Indu Suffering Zoochosis and Infection at Phoenix Zoo

On a welfare check that CWI conducted on February 19 at Phoenix Zoo, we witnessed 53 year old Asian elephant Indu exhibiting zoochosis while alone in her exhibit.

The temperatures that day began in only in the 30s and did not exceed 45 degrees by the time we left two hours later.

During that period, we observed a docent instructing a school group about Indu and the elephant exhibit. Upon an inquiry from a student about Indu's incessant swaying, the docent lied to the students telling them "we don't know for sure why elephants do that."

In actual fact, just three days after our visit, the Phoenix Zoo announced that Indu was suffering from some type of infection, which they reported on February 27th was "a chronically inflamed urinary bladder."

Not only did the Phoenix Zoo leave an Asian elephant out in the cold for the amusement of tourists, despite her showing obvious signs of distress, but she was also sickly. And they lied to children about it.

Elephants are unsuited to captivity. If zoos truly cared about elephants, they would stop breeding them and confining them in unnatural exhibits that are harmful to their physical and psychological well-being. Say no to a visit.