Zula was born in 1975 in the wilds of Africa. She was orphaned as result of a culling [mass killing] of all the adults and sub-adults in her family. On June 1, 1978 Zula arrived, along with another wild caught elephant named Tange, at the Chehaw Wild Animal Park in Albany Georgia. Zula and Tange spent their entire lives, prior to the Sanctuary, entertaining thousands of zoo patrons that visited the Chehaw Wild Animal Park.
On February 19, 2004 Zula moved to The Elephant Sanctuary. Along with her life-long companion, Zula became the Sanctuary’s first African elephants. Zula and Tange were soon joined by Flora, another wild caught African elephant and ex-circus performer.
For almost 5 years, Zula flourished at The Elephant Sanctuary, enjoying the space and richness of her environment in the company of her best friend and ardent admirer, Tange. Zula became a confident individual, content to set out on her own from time to time. Over two years ago Zula proved her independence. After climbing a hill that she was not confident to descend, Zula spent the night away from Tange, but she was not alone; her caregiver strung up a hammock and slept under the stars with Zula. Known as the queen of mud, Zula loved to spend time in any form of mud, and was highly skilled at manufacturing mud wallows.
On January 11, 2009, Carol Buckley wrote in the African Ele-diary, "It is with great sorrow that we report that today we lost another of our precious elephants. Even if we were prepared for the loss, even if we had received some advance notice, the shock and sadness would not be diminished. But the suddenness of Zula’s passing has shaken us to our core. Zula, “big sister” and dearest friend to Tange, the nurturer, mature and kind, known to be gentle to everyone she ever met, left us tonight just after 11pm. By all accounts she was healthy and thriving when shortly after entering the barn for an evening meal she was found lying on the floor, struggling to rise. With her caregivers and vets at her side, Zula received emergency medical care in an effort to relieve her anxiety, encourage her to relax and regain her strength, and enable her to rise. When it was determined that the next step would be to hoist Zula onto her feet, she took her last breath and passed away. Zula’s sudden death leaves us with more questions than answers. The deep sorrow is felt by caregivers and elephant family alike. Zula remained in the barn with her sisters while arrangements were made for her necropsy and burial."
"This is odd, and I can remember the day, not so long ago if one of the elephants I was in charge of had died "suddenly" press would have swarmed the gates, and it would have been on the early edition news."
Courtesy of Josip Marcan
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27 comments:
Probably too old for EEHV related death, Mycobacterium wouldn't do it. I mean elephants can go down fast from viral/bacterial ailments, but if the report is actually accurate she was "fine" early in the day, and dead by nightfall. I don't get the part about faced with a sling she breathed her last or however it's phrased. Meaning what? She suffocated before they could lift her with a sling? Or she died because she didn't like the sling? I'm a bit confused. You have to wonder -- again, if the report is at all accurate -- if it wasn't a toxin exposure either while she was turned out or through the feed/hay/water. It would be nice to think that they will actually post the necropsy results. But I suppose it's unlikely. I'm not going to take a cheap shot here, but as was the case in another elephant mortality TN doesn't seem to under go the scrutiny that a zoo or circus would in reporting and the state is pretty hands off. Even if the sanctuary wants to take the position that elephants shouldn't be in captivity, they are, and as the managers of a good sized herd they owe it to all of the elephants in other facilities to make complete records available when mortalities aren't deemed natural causes.
Ben,
I had to go back and read it. I thought I had missed something: "When it was determined that the next step would be to hoist Zula onto her feet, she took her last breath and passed away." I took that to mean as they were discussing the possibilities, before they could be implemented the elephant died.
Speaking of the state, In the situation I was in, both the sanctuary and USDA both waived the required TB test on the hands off elephants, but the state insisted on it, before they be allowed to enter Tenn.
Wade
Wade, I think it's unlikely that anybody did anything wrong that led to this death other than maybe failing to note symptoms. I would have guessed a cardiac issue could explain the rapid sequence of events -- but there was a vet on site and I don't think a heart problem would be a mystery. I would still lean to toxins.
On TB. I'm not suggesting anybody in TN is afraid of TB. I think the sanctuary has gone along with PETA in overstating the danger as a public relations move. It doesn't surprise me that the State of TN wanted the tests. It was probably ordered by a state official who didn't have a clue. If anything those last couple years I imagine the Hawthorn elephants were probably about as well monitored for TB as any elephants in the world, since TB had been an issue.
I don't disagree that they have the same obligations with regard to deaths that any other captive situation has, but when was the last time a zoo or a circus publicly released a necropsy report? A2
Ben,
They rode that false TB story to the Kentucky Derby and beyond, Ben. You can't imagine, and I couldn't explain, you had to have been there, what it was like having to provide additional/extra trunk washes for analysis. I think the worst was when after a particularly "harrowing" day of washing the hands off elephants, and the samples were picked up, the vet forgot them in his truck and they didn't get centrifuged in the alloted time so they were tainted and unusable, and we had to do them again 3 days later. I am confident had I killed someone that day, no court of law would have found me guilty of anything other then justifiable homicide.
Sudden death is not uncommon in any animal. I just wonder at the "quietness" of this incident, knowing had it occurred anyplace else it would have been a well know fact with in a short period of time.
In 1981, I was standing with Rex Williams as he was watering the herd, when one of the Asians cows suddenly dropped over dead. Axel's Targa was the same deal, in 85. Fine one minute toppled over the next. The first time I met Zych he had just come into the farm. A couple of days after arriving he had his elephants out in the pasture, and as I had not seen his elephants before I was looking at them, admiring a particularly beautiful African named Jackie. I'm thinking what a good looking elephant. Fat, nice skin, good conformation, two beautiful perfectly match tucks, etc. etc. As I am admiring her with the other elephants in the pasture, she falls to her knees and topples over dead. Of course because she was a Hawthorn elephant and had been "exposed" within 24 hours state and federal vets were there dressed in their "soilent green" whites complete with respirators to post her. It looked like a scene out of Independence Day. Tissue samples were inconclusive for anything, so heart attack was the assumption.
The second most hateful thing in the world next to trunk washes on hands off elephants, is having to get a 4 ton gutted carcass from one end of 25 acres to the other end for burial.
Wade
Wade, I speculated on cardiac before because like the elephant you mention, it does a nice job of explaining sudden death absent another cause. Just think that with vets on-hand there's a likelihood they would have picked up on cardiac irregularities. Or maybe they did and the Sanctuary is just waiting on the necropsy for confirmation. There hasn't been a hell of a lot published on cardiac disease in elephants that I'm aware of -- which is why it would be nice to make a herd like the one in TB available for that kind of study. (And yes, the Ringling herd, the Miller herd, and elephants in AZA SSPs should also participate.) Possibility of toxins has to be ruled out because of previous elephant deaths elsewhere over the decades from contaminated food sources, etc. And when elephants are roaming those large paddocks you certainly want to make sure that some idiot tossing out his trash over your fences, or that crap buried by a farm family circa 1950 hasn't finally worked its way to the surface. We all wonder at first why APHIS is so hardcore about things like open feed containers until we've been around for a while and seen goofs leave half open bottles of solvent in a feed room because they were painting around there.
A2. I'm not suggesting that TN needs to make necropsy results available on their website. I simply mean that cause of death should be public information for the sake of other elephants elsewhere, as it would be in the case of a zoo or circus. I'm not talking about press release, but sharing information for the good of all. So for example, if we discover that Africans are dropping dead of heart disease in their 30's at a greater rate than they were a couple decades ago -- what are we doing differently now that contributes to that? If cause of death is viral/bacterial it's important because other elephant managers face the same diseases. I'm not singling out the Sanctuary. Because they aren't a park or a show I just hope that they'll make information available.
Ben,
A thought> Zulu, Tange, Flora the elephants referenced in the article, could they have been part of the Arthur Jones debacle(sorry, I can't look at it any other way)of the large import of elephants to save from starvation and culling? I have often wondered as we know so little about what came in, where it is now, etc., how much of those "saved from starvation" animals, given a poor nutrition as babies, died from or had problems with at issue when they were older.
Wade
Yes Wade I remember that day on Vargas. My dad tried to get her back to her feet, but she died in seconds. I had never seen any like it and neither had my dad. My dad was so perplexed and upset. Her autopsy stated a viral/bacteria. When I first read the post about Zula, my first thoughts were back to that day on Vargas.
I think it is unfortunate that she is not willing to share information to other elephant facilities & managers. Which leads me to wonder, what are her interests? Is it in the wellfair of these great animals or just in fundraising?
Darlene Ava Williams
Darlene,
Perplexed and upset is an understatement. If I remember, his first words were "what the hell is she doing", as he ran to try to get her on her feet. Your Dad was more then a little upset. It was the first time I had also seen anything like that. Do you recall her name? I remember her being a tall long legged elephant.
I think they genuinely have an interest in the welfare of the animals, but a few "private agendas" have kind of clouded that, agendas that may have been caused by anger and defense. I think it is the confiscations that folks have the greatest problem with, and I have to look at that through different eyes then most, Darlene. Don't forget they seized Michael Vicks dogs, and as yet there is not much outrage at the folks who did it, and the places where they went.
Great to hear from you, and be safe,
Wade
Wade, when I saw the import date/cull reference I wondered about Jones too. But it looks like she went to Georgia via Catskill Game Farm in '78 six months after she was imported. She was captured in '77. Can't discount the possibility that there were starvation issues that may have damaged her heart in the years prior to capture, though you think of early dietary issues as normally manifesting in obvious developmental issues. Early onset of chronic joint disease etc.
Ben,
Did Roland Lindeman not have a large place near Arthur Jones place? How many elephants from that time, and there were a pot load brought in under the saving from culling/starvation flag that are alive today are not good physical specimens. Smallish, underdeveloped, pencil thin tusks, etc. etc. Internal problems that may have caught up to them as they matured.
Wade
Lindeman had a Florida place. But '78 predates most of the Jones elephants by six years. Therein lies the rub, because there appear to be no accurate numbers on Jones. 10 elephants died at his place in the mid to late 80's, and he got rid of between thirty six animals, twenty-eight of them still living. He certainly had a few before the air lift. But I think it's likely that he never brought in anything close to the number he would claim when talking to reporters. So if he brought in 50 instead of 90 some most can be accounted for. That's not to say that he couldn't have brought in earlier animals for himself and Lindeman and anybody else, but they weren't part of the famous Jumbolair airlift.
When John Travolta's son died a couple weeks ago they brought him back to Jumbolair. I guess Travolta lives there now.
Ben,
So if 50 came in that we know of, and 18 have died that we know of, is that a success?
Wade
Anonymous,
Some have suggested you may be a wonderful person I knew long ago, but the sadness and vile out of you suggests at a deranged individual no human would associate with. Seek help before you hurt someone or your self.
Best wishes,
Wade Burck
Wade, actually if 50 came in 25 years ago and 18 have died -- 10 within a couple years with cause of death directly related to transport and condition when they were acquired I'd say that it suggests there might be something to the idea that population pressure and the lack of forage that leads to culls may have some real impact on long term health. Could be that 20% of those elephants were too weak and malnourished to ever leave Africa and culling would have been humane. Another 20-30% or more might have shorter life expectancies as a result of those early experiences. Again, lack of tracking and real study is a disadvantage. I suspect if we brought in 50 animals marked for cull right now, in 25 years we'd have much better records and a much better idea of success/failure.
In Zimbabwe I understand the rate of inflation for the Zimbabwe Dollar is now over 213 million percent annually. Last week they printed a 100 Trillion Dollar note, and it doesn't buy much. I guess because I worked in the Third World for several years I have a pretty bleak outlook when it comes to how well a government protects its wildlife when the society is melting down. I imagine in Zimbabwe right now poaching is pretty bad and traffic in bush meat is enormous. Ivory brings in hard foreign currency from Asia, and if you can't buy a chicken 100 trillion bucks maybe you can at least kill something smacks of protein. Anyway, given that level of instability I don't buy the idea that attempting to manage safe herds outside of Africa is a bad thing.
If I remember correctly my dad called her big Tuss. I don't remember where he got her but I do remember that she was very thin. He was successful at getting some weight back on her and was happy that she was starting to look healthy. I know he was thinking it may have been a heart issue brought on by her previous weight/malnutrition. I do remember the vet saying it was a viral/bacteria, "a one in a billion chance of getting it."
I haven't gone to their web site so I don't know how they are reporting Zula's death. I do have to agree with B.E. Trumble that "TN doesn't seem to under go the scrutiny that a zoo or circus would." To me it always seems to turn into another campaign for funds and an attack of Zoos and Circuses.
I don't know the story on Michael Vicks dogs or who seized them?
Darlene
Darlene,
It is nice talking to you because it brings back such great memories. That's right, and I think he called her Tusser(for folks that never had the pleasure of knowing Rex, animals as well as people normally had a "regular" name as well as a "Rex" name.
Michael Vick was the Atlanta Falcons quarterback who was making a couple of kazillion dollars a year and then was convicted in December on federal charges of raising dogs for dogfighting. He lost his job and is currently serving a 23 month sentence in Leavenworth. His dogs were all confiscated and put into sanctuary's/humane societies/foster homes for dogs.
So far there has been no objection to those "sanctuaries" or criticizing of the people who run them or the Gov. who seized the dogs.
Regards,
Wade
P. S. How is National Velvet doing with her riding lessons?
i know nothing about dog-fighting and have no interest in knowing anything. but dog fighting has become a big controversy in my area because of the michael vick stuff. most people here were appalled by everything that was published about they operation, they were horrified that something like that could take place here and they were horrified that a hometown hero like michael vick was involved and used his money apparently to finance it.
most of the people here were so horrified about the way so many of these dogs lived and died that their main concern was to get the surviving dogs away from vick and his friends so they would have a chance to survive, though some who were still alive when confiscated were so bad off they had to be destroyed, i believe. even now the whole thing is appalling. i don't think anyone thought of the animals as being confiscated, i think people were happy to see them rescued.
i would hope with all my heart no circus animals have ever been subjected to this kind of cruelty, even under the worst of conditions. if these dogs had been circus animals, everyone involved would be in jail for many, many years -- but michael vick is now preparing to return to football. professional athletes do live by a special set of rules, espcially in the good old boy states.
Henry,
"i think people were happy to see them rescued." I hope you see the point, of why the public does not object to the elephant sanctuary as the circus fans/participants do. There were/are a lot of dog breeders/fighters who hate the confiscation with a passion. Yet you and other folks were happy and applauded it.
Wade
and YOU are one of the vilest men I have ever known. If pointing out that the stupid fuck whose ass you all kiss was a violent, brutal fuck makes me vile, then that must make him Satan. No wonder they have almost all died with painful cancers wasting their bodies. Maybe there is karma after all. But back to you, Wade. I have never known you to have one good thing to say about anyone unless you had something to gain.
What made you so bitter and hateful? was it the nasty little sleeper you lived in while the rest had 5th wheels? Was it that the other performers were free to go back to the homes they owned after the season while you did as you were told and went back to your owner's place? Was it that you were never accepted as anything other than "another one of John's performing grooms"?
I really should feel sorry for you. You talk about your sons but couldn't even keep up with their support. They will grow to hate you more than they already do. You're an embarrasment to yourself and them.
Oh brother,
I have to let this one through for everybody, not just a few. And you wonder what makes an activist and a liberationist. It sure isn't sanity, it is anonymous raids in the middle of the night. LOL
I am thinking you were molested as a child, so this is probably more appropriate directed at that sorry human being. For you is pity, and my deepest regret at what happened through no fault of your own.
Wade
FOR EVERYONES INFORMATION:
In case you have not understood my random comments back to Anonymous, I should explain. We were able to track the internet provider to a location, and it was a simple matter to identify the anonymous poster.
Every person involved with this thread with the exception of Ben Trumble has been horrendously defamed, including the man who sent the link. I have protected everyone from those accusations. A couple of close folks have received those comments, as I want the world to feel pity for someone who has been grossly taken advantage of by a loved one, and not to hate that person. It is not their fault. The ones who have not received the anonymous posts, I posted the latest one today to give you an idea of what is in this world. You will not know who the other person is being referenced, because of my rejecting of the comments. But I just wanted to make you aware. Any questions, you may contact me at wburck3@aol.com
Wade Burck
My brother told me not to worry about things like this, and maybe I should not say anything because bitter lies don't deserve attention but for this person, which is what I will call then because my father taught me never to be spiteful to anyone just be true to my beliefs I would like to say that my brothers and I love and respect our father and his accomplishments very much.
He got custody of me when I was one year old and has loved and been there for us all of our lives He never got a penny of support so I don't know what you are talking about. Ijust wanted to say this
Eric Burck
"I have never known you to have one good thing to say about anyone unless you had something to gain."
Wade, you have been nothing supportive and insightful in my quest to gain knowledge regarding animals, training and history. What do you have to gain from teaching some Indiana Jones hat-punk about elephants (oh yeah, and tigers too)? Respect. But there is no shame in that.
Ryan
Ryan,
Thank you. It is the sharing of information to interested parties that makes for an informed/educated world. My father was a school teacher, and stressed teaching was what brings advancement to the world.
You may not like the answer, but if you only ask a question to be told what you want to hear, you are not interested in learning. And we can all learn something every day.
What do you think of the picture of Gyp. Does her ear look torn?
Wade
i have no idea who this mean-spirited lying anonymous is, but i have some things i have to say. i first met wade during his first season with ringling, when the show played miami a few weeks after opening. i was extremely impressed by two things: his obvious love for his sons and his love for the tigers. he was a very devoted father and would have done anything necessary to be the best father he could be. if more men took parenting as seriously as wade, the world would be a better place.
that said, he was also extremely concerned about the care the tigers were receiving. he was constantly looking for ways to improve their life. again, if more trainers treated their animals as wade did, we would have much less trouble with animal rights people today.
in addition to his love for his children and his love for the tigers, i was also very impressed with his act itself. this was a first-class star act in anybody's book. wade may have been less than half the age of charley or gunther, but he was ready to hit the the top. wade been to his generation of animal trainers the same thing clyde beatty was to his generation and gunther was to his generation.
since the circus blogs have made communication so much easier, i have come to respect wade even more. he truly cares about the circus, his family, and the well-being of wild animals, in captivity and in the wild. i don't always agree with him but i know he has formed his opinions independently and honestly believes in his convictions.
i don't know who anonymous is talking about, but it's not the wade burck i've known for so many years.
Henry,
I do appreciate that, my old friend, and yes Ringling will always be my fondest memory, as well as "the" Circus Vargas.
I don't like it that we don't agree on everything Henry, and if you would just admit that GGW was the greatest thing since cream cheeze, and Clyde Beatty was a "one hit wonder" as well as accepting that acts from the 80's were far superior to anything from the 50's we would see eye to eye 100% LOL
Stay healthy amigo,
Wade
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