Phoenix places 10th on worst zoo List, pledges to shut down elephant exhibit

The Phoenix Zoo announced it will shut down its elephant exhibit after the zoo came in at number 10 on In Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America list. The plan is not to replace Indu, the current captive elephant, with anymore Asian elephants. Instead, the exhibit will be used solely to exhibit the greater one-horned rhinoceros, who currently shares the space on rotation with the elephant.

This will take place once Indu, the 59-year-old elephant who has lived for decades in isolation at the Phoenix Zoo, passes.

“We are not planning to exhibit more Asian elephants in that current space,” Dr. Gary West, senior vice president of Animal Health and Living Collections at the Phoenix Zoo. “We are going to be converting that to greater one-horned rhinoceros, which lives solitarily, and they are going to be occupying those exhibits.”

Phoenix Zoo’s decision is part of a growing trend among zoos across North America with about 40 zoos closing their elephant exhibits and many more pledging to close their exhibits. While elephants are known to be intelligent and social animals, In Defense of Animals said captivity becomes undeniable causing chronic health and mental issues.

“We welcome this important step forward, but it’s not too late for Indu’s happily ever after,” said Courtney Scott, elephant consultant for In Defense of Animals. “While we celebrate a path to progress with many zoos shutting their elephant exhibits, some are missing the opportunity to give elephants a sanctuary retirement where they can live out their golden years with the companionship, space, and care they have been deprived of for so long. We urge the Phoenix Zoo to work swiftly to give Indu the chance to experience freedom and friendship in her lifetime in a sanctuary with other elephants.”

While the Phoenic Zoo has repeatedly been listed on In Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list, the complete list of zoos with a legacy of poor conditions includes:

1. Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Calif.
2. Bronx Zoo, N.Y.
3. Edmonton Valley Zoo, Canada
4. Cameron Park Zoo, Waco, Texas
5. Two Tails Ranch, Williston, Fla. 
6. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, Colo. 
7. Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center, Kan.
8. Little Rock Zoo, Ark.
9. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Ohio
10. Phoenix Zoo, Ariz.

“With the decision to close the elephant exhibit, Phoenix Zoo has an opportunity to be a leader in ethical change by prioritizing Indu’s welfare and sending her to a sanctuary,” Dr. Marilyn Kroplick, president of In Defense of Animals, said. “This would not only honor her, but also set a powerful example for zoos across the country.”