Kumara the elephant is dead
October 2001

UPDATE: At Chester Crown Court today (29th November 2004) Chester Zoo was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay costs of £50,000 after admitting breaching health and safety laws in the zoo's elephant house leading up to the death of keeper Richard Hughes in 2001.

Kumara the elephant involved in the tragic death of Keeper Richard Hughes at Chester Zoo in February 2001 has been euthanised.

The following statement has been supplied by Chester Zoo.

"With great regret, Chester Zoo veterinary staff euthanased Asiatic elephant Kumara, following many months of ill health. Kumara had been under veterinary care for severe episodes of colic in her gut and for chronic foot and joint infections as well as bad arthritis. The foot infection was unresponsive to treatment and spread to her front legs. It was clearly causing Kumara great distress and had made her lame. She was anaesthetised in order to investigate this infection more fully, and it was found to be so severe as to be untreatable. Kumara's health and welfare was discussed in great depth by vets, keepers, curators, the Director and members of the Zoo Council. There was unanimous agreement that nothing further could be done and it would be unacceptable to let her continue a life of chronic pain. The humane decision was taken that the elephant should be put down."

Since the attack, Kumara had been kept safely in separate indoor and outdoor pens, under a 'protected contact' regime.

The zoo statement to CAPS says:

"She was treated with great care and kindness, with controlled access to other elephants but no direct handling by keepers. This system of care was also in full compliance with the requirements of Chester City Council Health and Safety Department and the independent advice of an expert consultant. It is thought that Kumara's ill health may explain her increased irritability and aggression towards staff and other elephants. Kumara was 34 years old, and came to Chester Zoo in 1989, on a breeding loan from Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. However, she never produced a calf."

CAPS comment:

Kumara was less than half her normal lifespan. Female elephants may live up to 60 or even 70 years. According to experts, the biggest killer of captive elephants is foot and joint problems. We at CAPS believe that elephants should not be kept in captivity.

After the tragic death of Chester elephant keeper Richard Hughes, CAPS lobbied the Government requesting that legislation be introduced under Health and safety regulations to change the management system of elephants from free contact to Protected contact. The DETR replied in May 2001 stating "it would seem that protected contact can help to limit keeper casualties. However there are varying types of facility in this country using different management practises. There are experienced responsible keepers who believe that free contact is more humane and better than protected contact for both animals and carers".

We do not agree. On October 21st at London Zoo, Jim Robson, a London elephant keeper, was fatally injured when one of the zoo's three female elephants stepped on him after he apparently tripped and fell. Visitors to the zoo witnessed the incident. Jim Robson had worked with the elephants for 16 years. He was the third elephant keeper killed by one of the elephants in his care in just 20 months.

CAPS will continue to lobby the Government for a ban on the importation of elephants for zoos safari parks and circuses. We ask the Government that while elephants are kept in captivity in the UK, they should be kept under a protected contact system.

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