The suit cited the zoo's "inadequate facilities, abusive management practices, longstanding intentional neglect, and breeding practices," as evidence of the zoo's blatant disregard for the three elephants kept in their care. Bamboo, Watoto and Chai (the three elephants) all suffer from "severe chronic foot injuries, unexplained physical trauma and bleeding, and sustained psychological harm."

Bamboo and Chai are the only two remaining elephants currently residing at the zoo, and despite their long history together, they never bonded and do not engage in typical social behavior of elephants. The two share one acre of land that is split up into five pens, but reside locked in a cage in a barn for around half of the year due to Seattle's cold, wet climate. It is typical that they will be locked up for 16-17 hours on end. The yard, barn, and sight line in the exhibit have not changed since 1986, adding to the boredom of the solitary elephants. According to Friends of the Woodland Park Zoo, "[the elephants] are deprived of the ability to engage in natural elephant behaviors. They have no access to a living tree in their yard."

The Woodland Park Zoo's current five year plan does not include any changes to the enclosure, but hope to add more elephants and continue breeding.

Conservation education without suffering

After spending their entire lives living in the Woodland Park Zoo, Bamboo and Chai deserve to be retired to a sanctuary that can more adequately meet their needs. The climate in Seattle is hardly appropriate for an elephant who thrives in a warm environment. Both Bamboo and Chai exhibit stereotypic behavior and posses joint and foot problems that lead to the untimely death of Watoto.

A survey done by Friends of the Woodland Park Zoo showed that 66 percent of Seattleites believe that people can learn about elephants and their conservation from a non-live elephant exhibit. In addition, studies have disproven the claim that zoos help to educate children about wild animals. Seeing the trauma that these elephants have suffered during their time at Woodland Park Zoo, in one form or another, is a clear indication that something needs to change. The Toronto Zoo retired their elephants to PAWS Sanctuary in California, and it is time that Woodland Park Zoo considered doing the same.

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