On 3rd September Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington DC is opening Elephant Trails (see video below). The zoo calls the elephants' new home "innovative" and "groundbreaking". From our perspective it shows very little understanding of the real interests and needs of elephants. Our friend and colleague, Peter Stroud, has written an Op-Ed for Washington Post, which was published today.

We have stolen the title to this page from Peter's excellent piece - "ill-fitting" describes the new Elephant Trails perfectly. It is disturbing that with $50 million of tax payers money spent on this new exhibit the Smithsonian's National Zoo was not able to do better. In memory of Toni (photo), and with all that could have been done for the National Zoo's elephants at Front Royal or at one of the elephant sanctuaries, we hoped for much more.

The National Zoo is calling Elephant Trails "the cornerstone of our campaign to save Asian elephants." We are dumbfounded. How is keeping a few elephants in an inadequate space in North America "saving the Asian elephant"? To state that this new enclosure is the Zoo's "cornerstone" to save Asian elephants undermines the good science and education efforts that the Smithsonian Institution is doing for elephants. And that is a pity.