Elephants are under extreme pressure from habitat loss and poaching. The most widespread and difficult issue to tackle in elephant conservation is human⁄elephant conflict, particularly in Asia.

Seeing elephants in zoos helps people connect to these magnificent creatures in a way they can't experience through books, TV programs or the Internet. Moreover, not everyone can afford to travel to Africa or Asia. The impact of seeing an elephant, tiger, gorilla or other animal up close is powerful. Outside of the wild, no other venue can match this.

Zoos breed elephants because there is a critical need to save elephants in the wild. If people are to care about elephants, they need to learn about elephants. Zoos provide a powerful venue to make this happen. We need elephants in zoos, in real life and real time, to champion conservation for their wild counterparts. Additionally, breeding enhances animal welfare. it is very enriching and natural for elephant to experience a birth, rear young and live in a multi-generational herd.

As an accredited institution of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), Woodland Park Zoo remains steadfast in our commitment to the long-term survival of Asian elephants in the North American population. We participate in AZA's Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding program to help ensure genetic diversity and demographic stability in North American zoos. There is unanimous agreement among the world's leading experts in zoos and elephant research institutions that we should continue our commitment to breeding elephants.

Maintaining elephant populations in zoos is essential for preserving elephants in the wild. Elephants are under extreme pressure from human-elephant conflict, poaching and habitat loss. As humans continue to infiltrate into elephant habitat, elephants are destroying homes or raiding crops as they migrate or forage for food. As a result, many elephants are shot or poisoned for encroaching on human areas because they pose a danger or become pests. Due to human activity, there is no longer room for elephants in the landscape.

In zoos, these awe-inspiring animals are powerful conservation ambassadors to educate visitors, help visitors make emotional connections, and change behaviors that positively impact elephant and other wildlife conservation. If elephants can only be seen by limited numbers of people in their range countries, and we don't see them or learn about the perils they face in the wild, these magnificent animals will disappear forever from our planet.

Elephants need zoos and zoos need elephants to help their cousins in the wild. Zoo studies on elephant biology and behavior would be challenging or impossible in the field. Working with populations in zoos has a positive effect on conservation, and the information gathered is relevant to helping and understanding wild populations. Virtually everything we know---elephant reproductive physiology, low frequency and olfactory communication, DNA testing of elephant populations to track poached ivory, and cognitive ability---comes from studies on elephants in zoos. Woodland Park Zoo and AZA zoos routinely contribute to this growing body of work and knowledge. Without elephants in zoos, we could not continue our work to support elephant conservation in Asia and Africa.

We are playing an essential role in the long-term survival of elephants in the wild. AZA institutions support and generate millions in funding for elephant conservation projects. We have directly supported the work of scientists for many years. For example, the GPS collars that Iain Douglas-Hamilton uses in his research project were first beta tested on elephants in AZA institutions. We collected the pilot data for him and helped him develop better technology to use in the collars that help him track elephant movements in his study area.

Learn about some key body features of an elephant with this interactive presentation. Continue

Learn about the reproductive system of elephants. Continue


LEARN MORE ABOUT ELEPHANTS AND CONSERVATION:

INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION

ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS & AQUARIUM'S ELEPHANT TAXON ADVISORY GROUP and SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN

ELEPHANT POPULATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM