Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Zoo gave a tour of its elephant enclosure Tuesday, to illustrate the need for a new facility.
As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, the tour comes a few days before animal rights groups protest the housing of elephants in zoos.

Last fall, voters passed a $125 million bond measure for the Oregon Zoo. The money will be spent on everything from a new enclosure for polar bears to improved veterinary facilities.

$30 million is earmarked to increase the elephant enclosure from three acres to six.

Inside, keeper Bob Lee, says the current barn has all kinds of problems.

Bob Lee: “You see here in the concrete, that’s starting to split and the bars here that were pushed in by a male elephant, that all happened with him ramming the bars, so the concrete is decades old and it’s starting to break down.”

15 feet up on the wall are electrical lines and pipes, which carry natural gas to the heaters. They’ve all had to be wrapped in barbed wire, to stop the animals from ripping them down.

Walking to Packy’s cage, Lee also points to thick steel plates bolted to the walls.

Bob Lee: “We had a male elephant in here and he ran the bars popping out the concrete, almost falling on the vets head in here. So we had to come back in and throw up these steel plates up so basically we’re putting band aids on the building. With the new bond measure we’re going to be able to tear this whole place down and build a better facility.”

Lee says the new building will be much more open, so the elephants can see each other. They’ll also be able to come and go whenever they want, rather than relying on keepers and a schedule.

Mike Keele, the deputy director of the zoo, is also planning a 200 acre off-site enclosure near Portland. He’s been flying around the country to see how other zoos are doing it.

Mike Keele: “They have different topography so animals are climbing, or lay down on hills if they want. There’s streams, there’s shallow water they can throw on themselves, there’s deep water that they can swim in. There’s trees that they can move around, they can uproot --  just a lot of things that they can make decisions about to interact with throughout the day.”

The off-site enclosure is where animal rights groups like ‘In Defense of Animals’ want zoo elephants go. They say the foot problems that many animals experience are a result of not being able to walk for long distances --  as they do in the wild.

IDA’s spokesman, Matt Rossell, says he worked with the Oregon Zoo to see if his group could support the bond measure. But in the end, the zoo wouldn’t agree to close its on-site enclosure.

Matt Rossell: “We’re pleased with the fact that the Oregon Zoo is now admitting that they’re not meeting the animals needs. What we don’t understand is why they’re willing to spend two thirds of the money allocated for elephants on making the on-site zoo exhibit just a little bit bigger, instead of investing all that money into the off-site enclosure and moving all the elephants.”

Zoo spokesman, Bill LaMarch, says In Defense of Animals seemed to move the goal. He says the zoo worked hard to provide an off-site area.

Bill LaMarch: “And when we actually did come up with plans to expand. It was really disheartening that they would not support the bond measure and not support Portland’s elephants.  Because for the longest time it was all about space and now it seems like it about something else.”

Over the next two years, the zoo will be looking for the best spot for its off-site area.  They're looking for another 200 acres. But don’t hold your breath, it’s not going to be open to the public.

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