Page 8 - Ratel 2023 Summer

Ratel volume 50, issue number 2

Book Review. adopters of protected contact, Mr turning point in his philosophy on
Roocroft is one of the few people in the managing elephants in zoos. In 1988,
world who can make a genuine claim to whilst working at the San Diego Wild
being an expert in both free contact and Animal Park, a female African Elephant
protected contact elephant management, named ‘Dunda’ was moved from San
and this is what in part makes this Diego Zoo after being displaced from the
publication such an intriguing read. herd following a move form Africa. She
was described by keepers as being volatile
After almost twenty years at the San Diego and potentially dangerous. Equipped with
Wild Animal Park, Mr Roocroft left to this knowledge, and having experienced
provide expertise to elephant holders similar situations several times previously,
worldwide through his consultancy firm, under the supervision of then elephant
Elephant Business Inc. With protected manager Mr Roocroft, Dunda was
contact gathering momentum amongst integrated into her new herd using what
many western zoos, Elephant Business has been the cornerstone of free contact
grew to influence dozens of elephant elephant programmed for centuries,
programmes, of all sizes and prestige, discipline. Ultimately, from an animal
across the Americas, Europe, Asia and management perspective, the introduction
Oceania. Throughout this time, Mr of Dunda to the San Diego Wild Animal
Roocroft has continued to remain a highly Park herd was a success. However, shortly
sought after elephant management after a story was published in the press
consultant for over two decades. focussing on the retraining of Dunda. The
story gained immense media attention. The
Managing Elephants in Protected Managing Elephants in Protected Contact Zoological Society was accused of animal
Contact in Zoos in Zoos has been co-authored by renound cruelty and the keepers themselves were
Alan Roocroft, with Catherine de
zoo historian Catherine de Courcey and is flung into the public eye and forced into a
Courcy split primarily in to two distinct parts. Part position of having to validate their actions.
Elephant Business Inc., 2023. one is largely autobiographical, whilst part It was explained that this was the
296pp. two focuses more specifically on modern traditional way of working with elephants,
protected contact elephant management. one which had been honed for hundreds
Part one is an engaging memoir of a of years, but their justification ultimately
For over half a century, Alan Roocroft has fascinating career which has lead Mr failed to satisfy the masses. The outcry
specialised in working with elephants in Roocroft into the company of a plethora continued to circulate, and throughout this
zoos. Throughout that time, his fascinating of interesting people, places and scenarios. time many experienced and talented
career has taken him to all corners of the While Mr Roocroft makes a point of elephant keepers at the park resigned.
globe. As an eighteen-year-old, Mr stressing that this publication should not Amongst the media scrutiny, the board of
Roocroft cut his teeth with the elephant be referred to as a husbandry manual (as directors took the decision to reposition
team at Chester Zoo, then under the such a manuscript would be far too Mr Roocroft himself, placing him in an
supervision of George Mottershead. meticulous for a book of this kind and advisory role outside of the elephant barn.
Following four years husbrandry training, should be constantly updated), part two It was during this period where Mr
he wished to hone his craft abroad, does an excellent job of outlining what Roocroft describes his assessment and
travelling to learn from mahouts in Sri protected contact is, the key concepts of realisation that free contact is not
Lanka, before landing a role at the why it has come to be, and the practical sustainable in modern zoos, and he began
legendary elephant programme at Tierpark aspects of how it works. experimenting with new styles of
Hagenbeck in 1973, where he remained for management.
the following ten years. Now an Throughout the book, Mr Roocroft has
established and experienced elephant written well to navigate the treacherous For anyone with a casual or professional
keeper, his sights were fixed across the and emotionally charged landscape of interest in the keeping of elephants in zoos,
Atlantic. Following his departure from elephants in human care. As described in this book will provide you with plenty of
Hamburg, after brief stints managing the book, working in an industry alongside practical insight and philosophical
elephants in various locations including esteemed peers whose beliefs are deeply reflections. In the modern workplace, it is
Catskill Game Farm, Miami Metrozoo and entrenched in their very psyche, Mr rare to be able to learn from someone who
even Pablo Escobar’s private compound in Roocroft’s transition from a champion of has specialised in one area for such a
Colombia, Mr Roocroft finally settled in exemplary free contact elephant duration, and whose range of experience is
California, at the San Diego Wild Animal management, to one of the original as rich. At a time when elephant
Park in 1983. pioneers of protected contact, led to him management is at the very epicentre of the
being labelled by many as an apostate, and discussion surrounding the future of zoos,
Throughout this period, for approximately resulted in significant personal sacrifice. the conversations raised in this book are
the first thirty years of Mr Roocroft’s Whilst acknowledging his own career path, both timely and pressing.
career, captive elephant management he describes Tierpark Hagenbeck’s free
worldwide was conducted almost contact management style as “very Book review by Adam Douglass
exclusively in free contact. The proceeding respectful”; however, he continues to
twenty-five years, up to the present day, deliver his overarching claim that protected
has seen a fundamental shift in the contact is the only way forward for
philosophy of many elephant holding elephants in human care.
institutions, who are increasingly
transitioning towards protected contact In a particularly compelling chapter, Mr
management. As one of the earliest Roocroft describes what for him was a

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