TAKE ACTION NOW TO FREE CHENDRA
Stand with Free the Oregon Zoo Elephants
Tell the Oregon Zoo and Metro to Free Chendra to the sanctuary awaiting her!
heidi.rahn@oregonzoo.org
Oregon Zoo Director
From Paradise to Prison
Orphaned at the tender age of four, Chendra should have been moved to the safety of a refuge in Asia. Instead, she was taken from the tropics of Malaysia and shipped thousands of miles to the cold, wet climate of the Pacific Northwest.
Instead of lush greenery and warm breezes, her world is confined to a cement, metal, glass and sand enclosure at the Oregon Zoo.
The Perils of Captivity
Within two months of her arrival, Chendra developed intensely painful, potentially lethal, foot disease and foot fractures (shown in photo) so common to zoo elephants.
Blind in one eye from a past injury, she has also suffers from persistent anemia, mycobacteriosis, obesity and severe zoochosis – circling, swaying, rocking, repetitive behavior caused by her years in captivity.
Risky Business
Knowing that Chendra was at great risk of contracting tuberculosis from the other infected zoo elephants, the zoo endangered her further by breeding her with a much larger species of Asian elephant whom it had imported specifically for that purpose. Desperate to produce a baby elephant to boost zoo attendance and revenue, zoo officials knowingly risked her health and the health of her baby.
At the same time that Chendra pregnancy was confirmed, she was diagnosed with active tuberculosis, the fifth Oregon Zoo elephant to contract this life-threatening disease.
In December 2019, Chendra suffered a miscarriage resulting in ongoing bleeding and other health issues. A weakened Chendra now struggles to recover from her loss and the resulting trauma. She is now out of quarantine but will continue to require treatment for tuberculosis.
The Worst Zoo for Elephants
In January, 2020, In Defense of Animals (IDA) placed the Oregon Zoo on its “10 Worst Zoos for Elephants” list. Included in its announcement was the statement, “Taking this unconscionable risk with Chendra is one of the reasons the Oregon Zoo has earned a place on the “10 Worst Zoos List” for the 10th time, making it the most shamed facility in the 16 year history of the list. We urge Oregon Zoo officials to stop breeding, shut down its cruel elephant exhibit and send elephants to accredited sanctuaries.”
The Promise of Sanctuary
Now there is hope that Chendra will get a second chance to enjoy the life she was meant to live.
A sanctuary located in a warm southern climate in the United Stated has offered to provide her freedom and comfort for her remaining years.
Tell the Oregon Zoo and Metro to Free Chendra to the sanctuary awaiting her!
Campaign Updates
The zoo is treating our campaign as just another public relations exercise that can be wished away with slick half-truths, instead of a serious effort at addressing concerns around her captivity. Here are our fact-based rebuttals to their response.