Text, photos, and source code © Merry L. Morris

It's not the bullhooks that are the problem. It is some of the people who use them.

Activists are depicting anyone who has a bullhook in hand as a deranged maniac who only wants to inflict pain on animals.

But, when used properly, by trained and caring zookeepers, bullhooks are a humane and effective way to train elephants and to promote a healthy and safe environment for the elephants and the keepers.

To determine whether or not bullhooks have been used properly, all you have to do is to look at the elephants.

• Are they healthy?
• Are their feet in good condition?
• Are they free of scars, bruises, and lesions?
• Are they calm and relaxed (especially in the presence of the keepers)?
• Have they lived longer than most elephants do in the wild?

If the answer is yes to all of these questions, the bullhooks have been used properly.

And the answer IS yes to all of the questions when you observe the Philadelphia Zoo elephants. And I am confident it will continue to be yes after they move to the Pittsburgh Zoo's International Conservation Center where a well-trained, compassionate staff will care for them.