Will Another Dallas Zoo Elephant Die?

For the past five years two female African Elephants have been the main attraction at the Dallas zoo until May of 2008 when one of the elephants named Keke died of what zoo officials say was a yearly battle against intestinal colic. Keke had suffered from colic every year, and usually with a little help came through it fine. This year she was critically sick for twelve days and was never able to regain her strength. Zoo keepers tried to get Keke to stand by using cranes, but it was no use she was euthenized and died leaving behind her only companion, Jenny.

Now there is a heated debate on what to do with the lone elephant at the Dallas zoo. Some want an expansion made to the zoo so that Jenny can stay and eventually have a new companion, but that is unlikely due to the extreme lack of space at the zoo, and it would leave Jenny with out companionship for far too long. Another option that the zoo has, is to send Jenny to an animal park in Mexico. Africam is a two thousand acre animal park located in the state of Puebla in Mexico, eighty miles outside of Mexico City. This park is said to have twenty five times the approved amount of space recommended for elephants by Association of Zoos and Aquariums. At the Dallas Zoo Jenny and her companion lived on one acre, at Africam the elephant would be housed on five acres with in a five hundred acre safari.

One other option for Jenny is an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee where she would not have to be on display to humans and where she would have 2,700 acres to roam on with 17 other female elephants. Actress Lilly Tomlin has now joined the group apposing the move of Jenny to Mexico and wrote a letter to Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, urging him to send Jenny to the sanctuary in Tennessee. An article on wfaa.com reports that Tomlin told Leppert that, Mexico is the wrong move for this elephant because "there is no USDA regulation, limited roaming space, and, most significantly, has no other African elephants." Africam has promised to bring another African elephant to accompany Jenny before she arrives in Mexico.

Many protesters argue that Jenny's fate will surely be death if she is sent to Mexico because Mexico does not have the same animal welfare laws as the united states. Other critics say that cars driving through the park is a danger to the animals and to the people who go to see them. The Owner of the Animal Park in Mexico argues that the park is as safe as any other zoo, and that visitors are not allowed to leave their cars or feed the animals. Ms. Camacho the owner of Africam said, that the park exceeds U.S. and international regulations on the treatment of animals.

A final decision has not been made and Dallas city officials along with the Mayor refuse to get involved saying that this is a decision that should be made only by the zoo. As of now Zoo officials seem to be leaning towards the park in Mexico, but have looked into the sanctuary in Tennessee. Dallas zoo officials argue that the park in Mexico seems to be a far better fit for Jenny the Elephant. It looks like for now Jenny will be alone in Dallas until a final decision is made.