The Tartan

In early February, three animals kept in the Pittsburgh Zoo died, raising questions about living conditions.

On Feb. 1, a silverback Gorilla named Mrithi died during a routine sedation and health inspection. On Feb. 15 and 16, a sea lion named Hawk and an elephant calf named Tsuni both died,  the former during another routine sedation and the latter from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, a disease that is especially fatal to young elephants. The day after, the zoo was closed to allow the staff to grieve.

While the deaths have raised suspicion about the animals’ treatment, Pittsburgh Zoo CEO Jeremy Goodman said that the deaths were “within the normal range,” of 15 to 25 deaths per year, of the about 8,000 animals kept in the zoo. In addition, the zoo performs 125 to 175 routine animal sedations per year, especially for more wild animals. 

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) reports between 3,000 and 5,000 animal deaths per year in zoos. As sad as these deaths are, it is likely an unfortunate coincidence. 

In 2015, the Pittsburgh Zoo gave up its AZA accreditation due to “concerns about its elephant handling policy.” Accredited facilities are ones that “meet the highest standards for animal care and welfare.” The zoo claims that it is still dedicated to reclaiming the accreditation; the situation has led to discussion about the ethics and morality of zoos. Only about 10 percent of zoos worldwide are accredited by the AZA. 

The general horror of zoos is widely known, the natural mortality rate of animals is much less than that of animals in captivity. Zoo animals are much more likely to have physical and psychological conditions, and many zoos put their animals on common pharmaceutical drugs like Prozac or Valium to calm them.

At the same time, zoos can be invaluable resources for conservation and repopulation efforts. Animals like the California condor went extinct in the wild in 1987 and were able to return thanks to condors kept in captivity. Conservation efforts also returned the Arabian oryx antelope to the wild. The same goes for many other animals: Eagles, bison, leopards and tamarinds have all been saved by zoo conservation efforts. Many people around the world are still dedicated to the care of animals in captivity, despite the depraved state of the zoo industry in many places.

During a press conference, Pittsburgh Zoo CEO Goodman said he is committed to animal welfare. Despite the grief that many members of the zoo are feeling right now, it appears that they are doing their best to care for the animals at the zoo, and that they hope to earn back the AZA accreditation that they had given up.