Abstract:
African elephants (Loxodonta africana) face many threats to their long – term survival in range countries. The species is considered “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is listed under Appendix I and II by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (Endangered, 2012; CITES, 2012; IUCN, 2011). Regrettably, zoo elephant populations also face challenges associated with non-sustainability (Olson and Wiese, 2000; Faust and Marti, 2011).