Help Elephants: stop construction..send Billy to a sanctuary immediately.

Like other urban zoos across the country, L.A. Zoo is unable to provide the vast acreage needed by elephants, who can walk tens of miles a day in the wild and have home ranges of 120 square miles or more. Yet L.A. Zoo is embarking on a 3.5-acre elephant exhibit expansion at a cost to taxpayers of $40 million. Even worse, this small amount of space is subdivided into four yards, and the planned barn can hold as many as 10 elephants (though the Zoo is expected to initially hold 5 to 6 elephants).

When voting to approve funding for the planned exhibit, the L.A. City Council ignored the Zoos poor track record with elephants. Thirteen elephants have died at L.A. Zoo and at least six more are unaccounted for (died or transferred). An elephants natural lifespan is 60 to 70 years, yet more than half of the Zoos elephants died before reaching age 20.

The most recent deaths include 39-year-old Tara, an African elephant who died in 2004. Keepers found her down on the ground one morning and unable to get up due to severe arthritis. She died shortly thereafter.

Similarly, keepers found 48-year-old Gita down one morning, and she died later that day. She, too, had suffered from advanced arthritis, as revealed in her necropsy (her body was riddled with the disease). IDA exposed the terrible failure of Zoo personnel to take action after observing Gita down early during the night prior to her death. It was later determined that Gita may have needlessly and painfully suffered for as long as 12 to 17 hours before getting veterinary attention. She had also suffered chronic foot infections throughout her life, which eventually led to the partial amputation of one toe in September 2005. IDA requested an USDA investigation into Tara and Gitas deaths, the results of which are still pending.

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[Talonz]

Feel free to think me an idiot, I was just expressing my opinion. I respect that we both have our own opinions. After all, we were both raised differently. If the world was perfect I would very much support wilderness over zoos, but sadly we don't live in a perfect world. And I'm sorry if my argument sounded selfish, that's not what I meant at all.

So this is not all negative, I like your support of same-sex couples. Being lesbian, I know it's difficult getting through high school.

[Talonz]

May I also add that the San Diego Wild Animal Park houses six asian elephants in 2.5 acres? I understand the concerns about housing 10 elephants. It will not get that far. I highly doubt there will ever be more than 3 elephants in the enclosure. My reasoning? Humans have the logic. I know my rat's cage is just right. If I want another rat, I'll have to buy a larger cage. The elephant exhibit will be better. Want another elephant? Make sure there's enough room and more!

[11301920]

Set the elephants free. They don't belong in zoos. Boycott all circuses as these animals are abused. It's the people that can make a change for these innocent animals if we don't support this stuff.

[awesomeH2O]

This Zoo is probably the number one worst zoo for elephants on my list. It's apalling. Sickening. Inhumane and cruel. It would be like being trapped in a small bedroom with nothing to do.

[fight4animals]

Boycott zoo ditto

[veggiewarriors]

@Talonz

I don't get your logic. The world isn't perfect. So let's put the animals in a zoo. It's like saying. My neighborhood isn't perfect. So I'm going to lock myself in my house for the rest of my life.

[dfabpeck]

Excellent, informative video. If anyone should know about the damage these small enclosures cause to elephants, such as the one at the L.A. Zoo, it's vets at the L.A. Zoo that have treated these very elephants, and the former curator. Glad to hear them speak out on this issue. This is the plain reality of the suffering that these elephants endure, all for a profit. it's not wildlife education to see an elephant bobbing his hour after hour, all day long. These zoos are sad commentary.

[SkUnKaDeLiC]

And I have heard the argument that he would be fighting with males or whatever, something similar to that at least if he was in a sanctuary, but the solution is not to keep him caged up. And yes, I agree with littleblueteacup, maybe if you were caged, you might think differently. That is not me _wishing_ an ill on you, its trying to get you to think logically, with your heart not your pocket. Whether you benefit financially or not, I don't care. Whats next, bringing back ivory?!

[SkUnKaDeLiC]

There is no argument, whatever way you look at it, more acres and companions for Billy (as I believe he is alone, yes?) is simply the logical conclusion. 3.5 acres?!. I have not studied elephants in any big way, but anyone with a heart can see that what is going on at LA Zoo is not _right_. If there were no sanctuaries, it would be a different story. But there are, and Billy could be so much happier. FFS, he has ended up with neurosis which he most likely wouldn't have developed in the wild.

[ZooClips85]

Ah ah ah.

"Wish an ill on someone jack ...

And you will get it ten-fold back."

[littleblueteacup]

I'm sorry but you PRO-CAPTIVITY people are really getting desperate. How can you argue for keeping a poor animal in captivity knowing full well his feet will deteriorate with time. Not to mention that he is lonely. I wish YOU elite snobs would be locked in a cage with no place to roam as it would serve you right. Tom Labonge should be RECALLED for this, so should Janice Hahn who is his stooge, and Wendy Gruel who could care less about Billy. Call your Council people and demand Billy be freed.

[ZooClips85]

This video can only be described as ELEPHANT PROPAGANDA. It disregards the zoo's efforts, positing they know nothing about the animals in their care. It labels sanctuary as the only viable option - neglecting to mention the hardships Billy would face there. And it makes FALSE CLAIMS about his head-bobbing. Through spliced footage, it appears as if that's all he does. I've stood by his exhibit watching him for hours on end - he does more than you could imagine. PROTECT BILLY - SUPPORT THE ZOO.