“But the Woodland Park Zoo faced an obstacle in the AZA, its accrediting institution. The AZA opposed elephant sanctuaries vehemently, since they took elephants out of the breeding pool. When zoos around the country started sending their older elephants to sanctuaries to retire, AZA threatened to -- and sometimes did -- yank their accreditation. (Today, the AZA has changed its tune on elephant sanctuaries. The organization even granted accreditation to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee in 2017.)” ElephantsZoosAza Book:Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World Source: Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World
“After the move, Chai began losing weight again, like she did during her time at the Dickerson Park Zoo, ultimately losing over 1,000 pounds. The Oklahoma Zoo had trained her to perform for the crowds, and during one of these performances Bamboo attacked her, knocking her into a fence. On January 30, 2016, Chai was found dead in her cage. The cause of death was determined to be sever fat loss and a systemic blood infection.” ElephantsZoosOklahoma Book:Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World Source: Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World