Animal Rights Group Calls Zoo's Elephant Pregnancy a Sex Crime

5 years ago Environment

Animal rights groups have called the pregnancy of an elephant in an Australian zoo the animal equivalent of a sex crime.

indianelephantImage 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

If you want to find out all the latest environmental news, why not subcribe to our RSS feed? We'll even throw in a free album.

Written by: Chris

Cool Links From Around the Web

Related Galleries on Environmental Graffiti

Comments

Old Comments

Eden says

Dec 12th, 2009 at 12am
The process of artificial insemination for female elephants is much like using a rape stand in the breeding of dogfighting pit bulls. The males elephants are milked for their semen in ways that are disgusting and perverted, daily enemas, electrical and manual anal stimulation, use of artificial vaginas and manual masterbastion all of which are done several times each day, day after day while the males are in musth. The female must also have an enema and either manual or surgical insemination, again this procedure will be done 2 or 3 times per day, several times each week for up to 6 weeks. All procedures are performed while the elephants are chained in Elephant Restraint Chutes. This is just one of the many, many reasons there is such a high incidence of infant and maternal mortality in captive breeding of elephants. Also, this youngster has never witnessed another elephant giving birth and will have absolutely no idea what's happening, another reason inexperienced elephant mothers often kill their newborn calves. Also, she will have no assistance from more experienced females in her herd (because she has no herd). Stupid, stupid and dishonest. Nothing brings in paying customers like an oh so cute baby elephant.

Polywood says

Jun 24th, 2008 at 12am
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.

hello world says

Feb 22nd, 2008 at 12am
the space the elephants are in is to small for them now how can he even consider breeding more for that tiny area.
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?

Icare says

Feb 20th, 2008 at 12am
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.