Zoo captivity ‘shortens lives of elephants’

CLEAR evidence that captivity shortens the lives of elephants has been found in a study that could have an impact on zoos.

Scientists, who included British researchers from the RSPCA and Zoological Society of London, examined data on more than 4,500 African and Asian elephants.

Those housed in European zoos had life spans up to three times shorter than animals from an African wildlife park or those working in the logging industry in Burma.