Kutenga

Spotlight on Kutenga (1964-1991)

Another Philadelphia Zoo Casualty

Wild-born: Kutenga (meaning "to buy" or "to bring") was born in 1964 in Africa, where she lived with her extended family herd of mother, grandmother, aunts, sisters, and cousins. In the wild, female elephants like Kutenga stay with their mothers and female relatives their entire lives. Kutenga was about the size of the baby elephant in the center of the photo, right, when she was captured, separated from her family forever, and shipped to the Hannover Zoo in West Germany.

Zoo life: Kutenga was confined at the Hannover Zoo for less than a year, living in the same concrete elephant exhibit virtually unchanged today (see recent photo, left). Kutenga was likely chained and beaten during her stay, the beginning of the breaking process necessary to make elephants compliant for captivity.

Shipped to America: In 1966, the Philadelphia Zoo purchased Kutenga and shipped her by ocean freight to Philadelphia. At the Philadelphia Zoo, Kutenga, just over two years old, shared a quarter-acre exhibit and cement barn with 3-year-old Dulary, 11-year-old Petal and 24-year-old Peggy.

Repeatedly injured: At the zoo, Kutenga was a popular attraction, giving rides to customers and entertaining them by reaching for treats over the moat surrounding her exhibit. In August 1978, when she was just 14 years old, she fell into the moat while reaching for a peanut. (Note: photo, right, is of Bronx Zoo - not Kutenga). She fell twice more in the 1980's, again reaching for treats proferred by zoo visitors. She permanently injured her left front leg in the falls, making it difficult for her to rise. It became so difficult for her to get up that she eventually stopped lying down at all. Zoo director Bill Donaldson would later note that after the falls, Kutenga's legs were "very stiff" and that "she'd gotten kind of cranky, like of older people get cranky when they don't feel good."

Not even shade: The canopy providing a little shade in the elephants' exhibit (see photo, right) was added sometime in the 1980's. For most of her life, Kutenga did not even have the slight comfort of a shady area.

In addition, it is likely the exhibit was even more barren then it is today. Karl Kranz, head curator at the Philadelphia zoo in the 1980's, claimed that "in general, toys are no big deal to elephants," and enrichment for elephants was limited to "simpler things like some dirt to throw on their backs."

Lab experiment: In 1985, all four elephants were used in an experiment measuring the hormone levels in their blood to determine the ideal time for them to mate. The plan at the time was to artificially inseminate them with elephant semen flown in from the Portland Zoo. It is unknown whether artificial insemination was attempted on any of the elephants; at any rate, none ever became pregnant.

Boring life: The elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo were fed and watered three times a day. Exercise consisted of being let out in the quarter-acre yard for a few hours - but only when the temperature was over 40 degrees. Since the average temperature in Philadelphia in December, January and February is historically 35 degrees or less, Kutenga and the other elephants spent most winter days inside the cement barn, shown above. This remains true for the elephants, Kallie and Bette, living at the zoo today, who spend weeks on end confined inside.

Falling down: On the afternoon of July 30, 1991, Kutenga was locked in her stall, where as usual she would remain until keepers arrived the next day. Sometime after 5 pm, she collapsed and was unable to arise. Keepers arrived at 7 am the next morning and made various attempts to force Kutenga to get up. Zoo director Bill Donaldson noted, "We're not exactly sure why she may have fallen," and speculated that she "might" have had arthrtis.

Torture, then death: First, keepers placed a nylon sling around Kutenga and used a "block and tackle" approach to force her up. The rope snapped, and everyone - including Kutenga - fell to the ground. Several hours passed where 25 employees attempted various ways to get Kutenga off the ground. Finally, a tow truck was brought in with a steel cable. However, Kutenga still was unable to rise, and she stopped breathing at 1:30 pm. Later necropsy results showed that one lung had collapsed and the other was filling with fluid. The necropsy also showed that Kutenga had fallen so hard that she shattered her left cheekbone, which pathologists noted would have made it impossible for her to eat normally again.

Used for soap: Kutenga's body was cut up and parts were sent to more than a dozen different institutions in the U.S. and Australia. Whatever was left over was sent to a rendering plant where it was made into soap.

To Kutenga - whose life was stolen from her as a baby: Rest in peace.

Sources:

Detjen, Jim. "To the rescue: Zoos are striving to save species from extinction." Philadelphia Inquirer 8 Apr. 1985.

Colimore, Edward. "Popular zoo elephant, 27, dies from fall." Philadelphia Inquirer 2 Aug. 1991.

Campisi, Gloria. "A handout from fan led to elephant's fatal fall." Philadelphia Daily News 9 Aug 1991.