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Today, Sunita, the oldest elephant at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, was euthanized after a battle with poor health. Sunita came to the park in 1974, which means that she was more than likely wild-caught and brought to the United States. Studies show that, because the incidence surrounding wild-caught elephants are often so severe and traumatic (they were usually brought here as baby elephants, after having witnessed the violent death of their Mothers at the hands of poachers), these elephants are often afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So more than I mourn Sunita’s death, I mourn her life. I mourn the loss of what could have been for her had she not fell into human hands, and lived a life of exploitation for profit, under the guise of “education”. I mourn the loss of her opportunity to live a life free of human gawking, and being free to do normal elephant activities and express natural elephant behaviors. I mourn her opportunity to live her life in the wild…where she belonged.
If I didn't know better I would swear you were hired