what an interesting thread.
the whole elephants in zoos vs sanctuaries/private hands is a little flawed because data coming from accredited zoos is more forthcoming and transparent than the other holders.
i think in either case it should be noted that despite the best efforts within the zoo community to create a viable North American population of either species we should expect to see many deaths in the coming decades, as part of a bottleneck effect which i think both species will ultimately emerge from as viable.
it worries me that the debate around elephants, particularly the arguments against elephants in zoos relies heavily on selected data which presents a flawed outlook on the future of this species in North America.
obviously, elephants are long-lived species. elephant husbadary has advanced markedly in recent decades, backed by transfers, supported by breedings and research and upgrades to exhibits. but this will not help the dozens of elephants who have lived for many years in sub-standard exhibits and who will suffer long-term health issues which will shorten their lifespans such as obesity and athritis.
an elephant which dies imported in the 1970s which lived with one or two companions in a single-sexed group in a half acre concrete yard that dies in 2009 is not representative of the north american zoo elephant population as a whole, rather more representative of a generation of elephants for which the husbandary is very different from those of today.
whether in new zoo exhibits or sanctuaries, these 30 and 40+ year old animals will not live to the potential life span of this species and neither zoos or sanctuaries should be condemned when animals affected by conditions they were kept in decades ago pass away, despite best efforts now.
zoos have changed, and so has the way they keep elephants. i think its almost as if the current debate on zoos and elephants should have to differentiate between two sets of data; one based on elephants who were born into or have lived mainly under the old philosophy of elephant keeping (and thus could be expected to die younger and have more problems; problems which should not be occuring in the next generation of zoo elephants) and those younger animals who have been born into a more professional, kinder system which better meets their needs and which will, i think, result in these animals breeding more and living longer lives more closely resembling the life-spans of their wild cousins. at the moment, i think it seems a bit like comparing Nazi POW's with the IPOD generation.
sorry if this isnt very clear, its midnight in australia.
