Campaigns - Dallas Zoo News

Caving under pressure from IDA and elephant advocates from Dallas and around the world, the Dallas Zoo has abandoned its misguided plan to send its troubled African elephant, Jenny, to Africam Safari Park in Puebla, Mexico. Elephant experts from around the world joined IDA and local advocates to oppose the move to Mexico, which was heavily supported by the zoo industry trade group, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

IDA commends the City of Dallas and the zoo for the decision to keep Jenny in the U.S., where she will remain under the protection of U.S. animal welfare law. Unfortunately, the zoo did not go far enough. Instead of sending Jenny to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, the zoo intends to keep Jenny in Dallas, bring in a new companion for her, and expedite an elephant exhibit expansion project to build a four-acre enclosure within 18 months.

Given the extent of Jenny’s psychological problems, it may indeed be better not to risk moving her to another facility. But we will never truly know, because the zoo closed the door on the sanctuary option without ever allowing The Elephant Sanctuary experts to make a proper evaluation of Jenny.

Dallas Zoo director Gregg Hudson shared with IDA a vision of a progressive elephant exhibit in Dallas that would afford elephants far more space (in addition to the four acres, a Phase 2 expansion is planned that could add another two to four acres to the elephant enclosure). In addition, Mr. Hudson has stated that he would like the new elephant exhibit to provide a quality home for elephants who are currently living in substandard conditions.

Whether Mr. Hudson will follow through on this vision and will be able to construct Jenny’s exhibit within 18 months remains an open question. The plan remains fraught with problems. The zoo plans to introduce a new elephant to Jenny within the confined space of its current, woefully inadequate elephant enclosure. Both elephants will remain in this substandard space for at least a year and a half before an improved living area becomes available. Once transferred to the larger exhibit, Dallas Zoo’s construction plan still could submit Jenny to the same type of noise and commotion that traumatized her previously and caused the zoo to tranquilize her with a powerful psychotropic drug.

IDA still believes that the best option for Jenny is The Elephant Sanctuary, and we support the efforts of those who continue to advocate for her. At the same time, we recognize that elephant sanctuaries are not the sole answer to the suffering of elephants in captivity. The sanctuaries simply do not have space or resources to house the 300 elephants currently living in U.S. zoos.

It is time for zoos to step up to the plate and provide better conditions for elephants. In the face of growing public awareness fueled by IDA’s elephant campaign, zoos have begun to expand their elephant exhibits, though many of these expansions still fall short of providing the space and natural conditions that elephants require.

IDA does recognize and support genuinely progressive steps to enhance the lives of elephants in zoos. In that spirit, we urge the City of Dallas and the zoo to publicly commit to making elephant welfare a priority by: providing the maximum amount of space for the elephants in any new enclosure (why not the full 11 acres?), constructing a facility that will improve the quality of life for any elephant who comes there, and continued adherence to the non-dominance method of elephant management (no bullhooks).