Zoo should close Elephant Exhibit to save money
The Ballard News-Tribune posted a great opinion piece about the conditions and expense of the elephant exhibit at Woodland Park Zoo, written by elephant advocate and FOWPZE co-founder Alyne Fortgang.
Woodland Park Zoo announced it will be closing the Night House exhibit in order to save money. It is reported that the zoo is cutting $700,000 dollars, including 12 full-time jobs, from its $29 million budget.
The most expensive animals to keep on display at a zoo are elephants – close to $400,000.00 a year for the three elephants housed at Woodland Park Zoo.
In addition to being expensive, the postage stamp-sized exhibit is woefully inadequate for the planet’s largest land mammal.
For about seven months of the year, the elephants are locked in a barren barn stall for 16 to 17 hours a day due to climate.
Outdoors, they share less than one acre of yard. Science has conclusively shown that deprivation of space and social contact causes mental and physical suffering in elephants, resulting in their lifespan being shortened by decades.
Read the full article about the WPZ elephant exhibit here.
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