The Journey South

After over a year of campaigning, the fight is finally over. The three elephants, Toka, Thika and Iringa, are finally being moved out of the Toronto zoo. Zoocheck, a national wildlife protection charity, has been leading the battle for these three elephants and hundreds more around the globe. Their mission is to promote and protect the interests and well-being of wild animals, which is exactly why they have focused their energy on elephants. One might think that elephants would face more danger in the wild with risks of hunting, predators, and human conflicts. The truth is that elephants face many serious dangers when held in captivity, especially in North American zoos. Elephants are used to living in large open areas and are free to travel, usually walking 15 miles on average per day. Zoos can not possibly offer this kind of space and elephants suffer because of it. They lack the social aspect of travelling with a large herd, and more dangerous are the resulting foot infections from standing on hard ground all day. Foot infections are the leading cause of death among captive elephants and it is almost a non issue in the wild. The climate in Canada is also detrimental to the elephants because they are used to warmer weather.

People are often unaware of the troubles that animals in zoos face. Here is a quote from Marc Bekoffs The Emotional Lives of Animals. Too often were intentionally misled about zoo conditions and the welfare of the animals who are dependant on our care, and there is as yet not enough information to know what effect zoos have on peoples attitude toward and knowledge of animals. (pg.155) In light of this, Zoocheck hopes to have an Elephant Learning Center in place of the current elephant exhibit. This would educate people about elephants through the use of electronic media and offer a fun interactive alternative. On May 12th, the Toronto zoo board finally decided to move the elephants out of the zoo to a warmer home. It was decided that they would be moved to an accredited AZA (American Association of Zoos and Aquariums) zoo or a sanctuary if no zoos can be found. Zoocheck on the other hand feels that the elephants should most certainly be sent to a warm sanctuary. AZA standard zoos only need a minimum of 1,800 sq ft of outdoor space per elephant while the PAWS sanctuary in California offers a total area more than 3000 times as large. Even Bob Barker, former game show host turned animal rights activist, has supported Zoocheck in recent months in regard to the elephants. Barker has also tried moving Lucy, a lone elephant in the Edmonton Valley Zoo, but to no avail. He has even spent more than $1 million of

his own money to directly help elephants move out of zoos across North America. Its almost bitter-sweet to see these elephants go. Said Zoocheck director Rob Laidlaw. On one hand its great that these elephants are being moved to a better place. On the other hand, there are hundreds of elephants that are living in similar conditions around the world. Its also sad that they did not take our advice about the sanctuary when elephants in AZA zoos face many of the same challenges as those in the Toronto zoo. Locals and tourists alike are also feeling the sting of losing the elephants. It will be very sad to see these elephants leave, Says Nicholas Edwards, local Torontonian for more than 20 years, yet in the time I have been living here, more than 5 elephants have died. If moving these elephants saves lives then it will be worth it, no matter what the cost. Speaking of cost, the Toronto zoo currently spends nearly $1 million each year to care for the elephants. In an attempt to keep the elephants, the zoo calculated the cost to upgrade the current elephant exhibit to meet the AZA standards which exceeded $42 million. The zoo also has nearly $90 million worth of upgrades and repairs to be done that make a new elephant exhibit very unrealistic. The cost to transport

the elephants to a new facility would be a mere $30,000 to $50,000 in comparison. The Toronto zoo hopes to move the three elephants as soon as their new home is found but a staff report says it could take nearly two years to prepare the elephants for the move. Hopefully the aging elephants can hold out a little longer in hopes of greener pastures.

Works Cited

Baute, Nicole. "Bob Barker begs Toronto Zoo to retire its elephants." thestar.com. N.p., 7 Apr. 2011. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://www.thestar.com/news/article/971174--bob-barker-begstoronto-zoo-to-retire-its-elephants>.

Bekoff, Marc. "In The Zoo." The emotional lives of animals. Novato, Calif.: New World Library, 2007. 152 - 160. Print.

"Current Issue! The Future of the Toronto Zoo elephants? - Elephants in Canada." Elephants in Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://www.elephantsincanada.com/toronto-zoo>.

Devine, Daniel James. "African Elephant - The Fascinating Facts." Wildlife Pictures, Wildlife Resources and Photography Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2011. <http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/africanelephant.html>.

Edwards, Nicholas. Personal interview. 19 May 2011.

GreenMuze. "Interview with Rob Laidlaw, Director of Zoocheck." GreenMuze. N.p., 18 Sept. 2008. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://www.greenmuze.com/animals/wild/395-interview-with-roblaidlaw-director-of-zoocheck.html>.

Laidlaw, Rob. Email interview. 17 May 2011.

Laidlaw, Rob. "Zoocheck Perspectives: The Fate of Elephants at the Toronto Zoo." Zoocheck Perspectives. N.p., 14 Jan. 2010. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://zoocheckperspectives.blogspot.com/2010/01/fate-ofelephants-at-toronto-zoo.html>.

Vincent, Donovan. "Toronto Zoos elephants to migrate." thestar.com. N.p., 12 May 2011. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.thestar.com/news/article/990460--toronto-zoo-selephants-to-migrate?bn=1>.