Dangerous and Endangered: Elephant Interactions Continue Despite Public Safety Risks | Born Free USA (2024)

Elephants are statistically the most dangerous animals to keep in captivity. Interactions with captive elephants are responsible for more zookeeper deaths than those involving any other captive animal. Elephants weigh up to 14,000 pounds, stand almost 13 feet tall, and their natural, wild nature means they can grow frustrated and aggressive in stifling, unnatural, and uncomfortable captive conditions. Using a minimal but unstoppable amount of energy, elephants have killed humans by standing on their heads and crushing them by force, pinning them against an object, or throwing them across an enclosure. No amount of preparation or animal husbandry training can guarantee the prevention of a dangerous elephant attack.

Yet, despite the clear dangers involved with coming into open and unprotected contact with elephants, several zoos offer visitors the chance to pose with elephants for photos, feed them, or even sit on their backs.

A Dangerous History of Elephant Incidents at Zoos

Born Free USA has documented 168 dangerous incidents of escapes, injuries, and deaths in North America directly involving elephants from 1990 to 2017 in the Exotic Animal Incident Database. Over half of these incidents (58%, 98 total incidents) occurred at zoos. Of the total, 53 of these incidents resulted in a human injury; 17 resulted in a human death; 19 resulted in an animal injury; and 12 resulted in an animal death.

Despite the argument that zookeepers use bullhooks for “safety” reasons, or that similar tools and abuse strategies reduce the danger posed by interacting with elephants, zoos remain dangerous places for elephants and humans alike.

The following incidents emphasize that no strategies exist to minimize the devastation caused by an elephant attack:

In 2013 at the Dickerson Park Zoo in Missouri, a senior keeper with more than 30 years’ experience was killed by a 6,000-pound, 41-year-old Asian elephant named Patience. In just a matter of seconds, the keeper was crushed to death as Patience trampled over him in a narrow corridor. Despite his experience as “an extremely well-trained animal handler,” when trying to lure her down the corridor that led from the elephant barn to the yard, Patience lunged suddenly and immediately knocked him down into the corridor.

The attack occurred in the same 12-foot-long chute that keepers would use to move the elephants multiple times per day. This incident occurred with all keepers taking the required AZA “safety” precautions, including having at least two keepers present. At the beginning of the same month, the 50-year-old elephant herd matriarch named Pinky died from kidney failure. Shortly after her death, keepers noticed Patience demonstrating more submissive and hesitant behaviors. They were monitoring her closely for any concerning behaviors prior to the attack. According to Mike Crocker, Director of the Dickerson Park Zoo, “[elephants are] big, intelligent animals. When you’re with them, you’re exposed and whatever they decide to do, you’re not going to be able to stop that in many cases.”

In 2002, at the Pittsburgh Zoo, an 18-year-old female African elephant knocked her handler to the ground with her head and crushed him to death. The incident occurred during a routine morning walk with the elephant and her 3-year-old baby on the zoo’s African Savannah trail before the zoo opened.

At the San Antonio Zoo in 1992, an elephant keeper was killed when an elephant grabbed and slammed him to the ground. The keeper was bending down to unfasten the elephant from his tether in the yard when the incident occurred.

In 1991, a veteran zookeeper died when attacked by an elephant in front of two visitors at the Knowland Park Zoo in California. The keeper had worked at zoos for over 25 years, but when the zoo’s largest resident named Smokey (an African elephant weighing 10,500 pounds) struck her with his leg or trunk, she died an hour later after suffering severe head and chest injuries.

These unfortunate incidents highlight the very real danger associated with having close-contact experiences with elephants. Some of these incidents occurred merely because of keeping elephants in captivity, illustrated by elephants’ ability to escape from their enclosures and easily maneuver around the environment while causing an enormous amount of destruction before being safety contained – or worse, being killed.

Elephants Belong in the Wild and Away from Humans

Elephants do not belong in captivity; especially in conditions that only increase their aggressive tendencies, including extremely small enclosures, the use of negative reinforcement training techniques via bullhooks, and the lack of appropriate mental, physical, and social opportunities. Every captive elephant poses a risk to public safety, which cannot be overstated.

Please, read and share our newest report, Elephants in Zoos — A Legacy of Shame, watch our video detailing the plight of elephants in captivity, and consider adopting an elephant, to help us fight to better ensure the safety of elephants and humans alike.

Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Devan