From the Detroit Free Press (dated May 20, 2004; this came to NewMexiKen’s attention only recently):
The Detroit Zoo will become the nation’s first major animal facility to give away its elephants solely on ethical grounds.
Winky and Wanda, the latest in an 81-year-old tradition of pachyderms at the zoo, will be sent to one of two U.S. refuges this summer or early fall.
The decision to send them away comes amid a nationwide push to provide better care for elephants, widely considered to be among the Earth’s most intelligent creatures. They form strong social bonds and have a powerful need for physical and intellectual stimulation.
In the wild, female Asian elephants like Winky and Wanda typically roam 30 miles a day, form lifelong and unique friendships with members of their herds and mourn for their dead.
In captivity, they live in unnatural climates, develop physical problems such as chronic arthritis and exhibit psychological problems related to boredom and stress.
Elephants actually revisit the specific bones of dead relatives year after year, and show signs of mourning at the sites.