Help Petal, Kallie, Bette, and Dulary: Elephants Seeking Sanctuary

African elephants Petal, Kallie, and Bette and Asian elephant Dulary were captured as babies and taken from their families in the wild. They have lived their entire lives in small, inadequate enclosures. At the Philadelphia Zoo, they spend the majority of their time in a dank, 1940s-era concrete barn that is the size of three two-car garages—where they stand in their own feces and urine for up to 14 hours a day—and they have sporadic access to a barren, quarter-acre outdoor yard.

In October 2005, the Philadelphia Zoo put on hold its plans to spend $22 million to build a new exhibit for the zoo's elephants. Even if the zoo proceeded with its costly expansion plan, $22 million would accomplish little to improve the lives of the elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo. The proposed new exhibit would have been only two-and-a-half acres in size—which is woefully inadequate for animals who often walk 30 miles per day in the wild (there are 640 acres in one square mile). Because of these space limitations, zoos—no matter how well intentioned they may be—simply cannot provide for elephants' physical and social needs. No amount of expansion at the zoo will give the elephants what is truly necessary to their physical and psychological well-being.

Zoos' lack of space creates health problems in elephants, such as muscular-skeletal ailments, arthritis, foot and joint diseases, psychological distress (as is evidenced by repetitive swaying, head-bobbing, and pacing), reproductive problems, and high infant mortality rates. Captivity-induced health problems are the leading cause of death in elephants in zoos, causing elephants to die on average at roughly half their natural 70-year lifespan.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee can offer Petal, Kallie, Bette, and Dulary hundreds of acres of natural habitat to roam, ponds to bathe in, fresh forage, and the company of many other elephants. The sanctuary has a successful history of healing and restoring quality of life to elephants who have become debilitated from years in captivity.

Eight zoos in the United States and five zoos in the United Kingdom have closed their elephant exhibits, citing an inability to provide proper care. The Philadelphia Zoo can become an important part of this progressive trend in the zoo community, which must hold itself accountable to the animals in its care and consider their welfare a priority, even if that means retiring them to a more capable facility.

What You Can Do

Politely ask the Philadelphia City Council to make the compassionate decision to send Petal, Kallie, Bette, and Dulary to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Ask Philadelphia City Council President Anna Verna to share your concerns with the entire City Council:

The Honorable Anna C. Verna, President
Philadelphia City Council
City Hall, Rm. 405
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3290
215-686-3412
215-686-3413
215-686-1932 (fax)
anna.verna@phila.gov