Houston Zoo Sharing Restricted and Unrestricted Space with Elephants

Staff members may share unrestricted space with elephants for the following purposes, as outlined in the AZA Policy for Maximizing Occupational Safety of Elephant Care Professionals:

 Medical emergencies  Critically ill elephants  Birth management  Calf training up to two years of age  Management of geriatric animals that require specialized care

Medical Emergencies

In the event that an elephant becomes sick, injured, or otherwise in need of treatment that cannot be accomplished from restricted space, the CEO, VP of Animal Operations, Curator of Large Mammals, and the Elephant Manager will meet to discuss the options before a decision is made to proceed.

Critically ill elephants

In the event that an elephant critically ill and treatment cannot be accomplished from restricted space, the CEO, VP of Animal Operations, Curator of Large Mammals, and the Elephant Manager will meet to discuss the options before a decision is made to proceed.

Birth Management

It is the philosophy of the Houston Zoo that all elephant births should be managed with the dams on restraints. Leading up to and during the process of parturition and during the process of introducing a newborn calf back to its mother, staff will typically share restricted space with the dam and unrestricted space with the calf.

Calf Management and Training

From the day a calf is born, elephant staff begins the process of communicating with, training, and defining behavioral expectations for that calf. This often includes sharing unrestricted space with the calf. Calves at the Houston Zoo are trained across the management continuum in order to maximize safety and flexibility as they grow into adult elephants.

Management of geriatric animals that require specialized care

In the event that a geriatric elephant needs increased activity or physical therapy to increase her health and welfare that cannot be successfully accomplished from restricted space, the CEO, VP of Animal Operations, Curator of Large Mammals, Veterinarians and the Elephant Manager will meet to discuss the options before a decision is made to proceed.