Emails Show Oregon Zoo Dissent in the Days Before Packy Was Put Down

"You can't bring him back," an irate zookeeper wrote.

Packy (Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo)

On Feb. 9, the Oregon Zoo euthanized an iconic resident, Packy the elephant. The decision to do so wasn't unanimous.

WW has obtained emails showing that an Oregon Zoo elephant keeper named Pam Starkey begged government officials to reconsider the decision to put down Packy. Her plea ran counter to the advice of zoo veterinarians, who euthanized the 54-year-old elephant, which had long suffered from tuberculosis.

The decision made by the zoo and approved by Metro, the regional government that runs it, outraged animal-rights activists, who have long objected to Packy's captivity. The documents obtained by WW through a public records request also show Starkey alerted activists to Packy's impending death.

Dr. Tim Storms, the zoo's senior veterinarian, tells WW the zoo did not want to wait until Packy was clearly suffering. "However," Storms says, "there was another equally important reason guiding our decision: the risk, however slight, of the organism being transmitted to other elephants or humans."

Here are the emails, including a timeline, showing how the zoo prepared for Packy's death, and rebuffed objections.

Packy (Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo)

Sent: 8:51 am Friday, Feb. 3
From: Oregon Zoo director Don Moore
To: Animal activist Courtney Scott

For any sick animal with no hope of recovering, euthanasia is something we would consider, and, yes, that is something we must think about with Packy. […] The treatment options for Packy are extremely limited, and we know they would be very hard on him physically—with no guarantee of success. None of Packy's caregivers feel it would be right to put Packy through that. But we also know that without treatment, Packy's TB will continue to get worse—and no one wants him to go through that either. We are facing a problem with seemingly no good answers.

Sent: 11:33 pm Tuesday, Feb. 7
From: Elephant keeper Pam Starkey
To: The Metro Council

It again has become evident that a decision has been made that is irreversible. I am asking for your assistance and review. Animal welfare concerns have been filed and rubber stamped. Staff has spoken out in meetings and been ignored. No one disputes that Packy has antibiotic resistant TB. The current status of his health and the risk associated with his disease is what is in dispute. I ask only that you stop his "euthanasia" in order to review the following information. Know that I am not just an irate employee who feels that injustice is being committed, I am the only one who believes that through careful review of the available documentation can a realistic determination be made that will protect Packy from an untimely and unethical death.

[…] Do not allow this decision to go forward until you are fully informed. You know as well as I if you don't and this information comes out after Packy's death, no one will benefit. Not the Zoo or Metro. And frankly for Packy this decision is final. You can't bring him back.

Packy (Sara Hottman, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo)

Sent: 12:35 pm Wednesday, Feb. 8
From: Metro Council President Tom Hughes
To: Pam Starkey

Thank you for sharing your perspective. We respect our employees' right to speak up. We also respect the expertise of the zoo's leaders. Decisions about animal welfare must be made by animal experts, not by elected officials.

Sent: 4:24 pm Wednesday, Feb. 8
From: Oregon Zoo director Don Moore, draft announcement
To: Staff

I am deeply saddened to inform you that tomorrow we plan to humanely euthanize our beloved Asian elephant Packy. He will be surrounded by the people he knows best and who have cared for him for years.

[…] As you know, Packy is suffering from an active, drug-resistant form of tuberculosis. There are no viable treatment options for him, and without treatment, the TB will continue to worsen. We did not want his last day to be his worst day; therefore we chose tomorrow so his life would be dignified in the end.

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