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Known as a friend to the animal community, Valley Councilman Tony Cardenas will propose closing the LA Zoo's elephant exhibit--that is only home to one pachyderm--and open a sanctuary in another part of the city, such as the foothills on the edge of the city. The problem with the current exhibit is space, according to Cardenas, who has changed his mind after he voted for the expansion of the exhibit last Spring. "They want to put as many as 10 elephants there. It's only three acres of roaming space. That is not enough for one elephant, much less 10," Cardenas said, per KNBC. "What people don't realize when they see elephants in a zoo is that they create these foot issues and arthritis that leads to their death."
The Los Angeles Elephant Sanctuary?
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In the eyes of animal activists the L.A. Zoo will never come close to being a proper place for elephants. But Just as "zoo" is so top heavy with negative connotation -- whether deserved or not -- so is "sanctuary" by definition loaded with misconceptions as some sort of idyllic and ideal place.
There is an elephant-sized difference between the care and enrichment a zoo can provide and a big field in the foothills.
From the zoo's website about its Pachyderm Forest:
"The largest and most expensive exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo at a cost of $38.7 million, this exhibit will set the standard for zoo management of this endangered species. Three interconnected yards spanning 3.7 acres will allow the elephants to rotate from one to the next. They will enjoy waterfalls for washing and playing, waterholes for bathing, a selection of natural surfaces for walking, climbing and standing to promote foot and joint care, and varied topographic and planted environments. State-of-the art equipment such as a specialized ultra-sound unit, a walk-through articulated squeeze for keeper and animal-safe elephant examinations, and a dedicated area for dietary and nutrition programs will make veterinary care."
Cardenas may focus on how crowded the zoo's new elephant habitat may be, but what he's missing is the bigger picture: the effort by the zoo to host a population of Indian elephants in part to raise awareness and focus attention on the dire situation that endangered species faces in the wild.