Went to the Portland Oregon Zoo today and there was this elephant...?

Question

there and it kept rubbing its face on the wall....blood on both cheeks from rubbing...I think. What is up with that?

Answer 1

it probably had some kind of itchy rash, possibly from dry skin

Answer 2

Maybe a pest like an indigenous insect, or a rash, or a slash from another's tusk.

Answer 3

If there was blood you need to report it to the Zoo manager. Tell them that if they do not make things right you will report it to the ASPCA of Portland, Oregon and put the situation into the law's hand. This is a very sereous matter. Elephants are critically endangered, and the zoo's should respect them. If the zoo ignores the fact that their elephant is in need, the elephant should be taken off their grounds and put into a place where it can be happy and comfortable. Please go back to the zoo and TAKE PICTURES for evidence. Then you should approach the zoo manager and tell them all that you saw, and that they need to take care of  the problem ASAP or the law will take care of it for them.

I'm not sure what is up with the elephant, but I do know that animal cruelty is against the law. This creature should not be suffering for reasons that it can not help.

Answer 4

could have been in an elephants rut season, Musk.  A male elephants testosterone levels run high, become extremely aggressive, and act drugged.  They do unusual acts when in this state, they are agitated, and sometimes self destructive.

Answer 5

Zoos and circuses are not giving elephants the conditions they require for their health and well-being.

The Animal Welfare Act requires that zoos and circuses provide elephants with adequate space. Zoos are not meeting this requirement.

Elephants are big animals who need big spaces. But in too many zoos and circuses they suffer from lack of space, unnatural conditions and social deprivation that eventually cause a range of preventable ailments -- from painful arthritis and foot disease to reproductive and digestive disorders to neurotic behaviors like swaying and head bobbing.

Answer 6

it could be a skin infection , parasites or even a mental illness.elephants walk up to 50 miles per day in  the wild.how much in a zoo?