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Posted Online on 02/29/2016

Sarah Hite - Staff Writer


OKC Zoo elephants necropsy results verify cause of death:
The Oklahoma City Zoo released the necropsy results on the 37-year-old Asian elephant that died in late
January. Chai the Elephant was found dead in her habitat in the Oklahoma City Zoo on Jan. 30, 2015.
Some groups are calling Chais death an unnecessary tragedy.
Her death was unexpected, zoo staff said Chai was behaving normally. The initial necropsy found no obvious signs of death, aside from a slightly thin body condition. The tissue results were sent to an independent lab. Further examination found a systemic bacterial infection, considered a non-contagious condition. The independent examination supported the initial results, concluding a significant loss in body fat.
Animal activists are calling for the closure of the Oklahoma elephant exhibit at the OKC zoo in response
to Chais death and the death of the 4-year-old elephant, Malee, that occurred Oct. 1, 2015.
Chai and Bamboo, two Asian Elephants, were moved from Seattles Woodland Park Zoo to Oklahoma
City in May last year. They were transferred because Woodland Park faced complaints about the inhumane conditions of the elephant exhibit.
It was debated on whether to send the pair to an accredited sanctuary or to the Oklahoma City Zoo. The
decision to transfer the elephants faced protests from animal rights groups pushing strongly for sanctuary.
The average life expectancy for Asian elephants is about 60-70 years in the wild. The median life expectancy for Asian elephants in captivity is about 47 years. Chai was 37-years-old when she died.
The Woodland Park Zoo officials chose the Oklahoma City Zoo among 32 options because of the $13
million state-of-the-art facility.
Opponents of the transfer favored sanctuary because of the space available for the elephants to roam. In
response to these concerns, the Oklahoma City Zoo addressed the collaboration between themselves,
Woodland Park Zoo and a network of elephant welfare experts. They concluded the most important resource that supports elephant welfare is a natural social environment. This was elaborated in a press release Female Asian elephants live in multigenerational, matriarchal herds. No sanctuary is able to provide Chai and Bamboo with a multigenerational herd.
The Oklahoma City Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The OKC Zoo works to
support and generate funding for elephant conservation projects and protecting habitats. They offer a
gathering of community by connecting people to the real creature, unlike television or books. The elephant habitat covers more than 9.5 acres. The $13 million project possible due to one-eighth of a cent
sales tax approved by Oklahoma City citizens in 1990, foundations, corporations and ZooFriends memberships, according to the zoos website. Larger sanctuaries have a coverage of thousands in acreage.
About two months after the transfer, The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service publicly released a Routine Inspection Report performed on July 22, 2015, outlining
four instances of noncompliance. One of which referenced the sanitation of the elephant exhibit.
According to the report, at the time of the inspection there were rodent droppings near the elephant food
preparation area. The USDA APHIS gave the Oklahoma City Zoo until the next day to correct the citation.
In response to Chais death, the Friends of the Woodland Park Zoo Elephants filed a complaint with the
USDA to investigate. Alyne Fortgang, of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, advocated for Chai
and Bamboo to be sent to sanctuary. She has said it is impossible to completely rule out the possibility
that the Seattle elephants played a role in Malees death. Chai was exposed to Elephant Endotheliotropic
Herpes Virus (EEHV) early in her life and was likely a carrier.

The Oklahoma City Zoo began considering a testing system that will yield quicker treatment in the future,
the EEHV virus took hold of Malee too rapidly to save her. With another young elephant in the herd, the
keepers maintain vigilance for the warning signs.
In a statement from the Oklahoma City Zoo veterinarian Dr. Jennifer DAgostino, The Seattle elephants
did not bring this virus to us. This particular strain was already here. It has been determined that the
EEHV virus is not what killed Chai.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a statement concerning Chais death. After contacting PETA, Jaimie Schwartz, Communications Special Projects Manager, stated the organization had no
further comment at this time.
In an unrelated circumstance, Dr. Marion Garai of the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group, issued statementsexplaining the welfare concerns of removing elephants from the wild. Of course the zoos need
elephants to generate income through more visitors, as they have clearly admitted. This is an issue about
money and not about the elephants and one wonders why they asked for public comment in the first
place?
In relation to Chais death, Garai wrote in an email, My personal opinion is that wild elephants do not belong into a zoo. Most zoos are inappropriate for the varied social structure and behaviour of elephants.
There are very few zoos which can offer them more or less adequate facilities and only zoo born elephant
should be kept in breeding herds, including males.
There are numerous concerns over the involvement, or lack thereof, of the Oklahoma City Zoo in Chais
death. Reports indicate that the OKC Zoo has asked for further investigation to determine if Chai had an
underlying disease or chronic issue, the results may take several weeks for complete analysis.

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