The Oregon Zoo claims to be about conservation, but Happy Hour For the Elephants, Happy Hour For the Hippos, Zoo concerts, Campouts at the zoo, etc, prove otherwise. What tactics were used to train the elephants to perform for zoo visitors? Since the zoo refuses to give up its use of bullhooks, we have to wonder if the elephants were trained to perform using this weapon. Since they were young, they were coerced into action with the bullhook, so by the time they are adults, simply pointing the dull end is sufficient to get them to behave however the zoo staff wants them to. That is why at FOZE we advocate for the zoo to adopt a total protected contact program, as many other zoos, including all zoos in California have done.
