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"There was talk of Ernie going to various other zoos, but these kept falling through. Because of this, throughout the last 6 months of his life, there was then talk of Ernie being put to sleep, despite him being a perfectly healthy hippo.
Many of the keepers put their complaints towards management regarding Ernie’s situation. It was devastating to watch him go over to the wall in the water to try and interact with the hippos on the other side, yet never able to reach them. He was left to circle his empty pool alone.
A trade was eventually reached with Dublin Zoo - a zoo which has also seen many accusations of animal welfare and management failings by whistleblowers over the years - and Ernie was moved there, only to tragically die just two weeks later.
He will never get to experience life in his natural environment, or form family bonds as he would in the wild. His hopes for a happy life were ruined by captivity. And he's not alone. The forced separation of families, and exploitation of life, is systemic in the industry.
The importance of animal families is also discussed in our brand new blog; Nature’s Masterpieces: Family Life in the Animal Kingdom. You can read it here.
Here's how you can help animals like Ernie...
We believe that NO animal should suffer the cruelty of captivity.
Help us to share Ernie's story, and others like him. It is sadly too late to save Ernie, but together, we can fight for animals who are still trapped in these cages, and behind the glass.
Whichever way you choose to help, your support is vital to ensuring we can stand up for animals who are suffering, and work to bring about positive, lasting change. Together, we can continue to fight for the freedom of ALL animals.
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