Pittsburgh Zoo Criticized for Elephant Herding Methods

The Pittsburgh Zoo is being investigated by the USDA after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a complaint against the zoo concerning its treatment of captive elephants. The animal rights organization has focused its complaint on the use of dogs to herd the elephants around.

"Footage of this practice shows elephants in obvious distress and exhibiting threatening behavior, including flapping their ears and trumpeting, as they are chased and reportedly 'nipped' by dogs at the command of staff members," PETA's deputy director of captive animal law enforcement, Brittany Peet, wrote in an open letter to zoo president Barbara Baker back in October.

"In addition to causing the elephants stress, the dogs are in danger of being accidentally stepped on or even deliberately attacked by the elephants," Peet added, suggesting that the zoo's introduction of two Australian cattle dogs three years ago was more for show than for safety. "Surely, the publicity generated by this practice does not outweigh the risks posed to the elephants, dogs, and handlers."

Nearly a week after that letter was sent out, PETA moved on to press the Pennsylvania Game Commission to investigate the matter, as it appeared that the zoo was in violation "of Pennsylvania's prohibition on allowing dogs to chase wildlife," according to the organization.

What law this refers to remains unclear.

Interestingly, it appeared that while PETA was simply looking out for the interests of elephants and dogs alike, they were barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.

The Game Commission actually has no jurisdiction over zoos, and provisions against dog chasing may have been limited to hunting and other sports. To resolve concerns quickly, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) elected to pick up the case, and is currently reviewing the complaints.

Still, according to zoo spokeswoman Tracy Gray, the USDA should find nothing wrong with the setup, which involves a pair of trained cattle dogs that are familiar with the dangers of herding large animals.

"The primary reason the herding dogs are working with our team is for the safety of our staff," she explained in a statement via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

An incident in 2002, when an elephant handler was crushed by an agitated 6,200-pound elephant, is one of the reasons the zoo decided to distance its handlers from the massive animals.

"These relationships can be thought of in terms of traditional shepherding practices," Gray said. "Both the dogs and elephants are working well together, and the dogs have been a wonderful addition to our program."