San Diego's New Elephant exhibit

Click to enlarge-- www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/images/090125elephant.pdf

San Diego's is among U.S. zoos enlarging elephant areas; others are closing exhibits

EXPANSION PLANS

National Zoo in Washington: The $50 million Elephant Trails, set to open in 2011, will give eight pachyderms the majority of four acres.

Denver Zoo: The $50 million Asian Tropics, set to open in 2011, will allow elephants to share a two-acre yard with other animals.

Oregon Zoo in Portland: In November, the zoo received voter approval to start a $20 million elephant home using part of six acres. Voters also agreed to spend $10 million to create an elephant range on as much as 200 acres.

Los Angeles Zoo: Controversy from animal activists has halted the $42 million Pachyderm Forest. The plan is to build a 3.6-acre yard for its lone male, Billy, and get him two or three female companions.

Central Florida: The National Elephant Center is creating an elephant range on 300 acres set aside by garbage hauler Waste Management. The center is a nonprofit group, of which the San Diego Zoo is a minor sponsor.

Western Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Zoo has launched a 700-acre center focused on African elephants and hopes to house up to 20 pachyderms.

Here's the results of a poll the San Diego Union-Tribune took. The real really scary result is the result of 37% thinking zoo's have no business having elephants. That is the oddest thing I have seen.

Response	Percent	Votes
Standard enclosures are fine, it's a shame so many are shutting down	1%	12 votes
Larger enclosures like the one San Diego is building are the responsible course	60%	394 votes
Zoos should stay out of the elephant business, it can't be done humanely	37%	245 votes
651 total votes