"Worst Zoos for Elephants 2022"

toxodon said:
So by making the elephant's habitat larger, it makes them the worst? The list has always been a joke, but this years is the worst by far.
Click to expand...
What’s worse is that, aside from Tulsa and Cincinnati, most of these expansions happened years ago, so this list fails at being an annual top 10 list, too!
It’s like if a “Top 10 Movies of 2022” list had Avengers: Endgame on it.
 
They truly are running out of ideas it's the same arguments every year. Regarding Kansas stating that ''It is inhumane to subject older elephants to the added risk of breeding.'' Which zoo in their right mind would try and breed cows that are over 40+ it just shows are desperate IDA is for attention and even get me started on Omaha, Houston, etc
 
Last edited:
toxodon said:
So by making the elephant's habitat larger, it makes them the worst? The list has always been a joke, but this years is the worst by far.
Click to expand...

ARAs don't like that zoos are making their habitats bigger because by doing so, zoos are investing money into the future of elephants in captivity. The ARAs would rather the elephants be phased out of zoos-- not further invested in.
 
Mr.Ivory said:
They truly are running out of ideas it's the same arguments every year.
Click to expand...
Same arguments would be fine, if the arguments were logical. For instance, if the argument was "keeping elephants alone is cruel", and they would top the list with the zoos keeping singleton elephants (Myrtle Beach, Natural Bridge, Edmonton Valley), then you'd have the foundations of a reasonable list. I have nothing against calling out the zoos that legitimately are bad homes for elephants, but it's simply unfortunate that IDA chooses to criticize some of the best elephant programs in the country, claiming that they are the "worst", while simultaneously giving a pass to the legitimately bad facilities.
 
Neil chace said:
Same arguments would be fine, if the arguments were logical. For instance, if the argument was "keeping elephants alone is cruel", and they would top the list with the zoos keeping singleton elephants (Myrtle Beach, Natural Bridge, Edmonton Valley), then you'd have the foundations of a reasonable list. I have nothing against calling out the zoos that legitimately are bad homes for elephants, but it's simply unfortunate that IDA chooses to criticize some of the best elephant programs in the country, claiming that they are the "worst", while simultaneously giving a pass to the legitimately bad facilities.
Click to expand...
Every facility that holds elephants is “the worst” to the IDA (except the sacred sanctuaries).
I call these lists the “Zoos that have elephants” lists because it doesn’t matter if a zoo has a breeding herd of 9 elephants in a multi-acre habitat or one elderly female elephant forced to give kids rides. If it has elephants, it’s eligible for the list.
 
PSO said:
Both San diego facilities have, SDZ for elephant Odessey and separating the Tucson elephants
Click to expand...
I'd like to point out this is one of many instances where this organization has blatantly made false claims regarding certain elephant transfers. Shaba and Connie (the Tucson elephants in question here) were never going to be separated and both were sent to San Diego together. There have been other instances in past years where they've claimed to have some sort of insider knowledge about transports and used that as material to say these zoos were "ripping them away from their families" or something equally inane. Some examples I can remember are claiming Rosamond Gifford was moving their bull, Doc, and that Pittsburgh sending one their cows, Seedi, to Milwaukee. Neither of these transfers ever happened or we're ever going to happen.

IDAmeme.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IDAmeme.jpg
    IDAmeme.jpg
    80.1 KB · Views: 58
Corangurilla said:
Every facility that holds elephants is “the worst” to the IDA (except the sacred sanctuaries).
I call these lists the “Zoos that have elephants” lists because it doesn’t matter if a zoo has a breeding herd of 9 elephants in a multi-acre habitat or one elderly female elephant forced to give kids rides. If it has elephants, it’s eligible for the list.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, these lists weren't always as ridiculous as they have become. Originally, the lists would bring up legitimate concerns that were valid- zoos keeping a single elephant, zoos keeping elephants in extremely small exhibits, zoos doing elephant rides, etc. In their earlier days, IDA was successful in pressuring zoos that should have ended their elephant programs to do so, such as Alaska Zoo, Buffalo Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, Philadelphia Zoo, etc., or make massive improvements, such as Houston Zoo and Dallas Zoo. There are elephant programs that legitimately deserve criticism, but unfortunately these lists have lost a lot of their credibility in recent years by focusing on some of the greats of the elephant world instead of the legitimately bad zoos out there. Perhaps there is some truth to what @Corangurilla said about there not being ten bad elephant programs left, but if that's the case then perhaps it is time for IDA to put their elephant lists to rest and focus on something else instead, "Ten Worst Roadside Zoos for Animals", or something like that.
 
So many of their claims are false or not all the facts are presented. Did they even mention a single elephant facility this year? They lived off that momentum for awhile but is not feasible in most the cases they stated.

Has Cheyenne been mentioned? They seem to be avoid this despite adding elephants and new facilities....
 
Neil chace said:
Perhaps there is some truth to what @Corangurilla said about there not being ten bad elephant programs left, but if that's the case then perhaps it is time for IDA to put their elephant lists to rest and focus on something else instead, "Ten Worst Roadside Zoos for Animals", or something like that.
Click to expand...
That's just the problem, it's never been about pressuring zoos to improve conditions for captive elephants. These lists are all just PR stunts and an easy way to get attention every year. It's easy outrage media and as much as I really hate to say it, negativity sells. As long as they get their annual publicly there will always be a new list no matter how good captive elephant care becomes.
PSO said:
Has Cheyenne been mentioned? They seem to be avoid this despite adding elephants and new facilities....
Click to expand...
Not in recent years. They might have put Cheyenne Mountain on before they built the current exhibit, but I don't feel like checking and giving them any traffic. I don't recall North Carolina ever being on this list either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top