and Premature Death
Overview
The Oregon Zoo holds three female Asian elephants and three Asian bulls, one bull in particular—Tusko—arrived at the zoo in August 2005.
All of the zoo’s surviving, long-term elephant residents (IDA has not reviewed records for Tusko) suffer from foot disease (cracked nails, abscesses, lesions, ulcers, fissures, fractured toes). The problems require frequent to almost daily intervention from keepers to flush infected areas and debride (cut away) necrotic (dead) tissue. Even the youngest elephants are plagued by foot problems. Chendra, an elephant from Malaysia, developed foot problems within two months of coming to the Oregon Zoo. Foot problems result from lack of movement due to small enclosure size and the hard, unyielding surfaces that elephants are forced to stand on, including concrete and hard-packed dirt.
Several of the elephants at Oregon Zoo also suffer from arthritis.
A seventh elephant, Pet, was euthanized on August 2, 2006 after suffering for years from crippling foot disease and arthritis. (Read about Pet’s story below). She was the third elephant to be euthanized by Oregon Zoo in the last ten years due to foot disease.
In 2000, the USDA formally charged and fined the Oregon Zoo for violating the Animal Welfare Act in the abuse of six-year-old Rose-Tu, who had ankus wounds (over 176 punctures) all over her body. These charges do not seem to have deterred Oregon Zoo keepers from aggressive ankus use, as ankus wounds were identified on at least 3 elephants for several years following these charges.
Particularly sad is the case of Pet, who was crippled by arthritis and severe foot disease for years. As recently as November 2005, Pet was repeatedly found to have skin lesions, puncture wounds and lacerations as a result of keepers’ aggressive ankus (bull hook) use on her. In November 22, 2003, veterinarians reported "a problem with ankus use on Pet" and keepers admitted to using the ankus more on Pet to "maintain her activity level so she doesn’t just stand around." Pet’s mobility, in fact, was greatly impacted by her painful joints and eroded feet, and it is particularly cruel that keepers would aggressively "hook" this suffering elephant in an effort to get her to move.
Behavioral problems in elephants noted in the medical records include: stereotypical (repetitive) swaying and pacing, aggressive acts against other elephants, and bull elephants pounding on walls and doors.
Pet’s Story
Pet was born in 1955 and captured from Thailand when she was just two or three. She lived at the Oregon Zoo since 1961. This female elephant suffered for years from severe foot disease—recurrent lesions,, abscesses, ulcers, defects, cracked and undermined nails, etc. that required almost daily intervention from keepers. She also had severe arthritis. Pet was euthanized on Aug. 2, 2006. She was the third elephant to be euthanized by Oregon Zoo in the last ten years due to foot disease.
Pet’s veterinary records are rife with examples of pain and suffering caused by her chronically infected feet. There are voluminous notes about cleaning out infections, lesions and pockets in her feet and constant debridement of lesions– cutting away of dead, necrotic tissue. There are numerous references in the records to pain that Pet is in after what vets term "atraumatic foot trims." They note that she remains in "prolonged lateral recumbency after foot trimmings." At one point (Dec. 21, 2002) vets note that a lesion covering 20 percent of Pet’s caudal sole would not be debrided as "it would leave no protective layer for Pet to stand on." On Dec. 24, 2002, the records indicate that the 10 cm defect on this foot had left the fatty tissue under the skin exposed. Pet’s feet were so damaged that she was frequently made to wear sandals.
A March 9, 2002 note in the records diagnosed her with "severe DJD (Degenerative Joint Disease) in all four limbs" and a June 12, 2002 entry noted "chronic debilitation and multiple joint pain." Radiographs of her feet show complete collapse of intercarpal joint spaces, bone lysis and osteophyte formation. A February 8, 2001 entry notes that the DJD is "probably a result of poor conformation, age and having lived most of her adult life on concrete and asphalt surfaces."
Notes throughout the records indicate that Pet was in significant pain. Keepers observed her using her trunk as a crutch to take weight off her right front foot and she would also lean against the bars of her indoor enclosure also to take weight off her feet. She regularly lifted her right foot every 30 seconds or so, clearly indicating pain. Pet was on high doses of many kinds of pain medications, including Ibuprofen, Legend, and Adequan. Butorphenol, an opiod painkiller was also used frequently, causing Pet, at times, to appear "drugged."
Pet developed pressure sores from lying on her left side on the hard indoor floor. Although veterinarians repeatedly recommended a softer surface for Pet to lie on, it does not appear that the zoo was been able to provide this for Pet. In her medical records, the veterinarian wrote, "Need to get her a soft place to lie down. Need to get curatorial and keeper buy in to make this happen."
Most disturbing, this clearly suffering elephant suffered from numerous wounds to her skin as a result of aggressive ankus use. On ten separate occasions between 2000 and 2005, veterinarians diagnosed ankus wounds (abscesses, punctures penetrating dermis, lacerations, lesions) on her trunk, feet, shoulders, head, back, hip and ear. On Nov. 22, 2003, veterinarians reported "a problem with ankus use on Pet" to curatorial staff. Keepers acknowledged using the ankus more on Pet, in chronic pain from severe DJD and foot disease, to "maintain her activity level so she just doesn’t stand around." The veterinary records indicate that it would be nice to accomplish this "in a manner which causes less trauma to her skin." A Dec. 21, 2003 entry indicates that "Pet may have sustained numerous new ankus contact injuries today as keepers communicated poorly about commands given and Pet was reprimanded in the process."
In 2000, the Oregon Zoo was charged by USDA for violating the Animal Welfare Act in the abuse of Rose-Tu with an ankus, but these serious charges do not appear to have had an impact on Portland keepers, as Pet’s records show ankus abuse continuing.
Despite all of Pet’s problems, on July 6, 1999, she was chained for a reproductive exam. Vets concluded that "her reproductive tract would probably be healthy enough to carry a pregnancy, unfortunately her feet are not."
Also, in Dec 2002, the zoo decided to put the debilitated Pet in with Rama, a young bull, to reduce his "stereotypical swaying, which is causing him foot wear problems." Vets speculate that the pairing might make Pet move more too but worry that "Rama may be too rough with old Pet." Later entries indicate that Rama had pushed Pet around, opening an abscess on her back that had formed due to an ankus wound.
At the end of her life, Pet was moving very slowly, shuffling her feet, not bending either carpus, and bracing herself with her trunk. She had difficulty walking on the sand exterior, and would not move for long periods of time when outside. About two weeks before she was euthanized, morning keepers found Pet "standing with her front limbs in a depression that she had dug out by throwing sand on her back. Apparently she had stood in the same place without moving for a long time and had excavated a depression around her front feet."
In recommending euthanasia, the veterinarian wrote, "Pet appears miserable and chronically in pain."
The treatment of Pet in these final months is shocking. This crippled elephant was still being forced to go through her training routines, and in Nov. 2005, she sustained the last of many ankus injuries, a wound under her trunk that "corresponds with probable ankus tip poke wound (prompting trunk lifting) and keepers believe ankus injury is the cause."
On May 4, 2006, the extremely debilitated, 51-year old Pet was subjected to another transrectal ultrasound/reproductive exam - just 3 months before she would be euthanized. They concluded, "No reproductive abnormalities noted, although will not be bred due to age and severe DJD."
In June 2006, Pet was again put in with Packy, who had been rough with her on previous occasions. Packy "traumatized her tail head" during this encounter.
On August 2, 2006, Pet was euthanized. Her last act was to obey her keepers command to go into the "half" position (on elbows resting rear on left side of her rump/thigh) so that they could inject the drugs that would eventually end her suffering.
Health Status of Oregon Elephants
Factsheets