A pair of aging Asian elephants have run the yard at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium for more than a dozen years, and they will stay until death do them part.
But when death befalls either Suki or Hanako, it likely will be the end of the popular elephant exhibit.
As part of the zoo’s strategic plan for the next decade, elephants might make their exit and a large animal such as the Indian rhinoceros could be brought in to inhabit the one-acre yard and barn.
“It’s not because we wouldn’t want elephants. It’s because it might be beyond our control,” deputy zoo director John Houck said recently. “There’s a possibility in 10 to 15 years that when we lose these two elephants, there won’t be elephants to replace them.”
A shortage of the pachyderms in North American zoos – continent-wide, there are 150 or so – means Point Defiance might not be able to obtain new elephants. Asian elephants are endangered, with only 30,000 or so living in the wild.
The elephants in captivity are producing only two calves each year. To ensure a self-sustaining population, experts said, nine calves are needed annually.
It’s unknown how long Suki and Hanako will live, and zookeepers said they’re not interested in getting rid of them before their time comes. They’re in their mid-40s; keepers said the elephants have no health issues beyond normal touches of arthritis. Asian elephants can live to 65, according to the San Diego Zoo.
After one of the girls dies, the zoo will look into sending the remaining elephant to live out her days at another accredited zoo with elephants because female elephants are social creatures.
Elephants have been one of the main attractions at the zoo since they arrived in 1965.
Cindy was 3 when a contractor who had used her to promote a shopping center found the elephant a better home in Point Defiance. The community adored the baby behemoth, although her attitude was less than lovable.
In fact, Cindy was dubbed the most dangerous elephant in the country because of her temperament. Her behavior eventually worsened so much that she was temporarily sent to the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
She did no better there, so Cindy returned to Tacoma in 1992, forever labeled an unruly, cantankerous elephant.
She was euthanized in June 2002 after arthritis left her unable to stand, touching off a controversy when residents discovered her body had been dumped at a Graham landfill.
Zoo officials removed her head, tail and a leg and buried them in a secure location so they could exhume the bones later and use them as educational tools.
Point Defiance gradually earned a reputation of being able to deal with aggressive pachyderms.
Elephant-keeping was one of the most dangerous professions in the 1980s, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It used to rank above law enforcement and coal mining.
Knowing they’d have to again deal with an elephant’s brutish disposition, zookeepers at Point Defiance devised a new system for training and maintaining the massive creatures called “protected contact.”
The system, based on how zookeepers train whales and walruses, combines positive reinforcement with keeping a safety barrier between the trainer and the elephant.
“We never, ever share the same space,” elephant manager Craig Wilcox said.
About half of the accredited zoos (41) across the country have adopted the “protected contact” system. The others (33 or so) continue using the “free contact” system, which means trainers work close to the elephants.
“Our system was so good that we became a zoo that specialized in dangerous elephants,” Houck said.
First it was Cindy. Then Suki and Hanako, who both arrived angry and troubled, joined the herd.
Suki grew up in a circus, and her trainers beat her into submission. The abuse was so intense that she only has 40 percent mobility in her trunk. After killing two people in the circus, Suki was branded a problem.
“When she stepped off the truck, she was the angriest, scariest elephant,” Wilcox said.
Point Defiance zookeepers made sure they never raised their voices around Suki. They ignored her tantrums and gave her slivers of apples when she did something right.
In time, she mellowed out and is now the matriarch of the yard.
When the barn doors open for the elephants to come inside, Hanako waits for Suki to go first. When Suki naps, Hanako stands guard and nervously sways from side to side.
The girls are inseparable.
Keepers scrub their feet, trim their callouses and scratch their ears through the bars. Staff biologist Shannon Smith, whom Suki favors, said the elephants feel like part of her family.
The pair could live another 20 years – but Point Defiance has no plans to ship the elephants out.
“They’ll live out their days here,” Houck said.
Stacia Glenn: 253-597-8653
stacia.glenn@thenewstribune.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.