Video: Gone Too Soon, Young Elephant Dies in Zoo

Zoo officials report that this 4-year-old elephant, Malee, was being treated for herpes before her death, and at least four of the adult elephants at the Oklahoma City Zoo have reportedly been exposed to herpes in the past.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXtXzxTXTqIVideo of Malee as a baby

This deadly disease is almost entirely confined to captive populations, who endure 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.

What You Can Do

Don’t go to zoos. Instead of patronizing zoos, support groups that work to preserve animals’ natural habitats, like the International Primate Protection League, the Born Free Foundation, and Earth Island Institute.