Animal Rights Group Calls Zoo’s Elephant Pregnancy a Sex Crime
Thu, Feb 14, 2008
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Animal rights groups have called the pregnancy of an elephant in an Australian zoo the animal equivalent of a sex crime.
Image by Herrick
Thong Dee is an Asian elephant at Sydney’s Taronga zoo. The exotic animal is nine years old, still a juvenile in elephant terms. So while the zoo celebrates, animal rights groups are up in arms.
Erica Martin, Asia-Pacific Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said: “It is completely irresponsible.” She described the zoo permitting the young elephant to conceive as “the equivalent of allowing your 12-year-old daughter to become pregnant.” Martin said that 11 is the minimum age at which captive elephants should begin to breed.
Despite the negative publicity from animal rights organizations, the zoo is ecstatic over the elephant’s pregnancy. Taronga Zoo director Guy Cooper said: “The zoo is proud to announce this historic event.” The birth will be the first by a captive elephant in Australia.
Thong Dee was one of eight Asian elephants sent from Thailand to the zoo in 2006. She’s been surrounded by controversy from the beginning, as animal rights groups protested against the animals being kept in captivity. Thong Dee and her fellow imports joined the zoo’s captive breeding program for the endangered species.
Zoo officials defended their decision to allow the young animal to become pregnant. Cooper said: “The well-being of all animals in our care is of paramount importance and our breeding programs are carefully managed to exacting standards that ensure our specialist staff employ the latest advice and scientific research.” Thong Dee and several other elephants were examined by German breeding experts and pronounced fit to breed last year. The youngest Asian elephant to successfully conceive in a zoo was five and a half years old.
RSPCA experts fired back, saying that Thong Dee and the baby animal faced health risks from pregnancy at that age. Bidda Jones, chief scientist with the Australian RSPCA, said: “We know that calves born in zoos have double the mortality rate in the wild, and this pregnancy will put both mother and calf at great risk. Still birth, infanticide and rejection of calves are the main causes of infant mortality and Thong Dee’s age and lack of maternal and social experience make this pregnancy very risky”
Info from Reuters
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February 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am
just goes to show again, guy cooper only cares about making money at the zoo. ababy elephant means more visitors. the space the elephants are in is to small for them now how can he even consider breeding more for that tiny area but still has all that space out at dubbo. its because dubbo doesnt get the visitors that bring in the money. guy cooper cares nothing for the animals, they are simply objects to be used to make money.
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:43 pm
The enclosure is larger then recommended by guidelines, and is being expanded. To often Animal Rights activists dont care about the facts and put hysteria before science, unfortunately that just hurts the environment movement in general. How many times can you cry wolf?
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Come on, aren’t their more important things to worry about for thesen animal rights group activists like the treatment of horses at the Belmont and other high caliber events. Kumping on the issue of aren’t these elephants to young is kind of ridiculous.