Mona

Mona (born around 1947) is a 7,800 pound Asian elephant on exhibit at the Birmingham Zoo. She was captured in the wild in 1951 and housed in Miami for about two years before debuting in Birmingham on July 4, 1955, the year the Zoo reopened at Lane Park. She is now the oldest Asian elephant in the United States. The average life span of female Asian elephants, both wild and in captivity, is about 45 years.

During her tenure at the zoo, Mona has inhabited a 1,000-square-foot pen with access to two concrete-floored stalls in the zoo's pachyderm building. The effect of concrete floors on captive elephants has been shown to be detrimental, and Mona's feet have been badly damaged by the so-called "Zoo-Genic Elephant Foot Disease". Her outdoor enclosure is dirt-floored, but the surface has been packed hard by her continual pacing.

On January 31, 2005 Mona's companion of 48 years, Susie, died at the zoo at age 55. Since then Mona has been the zoo's sole elephant. "The Elephant Sanctuary" has offered to relocate and house Mona at their 2,700-acre facility near Hohenwald, Tennessee without charge. Alabama Wildlife Advocates is actively lobbying for this move, which has so far been rejected by the Zoo. The group has created on online petition and demonstrates outside the zoo during her annual birthday celebration.

Zoo director Bill Foster has argued that the stress caused by travel and resettlement would not be healthy for Mona, and that she should not, at her age, be subjected to the behavior and pecking order of an unfamiliar herd. He has indicated that the zoo plans to improve her habitat and is considering adding a companion to her exhibit.

On June 18, 2007 zoo staff found Mona unable to stand on her own and assisted her with slings. It was surmised that one of her legs had become numb from her lying on it. She appeared to be in good health and spirits in subsequent evaluations.

References

• Plott, Bill. (July 3, 2005). "Zoo's one elephant has party, protests". Birmingham News.
• Olson, Laura (June 19, 2007) "Mona on mend: Zoo's oldest resident had trouble standing." Birmingham News.

External links

• Birmingham Zoo website
• Mona Campaign at alabamawildlifeadvocates.org
• Free Mona to the Elephant Sanctuary, a weblog