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Ask Edmonton to Let Lucy Pack Her Trunk!In January 2007, elephant biologist Winnie Kiiru identified the Edmonton Valley Zoo as the worst zoo in Canada for elephants. The zoo's African elephant, Samantha, had the good fortune to be transferred to a more appropriate facility. More than a year later, however, a 33-year-old Asian elephant named Lucy remains alone and ailing. Lucy's current situation is a miserable contrast to what she would experience in the wild. Edmonton's frigid winter weather and the zoo's policy of locking Lucy inside when the zoo is closed means that Lucy spends the majority of her time in a small barn. When she is allowed outside, she is restricted to an enclosure that is less than an acre in size. As is common with captive elephants, Lucy exhibits signs of psychological distress, and her medical records reveal that she has been suffering from arthritis as well as chronic foot and respiratory problems. Although the Province of Alberta's Zoo Regulations state that animals must be kept in appropriate social groupings, authorities have been unwilling to enforce the law for Lucy because the zoo has told them that she is too sick to be moved. But the zoo also claims that Lucy's health conditions are under control and that she is fine where she is—two contradictory claims. Animal protection organizations are asking city officials to allow a veterinarian from a sanctuary to examine Lucy and provide any necessary care so that she can be safely moved to a sanctuary. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee can offer Lucy hundreds of acres of natural habitat, ponds for bathing, fresh vegetation and foraging opportunities, and the company of many other elephants. After living 29 years at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, retiring Lucy to a sanctuary is the least that she deserves. What You Can Do |
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