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12 years ago
EXPOSED! The San Antonio Zoo: One of the Worst Zoos in America
People have been taking day trips to the zoo for generations. Seeing a trip to the zoo as a chance to get an up-close look at animals they’d probably never be able to observe under other circumstances, the zoo has been a staple in “family fun” since the first “zoological park” opened to the public in 1847. Most schools put excursions to the zoo on their list for educational outings – this undoubtedly goes over pretty well as it’s hard to find a kid that would turn down a day trip to check out the meerkat exhibit.
Zoos market themselves as places driven by Conservation, where animals are “safe,” and want for nothing. Sadly, that’s not the case. Animals in zoos are put on display for entertainment purposes first and foremost. The vast majority of the animals we see at the zoo are born in captivity, making it virtually impossible for them ever to be released back into the wild. Their environments are, more often than not, an inadequate facsimile for what would meet their needs in nature, lacking the types of social structure and enrichment vital to their well-being.
While it’s true that not all zoos are created equal, even those that endeavor to be the most humane still experience these types of issues. There’s just no way to replicate the wild in captivity. Some try, while some like the San Antonio Zoo in Texas, fail miserably. Celebrating its centennial this year, the San Antonio Zoo is one of the older zoos in the United States. This particular zoo has had a spot on In Defense of Animals (IDA) Top 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants six times in ten years. This year they’re ranked at number one. They were also the only American zoo listed as one of the World’s Worst Zoos by the Global Post in 2010. What earned them these distinctions? It all started with one unlucky elephant…
1. Where do the San Antonio Zoo’s Animals Come From?
Over 9,000 animals, representing 750 different species are kept in captivity at the San Antonio Zoo. Prior to the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, animals were captured straight from the wild and ended up in the San Antonio Zoo to be used as exhibits. That’s how Lucky, an Asian elephant, arrived at the zoo in 1962 at the age of four. Gertrude, the white rhino also arrived in this manner in 1970 at the age of five.
After 1973 zoos were prohibited by the Endangered Species Act from capturing animals listed as endangered or threatened from their natural habitat, as well as importing, exporting or trading them in any way. Since then, the zoo has mainly acquired animals that are sent to live there – like Queenie the elephant who was sent after being rescued from a private owner – or they’re traded back and forth with other zoos for the purpose of mating, to produce more captive offspring. As the older generations of animals who were captured from the wild pass on, the vast majority of animals living in zoos today were born there.
2. How are the San Antonio Zoo’s Animals Treated?
The entire zoo only takes up 56 total acres, meaning their animal population of 9,000, is crammed into a very tight space. Many animals are kept in small, dated and inadequate enclosures and deprived of the social structure that their species require for their mental well-being.
Prior to her death in 2012 of kidney failure, Gertrude the rhino, languished in a rusty enclosure that was too small for her, lacking in shade or a mud wallow-a necessary item for her species. Her night quarters were no better, containing compact and unnatural substrata for her to lie down on.
Sam and Gina, a black leopard pair, both passed away in 2010 after only one year at the zoo. Transferred in 2009, after being rescued from a private owner, the zoo gave little details about the cause of death for either animal.
Officially, the zoo stated that Gina had passed away from an illness. Sam appeared distraught and began showing stereotypic behaviors, or zoochosis, following her death-likely due to the sudden disappearance of his companion. He died himself a month later, with no statement from the zoo at all.
One of the most deplorable cases of animal treatment at the San Antonio Zoo can be seen in the story of Lucky. Lucky’s care (or lack there of) is one of the main reasons San Antonio has made its way onto the worst lists for zoos.
Lucky lives in a half-acre enclosure with minimal shade and a hard concrete surface known to cause orthopedic issues in elephants. She has also been living in solitude for the majority of her time in the zoo.
When her companion, Alport, died after sustaining a serious orthopedic injury in 2007, Lucky was left alone for the next three years. During this time the zoo looked for other companions for her but no other zoo was willing to send an elephant to San Antonio (likely because of their reputation). That changed in 2010 when an elephant named Queenie, later renamed Boo, was rescued from a private owner and sent by the USDA to live as a companion for Lucky.
However, Queenie passed away in March of 2013, and the San Antonio Zoo currently has no plans to either relinquish Lucky to a sanctuary or to provide her with another companion. The zoo contends that Lucky is too old to be moved to a sanctuary, and insists that keeping her in an inadequate environment, with no others of her kind to satisfy her needs for socialization, is the only choice for her. Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild, meaning Lucky could have 20 more years of miserable solitude ahead of her.
Zoo directer Steve McCusker says, “She’s never been kind of a herd elephant. She’s always been kind of a weird elephant that would rather be alone or with people than other elephants. That’s really the philosophy and science behind why we have kept her.”
Elephants are highly social animals, which makes this assertion even more questionable. Lucky shows signs of zoochosis, which often occurs when animals are stressed or live in enclosures containing little stimulation. Keepers explain away Lucky’s stereotypic behavior as excitement for meals.
3. The San Antonio Zoo: Disregard for Animals and the Environment
With antiquated water systems, the zoo pumped 707 million gallons of water from the Edwards Aquifer in 2012. To put this in perspective, that is 3 times the amount pumped by neighboring Seaworld San Antonio- a marine park! They’re also the largest discharger of Pollution on the river in San Antonio, dumping 2 million gallons of water per day used in the animal pens and contaminated with E.Coli at levels 135 times higher than what the EPA considers safe. This impacts not only the people who come into contact with this water, but the fish and wildlife in the river.
The San Antonio Zoo repeatedly claims that they don’t have the money it would take to update their re-use and Conservation systems, or to update the outdated animal enclosures. This leaves them with the choice of raising the money for these necessary updates, or maintaining fewer animals in an effort to conserve water and minimize their inadequate living conditions. So far, they’ve chosen to focus on raising eight million dollars on a new restaurant and plaza to celebrate their centennial.
“If we don’t make money we go under,” McCusker said. “We decided for Zootenial we would do something for the public.”
4. Life in the Wild vs. Life in the Zoo
According to their website, “It’s the mission of the San Antonio Zoological Society to foster appreciation and concern for all living things. We are dedicated to providing:
- The highest standards of care for our animal and plant collections.
- A diverse educational and high quality recreational experience for all visitors.
- All the resources at our disposal for Conservation of the earth’s flora and fauna.”
This sounds all well and good, but wild animals are living, sentient beings and shouldn’t be considered part of a “collection” like a shot glass from from Vegas or a spoon from a truck stop along Route 66! The San Antonio Zoo has shown that their interest in “flora and fauna” and the “highest standards of animal care” come behind providing an “experience for visitors.”
The bottom line is, animals here-and in any zoo-live lives that are very different than the ones that they would lead in the wild.
Habitat
Animals in the wild live in a variety of habitats suitable to their individual needs. White Rhinos, for instance, hail from sub-Saharan Africa’s grassy plains. These rhinos are never far from a good mud hole, using the thick mix to coat their skin as a means of cooling it while also providing a natural sun block.
In zoos they, along with other animals, find themselves in an enclosure made of concrete. Some may have the water and mud wallows that these animals need instinctively while others may not. Their enclosures are often antiquated, entirely too small to allow for any roaming and always the same which leads to boredom and frustration.
Playtime
In the wild, elephants enjoy rubbing up against and knocking down trees, something that a zoo discourages due to the expense of replacing trees in an artificial habitat. Some zoos have even gone so far as to put trees and stumps up in their elephant enclosures to give the appearance of a “natural habitat” to the public, but then placed electric fencing between them and the elephants so the animals are shocked if they attempt to approach them!
They’re instead given man made items like truck tires, ropes and buckets to play with in an attempt to stave off boredom, which don’t replicate the types of stimulation they would seek naturally.
Family Structure
Profoundly social animals, elephants select a social group in the wild and stick close to them for life. Rhinos can also establish social groups of about six individuals in the wild and will fight fiercely with outside males looking to disrupt it.
Zoos will often fail to meet these social needs entirely by placing animals alone in their enclosures or by tearing established social groups apart when they “loan out” a member of a small group to another zoo for their exhibits. This not only disrupts the established family group of the first zoo, it can result in a massive disruption at the zoo the animal was sent. One such instance occurred in 2001 when Gertrude’s mate Fred was loaned out from the San Antonio Zoo to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. His presence upset the existing social structure, resulting in a fight that resulted in his death.
Exercise
Elephants in the wild can walk up to 3o miles per day. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) minimum space requirement for an elephant in captivity is only 5400 square feet outside and 600 square feet for males or females with calves inside. Without calves, females are only required to have 400 square feet indoors. While many zoos exceed this ridiculous number, it isn’t enough to satisfy the animal’s incredible need for space to roam and wander.
Gorillas also see a large difference in their activity in captivity vs. in the wild, leading to issues with obesity in captive gorillas. Where they’d otherwise be playing and looking around for items to build their new nest each night, gorillas in captivity have a nest supplied for them. Lethargy and prolonged periods of sitting result, which are not observed in gorillas allowed to live outside of a zoo.
5. What YOU CAN and MUST do to Stop This Suffering
After reading this, we’re sure a Green Monster such as yourself is pretty upset about what you’ve learned. So were we! The good news is you have the power to help bring about an end to this senseless suffering by refusing to buy a ticket or a membership to the San Antonio Zoo.
Boycott The San Antonio Zoo
With their centennial celebration happening this year, there’s no better time to tell the zoo that you don’t Support their practices than by refusing to buy a ticket or membership. Zoos are for profit organizations and rely on ticket sales for the vast majority of their income. Without patrons, they can not continue to operate.
Leave a Review on Trip Advisor and Other Sites
While your individual decision not to patronize the San Antonio Zoo will make an impact, you can magnify that impact by spreading the word if you have first hand experience with visiting this zoo.
Share this post in the review section of the San Antonio Zoo’s page on Tripadvisor to advise others against checking this attraction out if they’ll be spending time in the area. Nationally, 26 zoos have discontinued their elephant exhibits, with the most recent being the Toronto Zoo after a successful campaign launched by Green Monsters like you saw their IDA rating and decided to do something about it. Raising awareness makes a difference!
Expose Others
Let us know (in the comments sections) about other animal attractions that should be banned for the way they treat animals.
6. Take Action on Social Media NOW!
Participate in our social campaign and share why you are boycotting the San Antonio Zoo!
Share the graphic below to spread the facts about how San Antonio Zoo treats their animals OR make your selfie sharing why you boycott this zoo.
Post the photo on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr or Facebook. Make sure your update includes 1.#IMAGREENMONSTER 2. @onegreenplanet and 3. a link to THIS ARTICLE (https://onegr.pl/1mN5WWn)
See the example below:
“#IMAGREENMONSTER because I BOYCOTT #SanAntonio #Zoo! Join me at @onegreenplanet https://onegr.pl/1mN5WWn ”
[UPLOAD THE IMAGE BELOW ALONG WITH THIS UPDATE]
When you know truth, it is your duty to share, so share away Green Monsters and let’s shut down this cruel zoo!
Lead image source: Robin Jerstad/Express-News
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so sad to hear that!!… and very upsetting… we havent been to a zoo in years for that same reason…. we need raise conscience to all young and old.. the situation at hand is a huge problem…. unfourtunately Im not in the us right now… what can we do to help, from afar?
Your ignorance has no boundaries, here are all the conservation efforts of the San Antonio Zoo, get your facts right, before posting your own opinions and damaging a great zoo.
Conservation projects
The San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium participates in a wide variety of conservation efforts around the world. On average, the Zoo contributes over $30,000 annually to projects for animal population censuses and research, habitat preservation, education and community initiatives, and breeding programs. In addition, the Zoo is directly involved in the conservation of the many threatened and endangered species in its collection. By participating in breeding programs like Species Survival Plans, providing refuge for species faced with habitat destruction in the wild, and increasing public awareness of conservation issues, the Zoo plays an active role in the preservation of these animals and their habitats. Below are a few projects summary:
Whooping Crane Recovery Program
The San Antonio Zoo has been contributing to the recovery of the whooping crane since 1956, at which time there were only 16 cranes known to be alive. Since then, staff have successfully costume-reared seven chicks, of which three have been released into the wild to date. In recent years, chicks bred at the San Antonio Zoo have also been sent to Patuxent Wildlife Research Center for participation in the Ultralight migration program (1 egg in 2003, 2 eggs in 2004). Captive propagation forms an integral part of the Whooping Crane Recovery Program by preserving the gene pool and providing an opportunity to educate the public about the plight of this species. Through the program’s efforts, the population of whooping cranes has increased to over 549 birds in the wild.
Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Recovery Program
The San Antonio Zoo has been a participant of the Attwater\’s Prairie Chicken Recovery Program since 1996. This program\’s primary objective is to restore and maintain a genetically viable, self-sustaining population of at least 5,000 individuals in three different areas of Texas. The long-term goal is to annually raise a total of 600 birds from all the breeding centers for placement in the wild. The current recovery efforts are focused on five major areas: habitat management, public outreach, population management, coordination and research.
Endangered Texas Salamanders
The San Antonio Zoo has been designated as a captive refugium for two species of endangered salamanders from Comal Springs and San Marcos Springs. These species are both found in springs fed by the Edwards Aquifer, and drought situations that greatly diminished the flow of these springs are threatening the existence of these amphibians. The Zoo is involved with the salvage, exhibition, and husbandry of Edwards Aquifer endemics in concert with respective U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Plans. Participating institutions include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center in San Marcos, Texas.
California Condor Project
The San Antonio Zoo has contributed four Andean condor eggs to this project since 1988. The project places Andean condor eggs with inexperienced California condors for fostering, enabling them to learn how to incubate, hatch, and rear young without risking chicks of their own highly endangered species. After foster rearing, the Andean condors utilized in this project are released into the wild in their native habitat in South America. The California Condor Project has enjoyed remarkable success, and the population of California condors has increased from a low of 22 individuals to approximately 200 birds in the span of 25 years.
The current breeding pair of Andean condors produced a female chick that hatched in May 2005 and was sent to Cincinnati Zoo in April 2006 for eventual release to the wild.
Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon-Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas
The Zoo collaborates with the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León to conduct herpetofaunal field surveys and specimen collection of endemic reptile and amphibian species throughout Mexico. These surveys and natural history studies help establish appropriate habitat for species survival. Species collected are used to create husbandry procedures and captive breeding programs. Summaries of two projects appear below:
Life History Traits of Crotalus polystictus; a Long-Term, Mark-Recapture Study
The San Antonio Zoo, in conjunction with the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and the University of Granada, Spain, is participating in a multi-year, mark-recapture study of the Mexican Lance-headed rattlesnake, Crotalus polystictus. The study area is located in the southern highlands of central Mexico. The research site encompasses roughly 30 hectares of actively used farmland in a disturbed, densely populated agricultural area. Data collected over the next six years will help determine population density, reproductive strategies, growth, and mortality rates of this poorly known species. The summer of 2006 saw the capture and PIT tag of 770 individual snakes. All specimens captured were weighed, measured, and released at site of capture. All gravid females were held until parturition; offspring were weighed, measured, PIT tagged, and released with their dam back to the original point of capture. Lance-headed rattlesnake life history information gathered from this project will help provide insight into future conservation efforts of other at-risk Mexican endemic rattlesnakes.
Social Organization, Reproductive Patterns, and Captive Management Protocols of Endemic Mexican Herpetofauna (2003, 2006-2007)
The San Antonio Zoo’s department of herpetology, in collaboration with staff from the Natural History department of UANL, has been working towards developing captive management and reproductive protocols for endemic Mexican herpetofauna. This is an ongoing, long-term project spanning over twenty years. Social interactions among species, photoperiod manipulations, environmental changes, and diet are some of the reproductive cues the two institutions are studying for the overall positive management of endemic Mexican herpetofauna. Staff from the Zoo and UANL also collaborate in field survey work and in situ life history studies throughout Mexico.
AZA Butterfly Conservation Initiative (BFCI)
This group of zoos and related institutions was established to consolidate and focus efforts to recover imperiled butterfly populations and involve the public in outreach, education, and community conservation activities. The San Antonio Zoo was one of the founding members of BCFI. Visit http://www.butterflyrecovery.org for more information.
Epulu Project
This project by Gilman Conservation International is dedicated to protecting and preserving the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Ituri Forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Funds assist with anti-poaching efforts, research, community outreach and training, and new facilities construction on the Reserve. Visit http://www.giconline.org for more information.
The Peregrine Fund
The Peregrine Fund was established in 1970 to restore the peregrine falcon in the United States, a recovery it accomplished in 1999 when the bird was removed from the Endangered Species List after the release of over 4,000 captive-raised falcons in 28 states. Now the Peregrine Fund is working to save other endangered species, such as the California condor and Aplomado falcon, in the United States and around the world. Visit http://www.peregrinefund.org for more information.
Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG)
CBSG is part of IUCN – The World Conservation Union – and is one of the largest of over 110 Specialist Groups comprising the Species Survival Commission (SSC). CBSG works to develop scientifically based tools for risk assessment and decision making for in situ and ex situ species management. The group also conducts workshops that support the exchange of information across diverse stakeholder groups in order to reach agreement on the important issues facing both humans and wildlife. http://www.cbsg.org
Bushmeat Crisis Task Force (BCTF)
BCTF is dedicated to improving awareness of and finding means to eliminate the illegal, commercial trade of bushmeat in Africa. To that end, BCTF is developing an action plan to create a global network that will inform the public, secure legislative support, and establish wildlife management guidelines and training programs. Visit
http://www.bushmeat.org for more information.
Marwell Zimbabwe Trust (MZT)
The initial focus of this organization was increasing knowledge of small antelope species and the nutrition of black rhinoceros. More recently, however, its efforts have expanded to other conservation projects in Zimbabwe. The San Antonio Zoo’s contributions assisted the MZT’s Cheetah Project, which studies cheetahs and their ability to compete with other predators on land outside the protected reserves. An important part of this project is the development of wildlife management techniques to reduce livestock depredation by cheetahs and thereby lessen conflict between landowners and this protected species. Visit
http://www.marwell.org.uk for more information.
Grevy’s Zebra Census Project
The goal of this project was to conduct a combined ground and aerial survey of the three populations of Grevy’s zebra in Ethiopia, which will supplement previous data collected on Kenyan populations and complete surveys of all wild populations of this species. During this survey, the size and structure of and threats to these populations was determined so that viable conservation strategies can be developed.
Tree Kangaroo Conservation Project (TKCP)
TKCP is part of the AZA’s Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan and focuses on researching the natural history of tree kangaroos, collaborating on conservation education programs, and establishing conservation areas in tree kangaroo habitat. In addition to population censuses and research, TKCP performs extensive outreach to village landowners to facilitate sustainable development in conjunction with wildlife and forest protection.
Madagascar Fauna Group (MFG)
The MFG was created by zoos and related organizations to consolidate conservation efforts in Madagascar. MFG works towards protection of wildlife reserves and habitats; research on a variety of species; and education, training, and employment opportunities for local students, residents, and teachers. Their flagship program is the release of captive-bred lemurs back into the wild, and the Betampona Reserve Ruffed Lemur Release & Conservation Program, of which the San Antonio Zoo is a participant, won the AZA International Conservation Significant Achievement Award in 2001. Visit http://www.savethelemur.org for more information.
International Snow Leopard Trust (ISLT)
The SLT works with rural communities in Central Asia to protect snow leopards and their mountain ecosystem by implementing conservation, education, and research programs in the field. For example, the Snow Leopard Enterprises conservation model helps raise local peoples’ incomes while protecting snow leopards. The San Antonio Zoo’s 2002 contribution helped sponsor SLT’s partnership with Peace Corps Mongolia to fund research and education efforts in that country, while the 2003-2009 contributions assist with the conservation education and program expansion in Kyrgyzstan. The Zoo Gift Shop has also partnered with the Trust’s Snow Leopard Enterprises to sell the handmade crafts produced in Kyrgyzstan villages participating in the community conservation efforts. Visit
http://www.snowleopard.org for more information.
Zoo Conservation Outreach Group (ZCOG)
ZCOG is an organization designed to provide technical, material, and financial support to Latin American zoos and aquaria in their wildlife and habitat conservation efforts. Examples of past projects assisted by ZCOG include the Bi-national Andean Condor Conservation Project, the Scarlet Macaw Reintroduction Initiative, and the Mexican Baird’s Tapir Research Project. The Zoo’s latest contributions help fund Project Jaguar, a population monitoring and conservation program in Mexico. ZCOG outreach committees also organize a variety of regional training workshops for Latin American zoo professionals. Visit http://www.zcog.org for more information.
We are proud of the conservation successes at the San Antonio Zoo and around the world. We would like to thank our members and donors for making this possible.
THANK YOU! I loved every minute working at the zoo and I know from many years there that it is by far one of the best zoos on this planet much less the US. I am proud to have been a part of the San Antonio Zoo and I am so glad that you took the time to write the truth out.
This is so unbelievably untrue I can\’t believe a website would even try to pass this off. First off, yes animals do mate and have animals in the zoo. Why is that? Because there is not much of a wild to go back to. You also site that the zoo has over 9000 animals. If you\’ve ever been there, you\’d know that that is because of the number of small animals, like the San Antonio zoo\’s bug house, that isn\’t even open to the public because is spends its time trying to keep rare insects from going extinct.
The part I find most ridiculous about this post is the focus you put on Lucky. If you took the time to ask, you\’d know more about Lucky. First off, she has plenty of room for one elephant. And the reason she is alone is because she is territorial. They have tried to add elephants, and she attempts to kill them. Also, she is extremely old. Out of all the handlers at the zoo, she only likes about three of them.