Phoenix Zoo Accused of Killing Elephant Indu

Summary:

PHOENIX, AZ – In Defense of Animals (IDA) has accused the Phoenix Zoo of killing a healthy elephant, Indu, a 59-year-old Asian elephant who has been held alone since 2021. Prompted by an anonymous tip about the zoo’s plans to kill Indu, In Defense of Animals wrote to the zoo, demanding transparency and pleading for her transfer to a sanctuary.

Less than a month before her death, Phoenix Zoo posted a video of Indu splashing in shallow water, appearing active and engaged. The zoo praised her for knowing how to cool off, and weeks earlier, it claimed Indu was “doing quite well” and expressed it was “excited to watch her continue to live out her years at the Phoenix Zoo.”

Apparently, the zoo now claims that Indu had a chronic illness and had to be euthanized, which was never reported publicly before her death. Courtney Scott, the Elephant Consultant for IDA, stated that “Phoenix Zoo’s decision to kill Indu raises serious concerns about transparency in zoos. We are demanding the immediate release of Indu’s most recent medical records and a full necropsy report to understand what truly happened.” Without clear medical records and a necropsy report, it is impossible to know if Indu’s death was necessary euthanasia for her well-being or an act of “zoothanasia” — killing for convenience or cost, a practice documented at many zoos.

Action take by Born Free USA:

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