What wrong with these elephants??...?

Question

I went to the zoo yesterday, and i saw 2 elephants swaying back in forth constanly...I heard somewhere about that, i forgot what it meant though, i felt my heart suken down because it just hurt me watching them like that. can you help? thanks!


---Animal Lover

Answer 1

Swaying is thought to be a product of stress and boredom:
"Both Savannah and Juno have been observed displaying intensely repetitive, abnormal behaviors, such as swaying and rocking. These behaviors are unseen in free-ranging elephants and are generally linked to poor welfare, including lack of space."

http://www.helpelephants.com/elpaso_zoo.html

Some zoos are even closing their elephant displays because of these and other problems brought about by captivity:
http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/wildlife_news/detroit_zoo_sends_its_elephants_packing_should_others_follow_suit.html

Answer 2

Nothing is wrong with your elephants. Just make sure that you have the correct shots. There are a ton of people with elephants that have problems.

Answer 3

They're bored. It's like pacing.