Calls for Oregon Zoo to move baby elephant and its mother to a sanctuary

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct timeline errors, reflect new information about Baylor College of Medicine.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — While some are visiting the Oregon Zoo in droves Saturday to get a glimpse of new baby elephant Tula-Tu, three others showed up advocating for her relocation.

Free the Oregon Zoo Elephants (FOZE), a local activist group formed in 2008, recently launched a campaign to transfer the newborn elephant and her mother Rose-Tu from the zoo to an established sanctuary they claim “has offered its space.”

Tula-Tu is Rose-Tu’s third baby. Her firstborn, 16-year-old Samudra, also lives at the zoo. Her second calf, Lily, passed away from a virus in 2018, just before she turned 6 years old.

The zoo’s vet said there’s now a special lab at Oregon State University to aid in quick diagnosis while scientists at Baylor Colelge of Medicine are testing a new vaccine to prevent the disease.

But the group said Lily’s death – preceded by the euthanizing of aging herd members Tusko, Rama and Packy – brings them concern about the zoo breeding too quickly “under the guise of conservation,” when they claim the elephants are dying of preventable diseases.

The FOZE members stood outside the zoo’s entrance Saturday morning, holding up signs saying “Elephants suffer in zoos” and “Free the Oregon Zoo elephants.”

“They have a new baby here and everyone’s very excited about her and I can understand – she’s adorable,” said FOZE member Courtney Scott. “But she’s going to grow up and be an elephant and suffer and die just like all the other elephants, like Packy did.”

She continued, “We’re encouraging this zoo, like 38 zoos have already done, to close their elephant exhibit.”

FOZE said they have also submitted a formal petition to the Metro Council.

Asian elephants reside in India and Borneo, but they’re highly endangered. There are only about 40,000-50,000 still in existence and much of their habitat overlaps with some of the most human populated regions on earth.

KOIN 6 News has reached out to the Oregon Zoo for comment but has not responded at this time.