From Joey Ratliff

An elephant is just an elephant. Well, at least that is what many visitors to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans think before they run into elephant handler Joey Ratliff. "We have Asiatic elephants and most people without a real deep knowledge of wildlife do not realize there are African elephants and then there are Asian elephants," Ratliff said. "Actually, I like to say there are African elephants and then there are real elephants," he joked. Ratliff's passion for the Asiatic elephant shines through when he talks about the problems facing them. "There are serious habitat issues in Asia. One that has been happening is the explosion of tea plantations. All of these different kinds of teas are very popular and they clear the forest to make plantations and when an elephant comes tromping through it is often killed," Ratliff said. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates wild populations which are scattered throughout India, Nepal, Indonesia, China and a few other countries is between 25,600 to 32,750 individuals. That represents a stark decline over the last few decades and the results of habitat loss due to increased agriculture and related shootings as well as some ivory poaching. The WWF estimates there are between 470,000 and 690,000 African elephants left in the wild, which are nearly 20 times the best calculations for Asia's herd. African elephant numbers are increasing in some countries due to conservation efforts enacted by groups like WWF, Safari Club International and various African governments. Alison Randel and Joey Ratliff take "Panya" for a walk at the Aududon Zoo before visiting hours. Photo by Chester Moore, Jr. The Audubon Zoo has a daily elephant show featuring Panya and Jean, two Asiatic elephants that shows the animals doing a few fun tricks and deals with the differences between the African and Asian pachyderms and addresses their problems in the wild. "The elephant show we do draws people in and gives us a chance to talk about conservation and the unique traits of elephants. We even take one of them over to where the public can reach over our protected area and pet them. That close encounter really makes some peoples day and gives them a real appreciation for these amazing animals," Ratliff said. Elephant shows at zoos are rare these days and some believe it is better to have a hands off approach. Ratliff disagrees. "The longest lived elephants are of course wild ones, but circus elephants are the second longest lived. Worker elephants are the third and zoo elephants are last," he said. Ratliff said the reason most zoo elephants live shorter lives than their wild and hard working counterparts is activity. "We do a show with our animals every day and we take them for a morning walk around the zoo and let them roam around a couple of unused areas in the zoo under our supervision. This keeps them in good shape and the training keep their mind sharp as well," he said. It also allows the zoo team to closely monitor their health and keep them clean. "It's not a problem for us to do things like inspect their feet or their teeth or bathe them because they are trained and that allows us to avoid many problems," Ratliff said. Panya is the eldest of the zoo's two elephants weighing more than 10,000 pounds and is middle-aged at 40. Elephants can live up to 70 years in captivity. Jean is a few thousand pounds smaller and 30 years old and upon being around the animals, you learn quickly they both have unique personalities. "Panya is very smart and likes to test you a little more than Jean. Jean however can have a short attention span so they both have their unique traits and that is one of the things that make elephants so interesting to work with," Ratliff said. In the wild the elephants would eat more than 500 pounds a day but due to being able to provide them with more nutritious fare the team at the Audubon Zoo "only" have to feed Panya and Jean around 175 pounds daily. "It's a pretty massive responsibility to work with elephants but its well worth it. Just the fact of being around the animals is amazing but also the fact you get to educate the public a little about them is very rewarding and that is what we are trying to do here," Ratliff said. If you have never been to the Audubon Zoo you really need to check it out. The Asian domain where the elephants dwell has a pair of white Bengal tigers, highly endangered amur leopards and a host of other fascinating creatures. The zoo also features an amazing South American exhibit, komodo dragons, a trip through a Louisiana swamp, primates such as orangutans and gorillas and numerous other exhibits featuring animals from around the world. For more information, go to http://www.auduboninstitute.org. *This article appeared in the 10/4/07 edition of the Orange Leader. To read the author's other outdoors stories there, go to http://www.orangeleader.com.