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May 7, 2008 Release
Three Philly Elephants Continue To Languish
Local Citizens Rally To Rescue Them
May 7, 2008 – Philadelphia, PA – On Thursday, local residents and Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants (FPZE) will host a rally at the Gallery in Center City Philadelphia to rescue the three remaining elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo. Over two years ago the Philly Zoo announced it would close the elephant enclosure due to inadequate space, and last May the Asian elephant Dulary was sent to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee last May, where she is thriving. Yet, the three African elephants, Petal, Bette, Kallie, remain in the quarter-acre enclosure and locked inside the cement barn for a minimum of 16 hours every day. This is the same enclosure that created life-threatening ailments in previous elephants - causing them to prematurely die due to captivity-induced health problems.
When: Thursday, May 8, 2008, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Where: Public Sidewalk in front of Gallery, 9th and Market Streets, Philadelphia.
What: Rally To Rescue Philadelphia Zoo Elephants
In the 1990’s, at least two Philly elephants died of captivity-induced ailments from conditions at the Philadelphia Zoo.
- Kutenga, a 27-year-old female African elephant: She'd been taken as a baby from her African home to be displayed at the Philly Zoo. Kutenga was found one morning collapsed on the floor of the cement barn - it is unknown how long she was down during the night. She languished for six long hours, while zoo employees tried to force her to stand up - probably using a bullhook to hit her - and a tow truck was used when Kutenga finally died. Kutenga suffered from severe degenerative joint disease – arthritis, a common ailment among zoo elephants but one not found in wild elephants.
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Peggy, a 53-year-old Asian elephant: Peggy was also taken from her family in the wild as a baby for the zoo industry Peggy was found collapsed in the cement barn. She was killed shortly afterward. Peggy had been under treatment for chronic arthritis and dental disease.
On average, elephants in zoos die at roughly half their natural average lifespan of 70 years. The leading cause of death for elephants in zoos is foot- and joint-related problems created by the lack of space in zoos. Petal, Kallie and Bette, have lived their entire lives on display and are slated to move to a breeding facility in central Pennsylvania where the younger two will be forcibly bred to produce elephants for display. Zoo director Vik Dewan has expressed uncertainty about the elephants' long-term future. The Performing Animal Welfare Society, a 2,300-acre sanctuary in California, and home to 12 rescued elephants offered a lifetime home to all three elephants at no charge.
Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants is a group of local advocates who are concerned about the elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo. For more information, please visit www.helpphillyzooelephants.com
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