PETA Statement: Young Elephant’s Untimely Death

For Immediate Release:
October 1, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

PETA Foundation Deputy Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet has released in response to the recent death of young Malee, an elephant who was held captive at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden:

Zoo officials report that this 4-year-old elephant was being treated for herpes before her death, and at least four of the adult elephants confined at the Oklahoma City Zoo have reportedly been exposed to herpes in the past. This deadly disease is almost exclusive to captive populations, who suffer the constant stress of being denied everything that’s natural and important to them. Eighty percent of elephant calves who contract herpes die from it, and PETA is calling on the Oklahoma City Zoo to stop gambling with the lives of young elephants and immediately halt its breeding program.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment.” For more information, please visit PETA.org.