-.."'/r. - ~.ct~ Januar 21, 2009 Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee c/o Cit Clerk 200 S. Spring Street St., Room 303 Los Angeles, CA 90012-413 7 "Nurturing wildlife and enriching the human experience Los Angeles Zoo 5333 Zoo Drive Los Angeles California 90027 323/644-4200 Fax 323/662-9786 http://www.lazoo.org Antonio R. Villaraigosa Maor Tom LaBonge Council Member 4'h District Zoo Commissioners Shelb Kaplan Sloan President Karen B. Winnick Vice President Elaine Balor Kimberl Marteau Bernardo Silva Richard Lichtenstein ex officio member John R. Lewis Zoo Director An Equal Emploment Opportunit Affirmative Action Emploer Attention: Erika Pulst, Legislative Coordinator RE: STATUS OF ELEPHANT EXHIBITS IN THE UNITED STATES RELATIVE TO MOTION (CARDENAS-ROSENDAHL-ALARCON C.F. 08-2850) This report was prepared in response to the Cit Council's action on December 3, 2008, which referred various issues contained in the Motion (Cardenas-Rosendahl-Alarcon) relative to the Pachderm Forest project at the Los Angeles Zoo back to the Arts, Parks, Health, and Aging Committee. This report specificall addresses "the status of elephant exhibits that have closed and currentl do house elephants on the zoos premise throughout the United States". The Motion specificall lists 12 cities that have closed their elephant exhibits and six zoos that plan on closing or phasing out their exhibits. However, in order to put this information into the correct context, particularl as it relates to "joining these progressive cities and permanentl close the exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo", the Cit Council should also be informed on all Association of Zoos and Aquarium (AZA) zoos in the United States that currentl exhibit elephants and the commitment to their programs now and into the future. CLOSED/PHASING OUT ELEPHANT EXHIBITS There have been 12 zoos is the U.S. that have closed their elephant exhibits for a variet of reasons dating back to 1991. These facilities are comprised of three non-azaaccredited zoos and nine AZA-accredited zoos. There are another six AZA-zoos planning to close or phase-out their elephant programs at some future undetermined time. The above-referenced zoos have made the decision to either close, or phase-out their elephant exhibits, but most made the decision, not for ethical reasons, but because of financial constraints and phsical space requirements. This should not be misinterpreted as a lack of commitment to elephants. Some zoos cannot make the commitment to the effort to save the species, so these zoos are choosing to work with other endangered species instead. In fact, some of these institutions sent letters factuall explaining the basis for their decision to the Cit Council, and stated their support for the Zoo's Pachderm Forest project (see attached). Further, the six zoos that have stated their intent to phase-out their elephant program have a combi~ed total of 13 elephants and are committed to them now, and until sl1c11.time a~ jhe reacli the end of their lifespan. The chart on the next page provides general information about the above-referenced 18 zoos. Accredited b the Association of Zoos and Aquariums ARTS, PARKS, HEALTH.:~ AGING Accredited b the American Association of Ml]seums Member of the California Association of Zoos and Aquariums tjan 2 6 2009
'1.. _) AZA Zoo Annual Exhibit Zoo Cit Accredited Acreage Attendance Elephants 1. Alaska Zoo Anchorage, AK N 25 acres N 2. Abilene Zoo Abilene, TX 13 acres 121,672 N 3. Glads Porter Zoo Brownsville, TX 35 acres 358,151 N 4. Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL 35 acres 3,000,000 1 N 5. Detroit Zoo Detroit, MI 125 acres 1,090,544 N 6. San Francisco Zoo San Francisco, CA 100 acres 1,093,099 N 7. Chehaw Wild Animal Park Alban, GA 120 acres 119,434 N 8. Henr Vilas Zoo Madison, WI 30 acres 601,250- N 9. Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo Monroe, LA N 80 acres 100,000 N 10. Mesker Park Zoo Evansville, IN 50 acres 140,019 N 11. Frank Buck Zoo Gainesville, TX N 40 acres 55,000 N 12. Sacramento Zoo Sacramento, CA 15 acres 538,000 N.................. ( 1. BronxZoo... Bronx, NY 265 acres 1,926,594 2. Buttonwood Park Zoo New Bedford, MA 12 acres 215,000 3. Central Florida Zoo Sanford, FL 26 acres 255,378 4. Lion Countr Safari Loxahatchee, FL 330 acres 489,231 5. Philadelphia Zoo Philadelphia, P A 42 acres 1,130,300 6. Santa Barbara Zoo Santa Barbara, CA 24 acres 478,917 TREND OF ELEPHANT EXHIBITS AT AZA-ACCREDITED ZOO So, while there are nine AZA-zoos that have closed their elephant programs over more than the last ten ears, there are currentl 74 AZA-zoos that currentl exhibit Asian and/or African elephants, including the six zoos that are planning to phase out their program (see attached chart). Further, nine have OP,ened brand new exhibits in the last ten ears, six have recentl expanded their exhibits, 18 are planning to expand their exhibits, four are planning brand new exhibits and two more will open new exhibits within the next ear. These exhibits are being funded through fundraising efforts, voter-approved bond measures and government monies. The commitment to elephants now and into the future is greater than it ever has been, not onl to programs at zoos (in-situ), but to conservation efforts in the wild (ex-situ) in both Africa and Asia. IMPORTANCE OF ELEPHANT EXHIBITS Zoos and aquariums are woven into the fabric of American life - 175 million people visit accredited zoos and aquariums each ear - more than half the U.S. population. Zoos teach children about the natural world. In the last 10 ears, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums formall trained more that 400,000 teachers, supporting science curricula with effective teaching materials and hands-on opportunities for children to connect with wildlife. Ever ear, school field trips at zoos and aquariums connect more than 15 million students with the natural world. 1 Admission is free for all visitors. 2 Admission is free for all visitors. \
Elephants in AZA-accredited zoos help make emotional connections with visitors and change behaviors that positivel impact elephants and other wildlife conservation. The following are the results of a Harris Interactive poll conducted b the AZA in 2005: 95% of poll participants felt that seeing elephants in real life helps people appreciate them more and encourages people to learn more about them. 86% of poll participants felt that visiting a zoo or aquarium encourages people to donate mone or time to conservation programs that help protect animals. The majorit of Americans (65%) indicate concern for the protection of elephants. 93% of poll participants agreed that their families enjo going to zoos or other places where the can see living animals close-up. Over one-half (56%) of frequent zoo visitors sa the have made a monetar contribution to support zoos. In addition, the Zoo embarked upon a Visitor Surve, conducted b More Group, to identif visitor characteristics and visitor attitudes regarding the Los Angeles Zoo. Beginning Januar 2006, through August 2006, More Group surveed 1,222 Zoo visitors. The surve was conducted in both English and Spanish, and on weekends and weekdas. The surve specificall asked the question "Would ou like to see a new elephant exhibit at the Zoo?" and 1,205 visitors responded to this question. Of those respondents, 1,093, or 90.7% of Zoo visitors answered es. This overwhelming support further demonstrates that our visitors support a new elephant exhibit. The chart below shows the demographic of the response: L.A. Count Absolute Break% First Visit Children in Part Member Base Residents Respondents Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No New Elephant Exhibit Base 1205 343 860 987 218 180 1014 995 207 Yes No 1093 303 788 914 179 177 908 909 181 90.7% 88.4% 91.6% 92.6% 81.7% 98.3% 89.5% 91.4% 87.4% 112 40 72 73 39 3 106 86 26 9.3% 11.6% 8.4% 7.4% 17.8% 7.7% 10.5% 8.6% 12.6% Elephants once roamed the forests and savannas of Asia and Africa in sizeable herds, but toda their numbers have drasticall diminished. Threatened b habitat loss, the illegal ivor trade, and encroachment of human populations into wildlife areas, Asian elephants are especiall imperiled, with fewer than 35,000 remaining. The Pachderm Forest will connect the Zoo's 1.6 million visitors with these criticall endangered elephants, inspiring them to protect and conserve them now and into the future. Respectfull submitted, ~?- Jolin R. Lewis, Di ector Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Attachments
AZA ACCREDITED ZOOS COMMITTED TO ELEPHANT PROGRAMS Attachment Name of Zoo Developed Annual Elephant Location Acres Attendance Species Notes I 1. Albuquerque Biolor.:~ical Park Albuquerque, NM 64 1,088,399 Asian 2. Audubon Zoo New Orleans, LA 58 628,686 Asian 3. Birmingham Zoo 4. BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo 5. BronxZoo 6. Buffalo Zoological Gardens 7. Busch Gardens Tampa Ba 8. Buttonwood Park Zoo 9. Caldwell Zoo 10. Cameron Park Zoo 11. Central Florida Zoological Park 12. Cheenne Mountain Zoo 13. Brookfield Zoo Cincinnati Zoo and Biological 14. Garden 15. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 16. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium 17. Dallas Zoo 18. Denver Zoo 19. Dickerson Park Zoo 20. Disne's Animal Kingdom 21. El Paso Zoo 22. Fort Worth Zoo 23. Fresno Chaffee Zoo 24. Greenville Zoo 25. Honolulu Zoo 26. Houston Zoo, Inc. Birmingham, AL 48 515,028 African Baton Rouge, LA 147 261,407 Asian Bronx, NY 265 1 926 954 Asian Buffalo, NY 24 412,369 Asian Tampa, FL 350 N/A Asian New Bedford, MA 12 215,000 Asian Tler, TX 85 297,678 African Waco, TX 52 251,894 African Sanford, FL 26 255,378 Asian Colorado Springs, co 70 468,039 African Chicago, IL 216 2,137,545 African Cincinnati, OH 67 1,021,417 Asian Cleveland, OH 168 1,229,273 African Columbus, OH 330 1,530,367 Asian Dallas, TX 75 641,972 African Denver, CO 80 1,672,017 Asian Springfield, MO 58 216,053 Asian Orlando, FL 500 N/A African El Paso, TX 26 293,713 Asian Fort Worth, TX 67 974,744 Asian Fresno, CA 19 398,820 Asian Greenville, SC 10 227,885 African Honolulu, HI 42 601,510 Asian Houston, TX 55 1 600 000 Asian Does not currentl house elephants, opening new exhibit for a herd of African elephants Planninr.:~ expansion to current exhibit. Recentl expanded their habitat. Recentl expanded their habitat. Planninr.:~ expansion to current exhibit. Opened new exhibit in 1998. Opened new exhibit in 1998. 27. Indianapolis Zoological Societ, Inc. Indianapolis, IN 64 1,164,000 African 28. Jackson Zoolor.:~ical Park 29. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens 30. Kansas Cit Zoo 31. Knoxville Zoolor.:~ical Gardens 32. Lee Richardson Zoo 33. Lion Countr Safari 34. Little Rock Zoo Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical 35. Gardens 36. Louisville Zoolor.:~ical Gardens 37. Memphis Zoo Jackson, MS 54 183,680 African Jacksonville, FL 70 690,353 African Kansas Cit, MO 202 428,565 African Knoxville, TN 54 430,088 African Garden Cit, KS 50 190,530 African Loxahatchee, FL 320 489,231 African Little Rock, AR 33 255178 Asian Los Angeles, CA 113 1,577,839 Asian Louisville, KY 134 867,868 Asian/Africa Memphis, TN 76 1,002,735 African Opened new exhibit in 2003 Planninr.:~ on openinr.:~ the Pachderm Forest Planning on expansion to current exhibit.
AZA ACCREDITED ZOOS COMMITTED TO ELEPHANT PROGRAMS Attachment Name of Zoo 38. Miami Metrozoo Milwaukee Count Zoological 39. Gardens 40. MontQomer Zoo 41. Nashville Zoo, Inc. 42. Niabi Zoo 43. North Carolina Zoological Park 44. Oakland Zoo 45. Oklahoma Cit ZooloQical Park 46. Omaha's Henr Doorl Zoo 47. Oregon Zoo Developed Annual Elephant Location Acres Attendance Species Miami, FL 300 624,841 Asian/Africa Milwaukee, WI 192 1,371,841 African MontQomer, AL 41 255,000 African Nashville, TN 82 546,429 African Coal Valle, IL 50 210,422 Asian Asheboro, NC 500 746,650 African Oakland, CA 45 550,000 African Oklahoma Cit, OK 203 800,601 Asian Omaha, NE 112 1,335,170 African Portland, OR 50 1,508,564 Asian Notes Houses two herds of elephant-african and Asian Opened new exhibit in 2004. Opened new exhibit in 2005. PlanninQ expansion to current exhibit. Completed an exhibit expansion in 2008. Recentl expanded their habitat. New habitat scheduled to open in 2011. Planning a new exhibit PlanninQ an expansion to current exhibit. 48. Philadelphia Zoo 49. Phoenix Zoo 50. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium 51. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium 52. Reid Park Zoo 53. Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens 54. Roger Williams Park Zoo 55. Rosamond Gifford Zoo 56. Saint Louis Zoo 57. San Antonio ZooloQical Societ 58. San Diego Zoo 59. San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park Philadelphia, PA 42 1,130,300 African Phoenix, AZ 94 1,568,013 Asian Pittsburgh, PA 77 1,026,642 African Tacoma. WA 20 600,078 Asian Tucson, AZ 17 478,794 Asian/Africa Columbia, SC 45 899,765 African Providence, Rl 40 471,721 African Sracuse, NY 36 332,115 Asian Saint Louis, MO 93 2,956,741 Asian San Antonio, TX 40 974,025 Asian San Diego, CA 100 3,307,000 Asian San Diego, CA 800 1,503,993 African/Asian Plans on phasing elephants out and sending cows to new Pittsburgh conservation center. Recentl opened an off-site conservation center for elephants, breeding program PlanninQ expansion to current exhibit. Opened new exhibit in 2001 PlanninQ a new exhibit for elephants. Opening new exhibit in Spring 2009 Currentl houses two herds (African and Asian), Africans are a breeding herd. 60. Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens 61. SedQwick Count Zoo 62. Seneca Park Zoo 63. Six FlaQs Discover KinQdom Smithsonian National Zoological 64. Park 65. Tampa's Lowr Park Zoo 66. The Marland Zoo in Baltimore 67. Toledo Zoological Gardens 68. Topeka Zoo 69. Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum 70. Utah's Hogle Zoo 71. Virginia Zoological Park 72. Wildlife Safari 73. Woodland Park Zoo 74. Zoo Atlanta Santa Barbara, CA 24 478,917 Asian Wichita KS 247 593,428 African I Rochester, NY 15 337,597 African Vallejo, CA 140 N/A Asian/Africa WashinQton D.C. 163 2,664,000 Asian Tampa, FL 56 1 '101,895 African Baltimore, MD 80 350,000 African Toledo, OH 74 955,710 African Topeka, KS 36 178,500 Asian/Africa Tulsa, OK 82 502,025 Asian Salt Lake Cit, UT 42 954,551 African Norfolk, VA 35 316,706 African Winston, OR 600 158,000 African Seattle, WA 92 1,070,848 Asian Atlanta, GA 35 894,600 African PhasinQ out of their collection. Planning a new exhibit Opened new exhibit in 2006 Planning on opening a new exhibit in 2010 Opened new exhibit in 2005 Recentl expanded their habitat. Recentl expanded their habitat. Opened new exhibit in 2002