Elephants Elephants - Wildpro - Twycross Zoo

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Purpose of the Document
The first edition of the Elephant Guidelines was published in October 2002.
The document underwent its first review process (c.f. Section 3.19) during
2003 and 2004. The EAZA Elephant TAG adopted the Guidelines in 2003 and
are currently in the process of reviewing them for EAZA. The Elephant EEPs
have also made a few amendments to their recommendations (see Sections
3.6). These amendments have been added in italics as have some comments
pertaining to BIAZA Guidelines.
Several of the recommendations have been carried out (see Section 3.17
Research). Notably the completion and an analysis of questionnaires (see
Appendix 8 for report) and John Ray has carried out a second and more
detailed survey and analysis on handler-elephant incidences.
All amendments in this second edition are incorporated in the text, and also
highlighted through footnotes.
This document incorporates BIAZA’s Elephant Management Policy. In order
to explain the purpose of the document it is necessary to provide answers to a
number of key questions:
• Why are elephants kept in British and Irish zoos?
• How can we justify their continued presence in zoos?
• Who is the policy document for, and what does it set out to achieve?
• Who is responsible for implementation and review of the policy?
There have been elephants in captivity in western zoos for centuries.
Originally imported as exotic showpieces in menageries, as the one exhibited
in the Tower of London in 1256 [Menageries 1931 #30], they are now
ambassadors for their species and form a basis for conservation breeding and
conservation education activities.
Both African and Asian Elephant species are under extreme pressure from
poaching, habitat-loss and human conflict in the wild, which has increased, in
recent years. Zoos now have a legacy of long-lived individuals that they must
care for and involve in genuine conservation-related activities. Justification
for a continued presence of elephants in zoos can only be by demonstration of
a conservation benefit to the species. This should also assist in achieving a
shift in public understanding, attitudes and action towards field conservation.
Part of the justification of keeping elephants in zoos must be the recognition of
a clear accountability, on the part of zoos, to care for the animals under
optimal standards of welfare which relate, as far as is possible, to natural
behaviours and which follow the five principles as set out in the Secretary of
State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (DETR (DEFRA) 2000) under the
(Zoo Licensing Act 2002)
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