Bob Barker donates $1.5 million for L.A. Zoo elephant

Along with about 200 Los Angeles Zoo employees, children and community members gathered today at City Hall, rock guitarist Slash pledged his support for completing the zoo’s Pachyderm Forest. But the opposition had its own celebrity endorsement, this one with a $1.5 million donation, courtesy of former “Price is Right” host Bob Barker.

The planned future home to 23-year-old Billy the elephant, the Pachyderm Forest is a $42-million, 6-acre proposal that began in 2006, but was put on hold a month ago. Some animal-rights activists said the area still would not provide enough roaming room, and Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas suggested that the zoo’s lone Asian elephant be sent instead to the Performing Animal Welfare Society, a sanctuary in San Andreas.

Cardenas’ office today announced that Barker would donate $1.5 million to help cover the cost of Billy’s transfer to PAWS, where he would join Ruby, a female African elephant who left the L.A. Zoo in 2007 and who also benefited from a $300,000 donation from Barker.

“The thousands of Angelenos who agonized over Billy’s tragic life at the Los Angeles Zoo will rejoice to learn that now Billy will have the opportunity to roam over countless acres at the PAWS sanctuary, living the life that nature intended for him,” Barker wrote in a letter last week to Cardenas.

The arts, parks, health and aging committee has a special meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the issue and will submit a report to City Council, which will meet Wednesday to make a final decision on the project, which has already cost about $12 million.

L.A. Zoo supporters, including Councilman Tom LaBonge, believe the best interest of the endangered elephant lies in finishing the Pachyderm Forest, which is 30% complete. Actress Betty White, TV host Jack Hanna and musician Slash have gotten behind the zoo’s plans.

“It’s really well done,” Slash said on a YouTube video posted last week. “It gives the elephants an amazing amount of room to be able to move around and activities and so on. Plus it’s a beautiful exhibit for the patrons to be able to come see the elephants.”

-- Corina Knoll

Comments

[Alex Datig]

$ 42 Million vs. $ 1.5 Million? Bob Barker, the price is not right and though I respect your efforts to help circus elephants, please keep your hands off Billy! Billy is not a traumatized, brutalized animal like some of your supporters are trying to say. The cruelest thing that has happened to Billy is because of you! Billy's new home at the L.A. Zoo has been stopped because of all of the trouble you have been making for the City of Los Angeles. - Please leave Billy at peace where he is. He deserves a good home with familiar surroundings.

[grandpa]

The Times headline is wrong -- Barker isn't giving money to keep the elephant in the zoo exhibit. He giving money to move it to a sanctuary, to keep it OUT of the zoo exhibit.

[KConwell]

Barker speaks of "thousands" of Angelenos who oppose Billy being at the zoo. But at City Hall today, about a dozen folks were there to speak out in favor of closing the project.

There were hundreds of people there in support of zoo and the expansion of the elephant habitat.

Unfortunately, Corina, you let Barker's money drown out the voice of the many in favor of the views of the very few.

[Marlene Goodman]

The Los Angeles Times is simply unable to get anything right. The elephant exhibit is not 6 acres, it is 3.6 acres of which not all is for the elephants. It is not animal activists alone that are against this but elephant experts from around the world, including Will Traver for Born Free and Dr. Joyce Poole a 30 year noted elephant expert. Count in 10 million member from the Humane Society of the United States

[Concern for Billy]

The City of Los Angeles should welcome Bob Barker’s generous donation to cover the transportation cost to move Billy to the PAWS sanctuary.

GLAZA and the LA Zoo are “brushing under the carpet” the real bottomline, long-term costs of keeping a family of elephants at the LA Zoo for the next 50 years. Try adding in Vet care, food, medicines, staffing, and exhibit maintenance fees (for multiple elephants) year-after-year to the already outrageous construction price tag of $42 million. GLAZA's PR gesture to offset debt service will only ease a small portion of the overall burden this exhibit will cost taxpayers in the long run.

And although Jack Hanna is often-seen as an entertaining Tonight Show guest, bottomline, he is just another Zoo Director protecting his gate revenues and is not an objective expert on the subject.

Keeping a family of elephants contained in a small 3.5 acres space is cruel. Plus, factor in the LA Zoo's extremely high record of elephant deaths, and you have a recipe for continued disaster.

These animals deserve to be on a wildlife range where they can thrive in wide, open spaces, and obtain the physical exercise and enrichment necessary to maintain a healthy life.

Why can't the LA Zoo move their giraffes into the space designated for the elephants? Their existing giraffe exhibit is sterile and way too small for those long-legged animals.

TAXPAYERS ARE TIRED OF THE ONGOING WASTE AT THE LA ZOO:

Millions spent on the Golden Monkey exhibit (and then the Zoo never got the monkeys from China).

Millions spent on the Sea Lion Cliffs exhibit, and upon completion, it was learned that the exhibit could not sustain sea lions.

Insufficient alligator exhibit enabled Reggie the alligator to escape endangering staff.

Millions spent on a new Theatre that remains dark 80% of the time.

Millions spent on a Children's Discovery Room, which is used for storing boxes and stanchions rather than serving as a Children's activity room (as originally intended).

As a former Zoo employee, the City of L.A. needs to re-examine Zoo management, stop the waste, and provide increased oversight on their "actual" bottomline spending.

Free Billy. It's the right thing to do. And while you're at it..
Free L.A.'s taxpayers of additional long-term burdens during these tough economic times!

[frustrated]

#1. The money that is being spent on the new pachyderm forest at the LA Zoo is part private donated funds and part bond money and this money (the bond money) CANNOT be spent to help dig Los Angeles out of its financial hole...
#2. Angelenos voted with an overwhelming response to have the bond money dedicated to the Zoo's Master Plan which included a new elephant exhibit...
#3. For some of the council members to disregard the voices within their constituency that voted for and have voiced a desire for the completion of this exhibit is an embarrassment. They are showing a complete disregard for the democratic ideals that our great country was built on.

When did "MOB RULE" take over?

[Time2Reflect]

Bob Barker cannot "buy" Billy and do what he thinks best for him. That is a decision for the director and staff of the LA Zoo and for the people of Los Angeles and their elected representatives. The people have spoken. They want this exhibit for future generations of Angelenos, for the ever-increasing standard of care provided by the zoo for elephants, and especially for Billy. Bob Barker simply cannot throw his money at the city to silence the voice of the people. Not this time Bob.

[Larry]

Thank you, Mr. Barker. Your kindness is truly a gift to the world.

I hope the Council votes to use this land for the other animals who are in desperate need of more room. And to send Billy to the Sanctuary where he can have somewhat of a 'normal' life. He's done his time. 20 years on less than a 1/2 acre for committing no crime...such a shame.

20 acres to start off at PAWS Sanctuary. That would only begin to make up for what he has been through.

Thank you again.

[Billy Hulting]

The animal rights people have brought in the top experts on elephants in the wild who all say Billy's health is deteriorating. The only people who are saying he will be fine at the zoo are zoo employees or Zoo advocates like Jack Hanna.

The other reasons I hear for Billy staying are purely selfish - it's a constant parade of "i want.." and "what about the children?" The decision should only be decided by what is best for Billy. Clearly - this is to move him to a sanctuary.

Slash? Seriously - we're going to listen to him about the care of elephants? At least Bob Barker has spent a good deal of his life being an advocate for Elephants.

Free Billy!

[zoosupporter]

Wow where to start. Once again people lets actually use real facts here. Billy's health records have been reviewed by USDA, not just LA Zoo staff and are public record for anyone who actually wants to take the time to look at the real truth. You will not find any thing wrong with Billy because there is not anything to find. He is not on "drugs" to mask any kind of foot ailment because other then minor nail cracks no ailment exists. Bob wants to send Billy to PAWS a place where not only will he never ever ever be "reunited" with Ruby. (he doesn't want his ear ripped off) The undisputed fact is that no sanctuary should or will put an unaltered male with a female especially one of a different sub species. PAWS needs 2 million just to be able to have a semi adequate barn for a bull elephant (Geesh Bob you could pony up the additional 5 million). PAWS will never let this endangered animal procreate. Billy would join the other elephants at PAWS (although he will remain alone) on the concrete floors of the barns they are locked into every night as opposed to being able to freely roam approximately 3 acres 24/7. Finally (gasp) at the LA Zoo this critically endangered species might actually get the chance through Billy to see future generations, when he gets cows to breed with. I also have to ask can anyone tell me how many of these "famous" people that IDA's website says are there supporters have actually been to the zoo, shoveled elephant dung, showed up at a rally or meeting to give their reasons why they are such stanch supporters, or even live in the city districts represented by our city council? I know must be Lisa Simpson the fictitious character who does all that for them. Its time to be serious and last time I checked cartoon characters did not have a vote on council members seats...although it often seems like it.

[lazoofan]

Only in California does an ex-game show host have more credibility than scientists. Maybe if there was more $$$ to be made in the zoo field some of them could throw their money around as well. PAWS separated bull elephant Nic from his previous companion Gypsy because of aggression. They are supposed to take Ned, who IS an elephant in need of a home and is temporarily housed at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, but they don't have a facility for him yet. Now they are supposed to build an enclosure for yet another bull elephant? It's pretty unlikely that they will be able to enclose 20 acres for each of them - it is likely to be much less for quite some time, if not always.

[Ron Hitchcock]

Anyone ever notice that the only time you hear about these 'celebrities' who want to send Billie to a sanctuary is when there's a camera near by?

They've shown their massive support the last three saturdays at the LA Zoo. Less than a dozen people the first two saturdays, then about five the final saturday. I can understand that...it rained. They are passionate, but really...IT RAINED!

The voters of LA approved the exhibit 2:1. The LA Times poll showed approval at 2:1. Several other polls showed support at 3 or 4 to one and even higher among that who actually GO to the Zoo.

Tell Bob Barker, if he really wants to help elephants, send his money to PAWS so they can build a barn for Ruby that DOESN'T have a concrete floor. After all, she does spend 18 hours a day locked in it.

Ron Hitchcock

[gozoos]

The biggest crime here was commited by by IDA and Bob Barker who have held up Billy having over 3 acres for two years now.

[supportyourzoo]

Well Mr. Hulting, Your animal rights people's so called experts have not ever come to the zoo health center to meet with veterinary staff or review records nor have they spent any time actually with Billy and his keepers so how would they know about his current health status. Would you have a doctor evaluate your health based on what someone you did not trust said?

Apparently you feel care and concern for children is selfish, that is fine, but as far as "I want" IDA says "I want billy in a sanctuary" how is that different.

I know lets ask an animal communicator maybe Billy can speak for himself. Since you people who are so concerned about what is best for him wont believe those who know him best.

[T. Werner]

OMG!!! Are we done anthropomorphizing yet? This is a real simple issue. Asian elephants are going extinct in the wild. This exhibit is intended for the breeding and saving of Asian elephants. What could be more loving and in Billy's best interest than helping save his species? I see a lot of incorrect facts, wild assumptions and misguided attempts at doing what many term as the, “Right Thing.” The “Right Thing” is saving Asian elephants from extinction. Which one of you clowns is against saving Asian elephants? If put in the position of having to choose, I am sure all of you would choose to save the human species. So why would Billy want to do any different for his species? That is what I thought. So go see your shrink, torture your neighbors with boring stories of beating drums for peace but, for God’s sake leave Billy alone.

[LAKeeper]

I want to respond to "Concerned for Billy". You must have either worked at a snack stand in the zoo or so long ago that you have many incorrect facts in your statement. I think we need to deal with current facts.

The Golden Monkey exhibit has no Golden Monkeys because of the Chinese Government. Hopefully one day China will agree to change their minds and send us some Golden Monkeys. Meanwhile the savings to the city in the funds we now do not have to pay China should make you happy. However, there are animals enjoying this beautiful well designed space currently. I do not see that as a waste of money.

The Sea Lion now "Sea Life Cliffs" is home to a very happy thriving Harbor Seal population and we are hopeful that they will have pups someday. How is that a waste of money.

Although Reggie did temporarily escape that was not in anyway a financial burden and no keepers were ever injured as a result.

The theater you speak of hosts talks and educational venues practically every weekend as well as serves as a meeting place during the week. We have held conferences there and entertained the public with movie showings. How is that a waste of money.

Finally the Children's Discovery Center. It is currently under going a remodel and will open soon to the public hosting a wonderful Condor educational center. Not a waste in my opinion.

I am not saying you need to support the zoo you just need to state the true facts.

[In Disbelief]

It is staggering that Bob Barker would spend $1.5 million dollars to move L.A.'s elephant away from the people of L.A. who love our elephant. Apparently Mr. Barker is indifferent to the THOUSANDS of HOMELESS humans in L.A. he could feed and shelter with all that money. Unlike those unfortunate people, Billy has a home, and will have a better home if Mr. Barker and his anti-Zoo cronies would just let the new one be built.

[Jack Doherty]

I don't understand why it costs $1.5 million to transport one elephant to another location. How do circuses move their elephants? I guarantee you that they don't spend $1.5 million to move a single elephant from town to town. It also doesn't make sense to spend $1.5 million on one elephant. Think of how many animals could be helped with that kind of money. I think Bob Barker is losing his marbles. Also, if there were no elephants in zoos, just where is one supposed to ever see an elephant other than on television. If people don't see an animal in person, there is little chance that they will care much about it's welfare.

[ISABELL BATEMAN]

i think that is great what bob barker is doing to help the animals have a better life . i know he got our elephant moved from alaska and she doing just fine and very happy to be there with all the other elephants. now i read he donated to help the military with brain problems. what a nice guy, keep up the good works bob.