Roger Williams Park Zoo - Elephant Breeding
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Care and Conservation
ELEPHANT MISSION STATEMENT
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) is comprised of caring, trusted experts committed to ensuring that elephants are part of the world’s future. Through our conservation, education and research programs, elephants in our care play an essential role in the survival of the species in the wild. AZA advocates on behalf of elephants with a unified and consistent voice and collaborates with others committed to the long-term survival of elephants. |
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| Elephant Care and Expertise |
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AZA accredited zoos are staffed with teams of highly trained animal experts. The goal of responsible elephant management is to provide each elephant with the best in quality care through the latest developments in management, nutrition, preventative health care, enrichment, training and research.
Elephants benefit from expert care at accredited zoos, supported by zoos’ public education efforts about elephants and endangered species, and collaborative AZA zoo work in conservation, research, and education. AZA accredited zoos have the experience, scientific knowledge, sound veterinary care, state-of-the-art veterinary facilities and financial stability to ensure excellent elephant welfare.
The AZA Elephant Taxon Advisory Group (TAG)/Species Survival Plan (SSP) are cooperative programs designed to help support elephant management nationally and internationally with a focus on caring for individual elephants and the welfare of the total population. The AZA Elephant TAG/SSP formed in 1990. It consists of a steering committee of 15 zoo professionals from around the country and a representative from each elephant holding zoo.
Visit the AZA Elephant Taxon Advisory Group for more information about elephant conservation nation-wide. |
IMPORTANCE OF ELEPHANTS IN ZOOS
People love to see elephants in real life. The experience provided by accredited zoos invites people to learn about elephants and in turn enhances public commitment to wildlife conservation. For example, a 2005 poll by Harris Interactive shows that 95% of the public says seeing elephants and rhinos in real life helps people appreciate them more and encourages people to learn more about them.
If people don’t see elephants, they likely won’t be interested in helping conserve them. AZA zoos enable North American residents to see and connect with elephants, which these people might not ever get a chance to do otherwise.
As people learn about elephants, they discover that their actions do matter and can make a difference in elephant and wildlife conservation. For instance, choosing not to buy ivory or choosing to purchase lumber from sustainable sources has a positive influence on elephant and habitat conservation. So, too, does letter writing to decision-makers and contributing to a conservation organization. |
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STANDARDS OF CARE
The AZA Standards for Elephant Management and Care were developed over several years, in cooperation with animal welfare advocates, field researchers and zoo elephant experts. AZA continuously reviews and updates its standards to incorporate best management practices supported by new research. The standards are more stringent than those of state regulatory agencies and the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, making them the nation’s highest standards for elephant care.
When the AZA introduced its Standards for Elephant Management and Care in 2001, it allowed five years for members to come to full compliance. By May 2006, any zoos with elephant facilities that fall short of the requirements faced loss of their accreditation if they were not already in the process of change.
AZA Standards for Elephant Management and Care can be found at www.aza.org/aboutAZA/BrdAppPolicies/Documents/ElephantStandards.pdf
AZA accredited zoos provide environmental enrichment programs that stimulate their elephants daily, both mentally and physically. The complexity and enrichment associated with elephants’ zoo homes are extremely important quality-of-life factors, in addition to provisions such as proper nutrition and veterinary care.
Recent research, published in the journal Zoo Biology, shows that elephants in professionally managed zoological facilities have life expectancies similar to elephants in the wild (about 50 – 60 years). |
PROGRAMS EXPANDING
As part of a continuing effort to provide the best environment for elephants, as of late 2005 42 of the 79 AZA institutions caring for elephants planned to expand or construct new facilities within the next 5 years. |
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| Elephant Conservation |
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AZA ELEPHANT CONSERVATION
AZA-accredited zoos support conservation projects that further education, research and development, field-based training, habitat restoration, ecotourism and community-based initiatives. AZA zoos also support national parks and reserves and conduct fund-raising to support these projects.
For example: In one year alone (2004), AZA institutions supported more than 75 elephant conservation projects worldwide. (Overall for many species, AZA institutions contributed $21.8 million to support 1,420 field conservation projects in 107 countries and regions.) Projects included: Biodiversity and the Elephant Conservation Trust; Minimizing Conflict between Asian Elephants and Local Villagers; Elephants of Cameroon; and Genetic Conservation of African Elephants
AZA accredited zoos provide primary support for the International Elephant Foundation (IEF) (www.elephantconservation.org), a 501c(3) non-profit organization that provides financial support for a wide variety of elephant conservation and related scientific and educational projects worldwide. In cooperation with the IEF, AZA zoos supported 13 different elephant conservation programs in 2006. (As reported by the AZA Elephant Taxon Advisory Group, www.elephanttag.org.) |
POPULATION
In the past 25 years in the wild, the African elephant population has fallen from 1.6 million to less than 500,000 – a decline of more than 100 elephants each day.
AZA institutions like Roger Williams Park Zoo care for approximately 300 of the 500 elephants in North America. Among them, approximately half are African elephants and half are Asian.
There is a need for AZA institutions to breed elephants to keep the population healthy. AZA estimates that to sustain the species at a healthy level in captivity nine births per year are needed.
From 2000 to 2005, AZA institutions have had 10 successful elephant births (average 2 per year).
AZA recommendations call for 57 African elephant breedings by 2009 (31 through artificial insemination). |
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VISION FOR THE FUTURE WITH ELEPHANTS
Directors of AZA accredited zoos that care for elephants met in January 2005 and endorsed an aggressive new vision to ensure that elephants are part of the world ’s future. The directors reaffirmed and strengthened their passionate and unified commitment to care for and conserve elephants worldwide.
The new AZA vision focuses on:
- science-based monitoring and management
- definitive elephant care practices
- facilities expansion
- enhanced field conservation efforts.
The reality is that what has been called the ‘wild’ in Africa and Asia has many unresolved human-elephant conflicts. Increasingly there is diminishing room for elephants. As wild space continues to decline, there will be few places on earth where elephants are not managed in some way by humans.
Under increasing population pressures in the wild, elephants need the particular support and expertise of AZA researchers, biologists and population managers. At the January 2005 meeting, zoo directors committed to providing even greater support for research and elephant conservation programs. |
ELEPHANT EXHIBIT RENOVATION PLANS AT ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO
Roger Williams Park Zoo is home to three female African elephants, “Alice,” “Kate” and “Ginny.”
The zoo has embarked on a $7 million renovation project to improve and upgrade the current elephant exhibit. This construction will allow not only for more space and improved facilities for the zoo’s current herd, but the capability to house a calf. Improvements will include:
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