Late last year, the death of Jenga, a male giraffe at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, reignited calls to better protect animals in captivity. Jenga was only eight years old when he was found deceased in his barn on October 23, while giraffes typically live up to 25 years in the wild. He lived with only two other giraffes in a small and barren enclosure, offering little enrichment or opportunities to engage in natural behaviours essential for giraffes’ well-being.
The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has called on the zoo for many years to address persistent animal welfare concerns and transition away from keeping animals in permanent captivity. In recent years, a VHS campaign has called on provincial decision-makers to take action and update outdated regulations on the keeping, breeding, and transportation of wild and exotic animals.
Jenga’s death gained significant media attention, with coverage from major news outlets and discussions on CBC’s The Early Edition. VHS representatives expressed concerns to news outlets about Jenga’s quality of life prior to his passing, highlighting the challenges of keeping wild, exotic animals in captivity and the stressors they may endure. The zoo has yet to publicly provide a full explanation of the cause of death, prompting calls for an independent investigation.
Jenga’s death is not an isolated incident. His death adds to a concerning history of animal fatalities at the facility. Between 2003 and 2015, reports indicate that four giraffes, four zebras, two hippos, and two Siberian tigers died at the zoo.
Recent reports have also revealed a troubling pattern of animal fatalities in zoos across Canada. In Calgary, the deaths of several animals at the Calgary Zoo have raised similar concerns. Over the past year, multiple animals have died under the zoo’s care, including a western lowland gorilla named Eyare who was injured moving between back-of-house spaces. A polar bear named Baffin drowned after sustaining a bite to the throat. Conservationists have called for a systemic review of the facility’s practices, emphasizing the need for increased oversight and transparency.
This past year, multiple animals have died globally as well, including Roxie the red panda who died due to noise stress from fireworks in Edinburgh, and twelve monkeys who died from a bacterial outbreak in a zoo in Hong Kong.
These incidents fuel ongoing debates about the ethics of keeping wild animals in captive environments that may not adequately meet their needs. The recent deaths of Jenga and other captive animals are a sad reminder that although zoo visitors may leave at the end of the day, animals cannot.
For more information on how you can support efforts to protect captive animals, visit this blog post.