An Apology to Elephants (2013)

Mel Richardson: Self (veterinarian)

Photos 

Quotes 

• Himself (veterinarian) : What is the problem with the elephant in the room? The room. That's the problem. Elephants don't belong in barns. They don't belong in rooms. Their body evolved to be moving. They need to move. They don't need to stand still; they don't need to stand still on concrete and hard surfaces.

• Himself (veterinarian) : Fifty percent of elephants in captivity will die from foot-related diseases. I can show documentation of the physical damage that occurs from them standing on concrete, their lack of exercise, standing in their own excrement, years and years of being chained. Elephants also have arthritis. Arthritis means the articular surface is worn away, and it's raw bone on raw bone. It's pain. If you have arthritis, you need to move, because your body will heal it. When they get a joint issue in captivity, in a zoo, they don't ever get to go to a place where they can heal.