SEATTLE -- Woodland Park Zoo has been slammed by animal rights groups for years who say its elephants belong in a sanctuary. Those calls only grew louder with the death of Watoto two months ago.
Now, the zoo's Chief Operating Officer hopes to set the record straight.
Critics have long argued the elephant enclosure is too small and Seattle's weather is too cold and too wet for the elephants. Groups like Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants have long called for them to be moved to a sanctuary in California where the weather is warmer and there's a lot more room to roam.
"I think the urgency of it couldn't be more plain," said Lisa Kane with Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants. "The elephants have done their part here. They've been on display for decades. When do they get a chance to lead a life that's quiet, peaceable and where their interests are put first?"
The zoo's COO, Bruce Bohmke, insists the elephants do come first, and that they have an excellent quality of life – something that's been going on more than a half century. Bohmke says a sanctuary is not the answer.
"They'll live out however long their life is. They don't breed them, which is another form of cruelty, we believe. So, we actually think we're doing a better job by elephants than any sanctuary could do," said Bohmke.
In August, the zoo's African elephant, Watoto, died after zookeepers found her collapsed and unable to get up. They ultimately made the decision to euthanize her.
"Unfortunately, it was the end of her life. It's not unusual for elephants to have arthritic problems and to go down and not be able to get up," said Bohmke. "We did finally get her to a point where it was pretty obvious that her bad leg that had the worst arthritis had been compromised at that point to where she was going to be a three-legged elephant. She couldn't stand."
Critics, including Kane, argue there was insufficient monitoring by the zoo given Watoto's arthritic condition.
"I think it's fair to say she could've looked forward to another 10-15 years of life but for her arthritis and it actually being lethal. Because she was here in a zoo that didn't know about it [the fall] all night," said Kane.
Zoo officials refute that claim as well, saying 24-hour monitoring of an arthritic elephant who was otherwise healthy is unnecessary.
Bohmke also addressed criticism over the size of the enclosure, which he says meets accredited standards set by the American Zoological Society.
As for Seattle's cooler climate?
"We actually are scientists and we know where elephants come from," said Bohmke. "And Asian elephants occur in India and they occur in some places that have even harsher climates than Woodland Park Zoo does."
The zoo is making improvements to its elephant exhibit including substrates and infrared cameras. They're also working on other enrichment projects, as part of the overall recommendations made by the elephant task force earlier this year.
The zoo addresses its critics' claims on its website,
