Send Bronx Zoo Elephants to Sanctuary

  • by: Animal Advocates
  • recipient: Jim Breheny, WCS Senior Vice President for Living Institutions, Director of the Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo announced in 2006 it would close its elephant exhibit after one or two of the elephants die. The zoo currently has 3 in their Wild Asia exhibit- Patty, Maxine and Happy. Zoo officals say if two die, it would be inhumane to sustain an exhibit with a single elephant. Yet one of them, Happy, lives alone in isolation.

Happy was captured as an infant in Thailand in 1971. She was shipped to a zoo in Hawaii for a few months. In 1973, she was shipped off to West Palm Beach, Fla. Four years later, she arrived in The Bronx. Her constant companion was constant a male named Grumpy, (believed to be Happy's brother) who died in 2002 after sustaining injuries from the other two captive elephants at the Bronx Zoo, Patty and Maxine. The zoo found Happy a new companion. Sammy, who died shortly threreafter from liver disease, and Happy has been alone and living in isolation since.

Happy spends the majority of her time indoors in solitary confinement in a tiny, unnatural exhibit with no regular access to a larger outdoor exhibit and is forced to endure frigid New York winters- deprived of social bonds which are critical to elephant welfare. As zoo officials themselves have admitted- it would be inhumane to sustain an exhibit with a single elephant.

Additionally, Patty and Maxine, the other two elephants on exhibit are at risk of emotional trauma if one dies, because they are closely bonded. We ask the Bronx Zoo to close the elephant exhibits and send all 3 elephants to a sanctuary now.

SOURCE: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/the_sad_life_of_happy_the_elephant_oqWeQU2xJDJbHAB0HUIllN

The Bronx Zoo announced in 2006 it would close its elephant exhibit after one or two of the elephants die. The zoo currently has 3 in their Wild Asia exhibit- Patty, Maxine and Happy. Zoo officals say if two die, it would be inhumane to sustain an exhibit with a single elephant. Yet one of them, Happy, lives alone in isolation.


Happy was captured as an infant in Thailand in 1971. She was shipped to a zoo in Hawaii for a few months. In 1973, she was shipped off to West Palm Beach, Fla. Four years later, she arrived in The Bronx. Her constant companion was constant a male named Grumpy, (believed to be Happy's brother) who died in 2002 after sustaining injuries from the other two captive elephants at the Bronx Zoo, Patty and Maxine. The zoo found Happy a new companion. Sammy, who died shortly threreafter from liver disease, and Happy has been alone and living in isolation since.


Happy spends the majority of her time indoors in solitary confinement in a tiny, unnatural exhibit with no regular access to a larger outdoor exhibit and is forced to endure frigid New York winters- deprived of social bonds which are critical to elephant welfare. As zoo officials themselves have admitted- it would be inhumane to sustain an exhibit with a single elephant.


Additionally, Patty and Maxine, the other two elephants on exhibit are at risk of emotional trauma if one dies, because they are closely bonded. We ask the Bronx Zoo to close the elephant exhibits and send all 3 elephants to a sanctuary now.


SOURCE: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/the_sad_life_of_happy_the_elephant_oqWeQU2xJDJbHAB0HUIllN

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