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On Saturday morning, a group of animal activists took to the LA Zoo to let patrons know what the city is planning to do with their upcoming elephant exhibit and what the past has held for the elephants. The controversy over Billy, the sole elephant in the zoo, recently came back when City Councilmember Tony Cardenas--at the urging of activists--changed his position on an already under construction $42 million 6-acre pachyderm exhibit.
Cardenas suggested Los Angeles build a large elephant sanctuary, something the Friends of the LA Zoo say is a nice thought, but sanctuaries do not require the strict accreditation that zoos must abide by. TV animal expert Jack Hanna has sided with the zoo saying it sets "a new standard for the care of elephants at zoos." On the other side, experts say Billy has pathological problems and that he is in need of more space. Mainstream media outlets such as TIME and NPR have reported on a recent study--although disputed--on how zoos shorten the life expectancy of elephants.
The issue is coming back to the City Council this week and activists have planned numerous demonstrations leading up to that meeting. Zookeepers held their own press conference yesterday and said the new exhibit is cutting edge and that they would send Billy away if needed. "We'd urge that Billy be sent away right now if we believed it was best for Billy. It's not."
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What I've encountered in dealing with these protesters is that while I respect their right to have an opinion different than mine and even appreciate their passion, they have only disdain and scorn and outrage for anyone who doesn't agree with them.
Yeah, that's definitely not the way to approach it You don't get anywhere fast that way, either. Some of them, however, are very respectful.
I've been following Billy's story for quite a while now, from Ohio...and it appears to me the LA Zoo wants to keep him selfishly, for breeding? for exhibiting? Definitely not for his welfare as companionship has not been provided for quite a while...I'm betting he does not know what happy is, until he can roam and feel the grass under his feet, hear the other elephants in the near distance.
Right or wrong, this zoo has a horrible history with its elephants - I'll continue observing, hopefully the right thing WILL be done for Billy, and not the zoo.
and a good article from TIME magazine:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1865628,00.html
I believe this says it all:
"We know this animal and we love this animal," Guarnett said in an interview after the morning news conference in front of the zoo's current elephant exhibit. "He has not fathered another elephant and to send him to a sanctuary where he would not breed would not be the best outcome."
I feel sorry for the old guy on the bench. His passion for the cause apparently not as strong as his need to sit down!
But seriously, folks, the zoo has improved so much over the decades since it opened. They are doing the right thing expanding the elephants' enclosure. Protests like this do nothing but cause needless delays and expense, and force poor old guys to leave their BarcaLoungers to support causes they (can't quite) stand up for.
So silly. How many elephants will die at a sanctuary? Ultimately, all of them.
Now the tally for LA Zoo is 15? At the last city council meeting, Cardenas shouted angrily that 33 elephants had died at the zoo. I guess he was imagining the other 18.
If you are interested in the story of Billy the elephant (or other captive elephants for that matter), I highly recommend reading Hannah's Dream by Diane Hammond. It is a fictitious story with very similar facts to the Billy debacle. Google it. Well worth the read if you are interested in this story.