As a clear morning dawned on May 18, 2021, a baby was born. She was a gorilla, born to the Mapuwa family, one of 10 gorilla families in Virunga National Park, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. A month later, news broke that another gorilla, Mafuko from the Bageni family, was born on June […]
Tag: zoos
Bali Park Leaves Elephants to Starve to Death
An elephant park in Bali left its elephants to starve to death after Covid restrictions forced it to shut down. The Bali Elephant Camp offered a wide range of nature-based activities as well as elephant-related attractions, including elephant rides. When tourism stopped due to the pandemic, the park was forced to close its doors and […]
The Cruelty Behind Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
When you first hear the name “Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage” it’s easy to assume it’s exactly that — an orphanage. However, Pinnawala, located in Sri Lanka, has been breeding and holding elephants captive for entertainment purposes, rather than for the welfare of the animals. A sanctuary or orphanage’s role is to hold animals captive for their […]
Namibia Auctions Off 57 Wild Elephants
Namibia is auctioning off its wild elephants, which has caused an uproar amongst conservation and wildlife groups. In August, the government announced that they had auctioned off 57 wild elephants to three bidders for approximately $537,000, further devastating the wild elephant population that has already suffered so much as a result of poachers and droughts. […]
Are Zoos Vital for Education or Conservation?
As discussions about treating animals ethically progress, it’s difficult to graze over zoos and just how ethical or unethical they are. To start, we have to acknowledge there are people who work in and run zoos that genuinely care about animals. This is not an attempt to belittle or doubt their intentions. Nor is discussing […]
Emaciated elephants ‘so weak they were held up by chains around their necks’ are discovered at Thai animal camp by shocked tourists
Exhausted elephants believed to be so weak that they were held up by chains around their necks have been discovered at an animal camp in Thailand. The emaciated jumbos were discovered by outraged tourists visiting Chang Puak Camp, which offers elephant rides and shows, in Ratchaburi province on June 15. The three elephants – Plai […]
Do we love elephants enough to let them live free?
Elephants are always the prime attraction. In zoos, circuses, and safaris, elephants are the number one draw. They make an impression with their playfulness and intelligence, their docile nature despite extraordinary strength. People feel a natural connection to elephants, which I think is from an intuitive understanding that their emotional lives are similar to ours. […]
Two tigers gunned down in China’s latest escaped-cat blunder
Two escaped tigers killed their keeper in China and were shot dead, state media reported, in the latest incident underlining the country’s chaotic handling of dangerous animals. Tuesday’s incident in central Henan province comes with authorities still hunting for one of three leopards that escaped in eastern China, in a separate case that shocked the […]