From the photos we had seen of some of the elephants in Brazil, we were a little anxious about what we might find. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw the two African elephants in the main enclosure. We then visited the male who is kept alone.  African male Chocolate was confiscated by IBAMA and is kept in an old alligator exhibit. Unlike the other “big and beefy” males we saw on the trip, he is tall and lanky, almost looking like he grew up in a vise, not growing outward only upward. He has put on significant weight since the zoo took over his care, but has the general appearance of an elephant who is not completely healthy. His keeper talked about the fact that Chocolate requires more patience and attention than the other two elephants. They have tried to work with him and attempted training, but he gets frustrated and then acts out.

There is a true art to positive reinforcement training and much of it is very subtle and nuanced. If your timing is off, even by a moment, you can reinforce the wrong behavior. If you push just a touch too far, certain elephants will take 20 steps backwards in their trust and progress. To some people it seems like a simple concept, but even introducing a target to an elephant can be challenging. In many instances, you are working with an elephant who has been taught to do things or pay the price (usually a beating). Getting them to understand the concept of doing something for a positive reward can cause them to question when the ‘bad thing’ is coming. You are also approaching them with a long pole, something that in the past 30 or 40 years of their life would have been used to beat them. But this time you want them to walk towards it and see it as a good thing. We truly believe that with the right person, a lot of patience, and the trust that is gained, he will find the self-confidence that he needs to get through training with ease.

Chocolate is a temporary resident of the Brasilia Zoo; it was never intended that he would be there permanently, so the zoo will not introduce him to their other two elephants. They are waiting for there to be a facility that he can be sent to. We would love to be able to provide him with the life he needs to become comfortable in his own skin again and flourish.