Elephants in protected populations live twice as much as those in zoos, a recent study on European zoos reveals. Researchers confirmed what wildlife activists have been warning about for some time now regarding the effects of live in captivity on the lives of elephants.

The study made a comparison between populations of African elephants living in the Amboseli National Park (Kenya) and of Asian elephants living in Myanma Timber Enterprise (Burma), and the same species living in zoos.

They found that African elephants living in zoos live around 17 years, compared to 56 years in the case of the elephants in the Amboseli National Park. Furthermore, Asian elephants in zoos live 19 years, compared to elephants in Myanma Timber Enterprise, who live 42 years.

Not only do zoo elephants have shorter life spans, but throughout their lives, they suffer from mental and physical ailments that ultimately lead to their death. These conditions are mostly provoked by the unfitted living conditions in zoos, which offer little space for them to move, inadequate space exercise, and sometimes even inadequate food.

The authors of the study called for immediate action, recommending the screening of all elephants for detection of stress and obesity. In addition to that, they also called for a stop to the importation of elephants, and the minimization of zoo transfers, which is known to put a lot of stress on the animals.