Excellent, excellent editorial. What would make fascinating reading is an investigation into the ties between circuses (especially Feld/Ringling) and zoos.
Last month Umoya, one of the San Diego Zoo's female elephants, was killed in a suspected fight with another elephant, leaving behind two young calves. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011…
Things like this happen because zoos don't have enough space for animals to retreat from conflicts. The zoo has not been forthcoming so we may never know what happened.
At one point the San Diego Zoo packed off three older elephants to the Lincoln Park Zoo to make way for the younger elephants they have now (who, by the way, were assured of a home in Africa). All three elephants died within a year. This does not seem to be a zoo that truly values its elephants as individuals.
Last month an op ed in the Arizona Star had a wonderful suggestion for a way for the zoo to keep Connie and Shaba together. Of course, that would require a little creative thinking. http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/we-need-…
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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011…
Things like this happen because zoos don't have enough space for animals to retreat from conflicts. The zoo has not been forthcoming so we may never know what happened.
At one point the San Diego Zoo packed off three older elephants to the Lincoln Park Zoo to make way for the younger elephants they have now (who, by the way, were assured of a home in Africa). All three elephants died within a year. This does not seem to be a zoo that truly values its elephants as individuals.
Last month an op ed in the Arizona Star had a wonderful suggestion for a way for the zoo to keep Connie and Shaba together. Of course, that would require a little creative thinking.
http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/we-need-…