Los Angeles Zoo elephant lawsuit moves forward

A lawsuit charging the Los Angeles Zoo with abusing elephants will be allowed to go to trial, a three-judge panel of California's 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled on Wednesday.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge had initially ruled that the issues raised in the suit were political and not for a court to decide.

The appeals court decided otherwise.

"The bottom line is we're entitled to our day in court and they sent it back to trial," said David Casselman who filed the suit on behalf of actor Robert Culp and real estate agent Aaron Leider.

Both men brought the suit as California taxpayers under the state's taxpayer waste statute. They allege that the zoo -- a city agency -- has violated the statute by managing elephants in a way that abuses and injures them.

The zoo, long a target for elephant welfare advocates, is in the process of building a large new exhibit to house the pachyderms. The zoo, which currently has only one elephant, Billy,  has consistently maintained they vigilantly care for the animals.

-- Carla Hall

Comments

[Steve]

I take issue with the description of those who sue and attack the Zoo as "elephant welfare advocates". They are animal rights extremists with an anti-zoo agenda. The only real advocates for elephants work at the LA Zoo!

[Peter Dickinson]

Do Robert Culp and Aaron Leider really know what they are talking about? I have not the faintest doubt that the staff of Los Angeles Zoo have nothing but the best interests for their elephant at heart. I have worked with elephants. You cannot work with them and and not love them. An elephant (regardless of sex) becomes a like a mistress taking up a very important part of your life. The best welfare of the animal is always foremost in your thoughts.

[Marilyn Mollinedo]

This lawsuit is totally without merit and a waste of the taxpayers money to defend. This lawsuit is just another attempt by the animal rights people to try to force the zoo into giving up elephants. I know firsthand the kind of care the elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo receive and the people who care for them and there is no doubt in my mind that it's above reproach. Mr. Culp and Mr. Leider are just attention seekers who are sadly misguided by zoo-hating animal rights groups.

[LA Native]

I would love to see their proof. Just an actor who has hardly worked in the last few years that needs to get his name out there. LA Zoo works hard at caring for their animals!

[sandra m]

Before the L.A. City Council vote on the elephant exhibit, zoo advocates played dirty politics in framing this issue as anti-union, which it was not. I hope that's part of the lawsuit.

[Keith]

It's rich irony when zoo advocates try to tar and feather the people with legitimate compassion for another intelligent, sociable species as "animal rights extremists". Yesterday's human rights "extremists" are today's mainstream, as the majority has come on board. The same process is happening with compassion for our fellow creatures. If zoo aficiondos genuinely cared about elephants, and not their jobs or their day out in an amusement park, they would recognize that these enormous wild animals need lots more than a couple of acres to move around in and to choose their social partners. No amount of intensive treatment by vets, or "love" from keepers, in a tiny enclosure can substitute for adequate space and social environment. Wanting this for elephants isn't extremism, it's just common sense.

[BC]

More garbage from the wakko animal people. Make them pay the court costs for the waste of my tax dollars to pay for this drivel.

[Bill]

Elephants are highly social creatures that roam naturally up to 100 miles a day. Billy has been confined to a half-acre enclosure at the zoo for more than 20 years, and has been the sole elephant there since May of 2007. The head-bobbing behavior he exhibits does not occur in nature and is an indication of the psychological stress of his confinement. He needs to be freed to a sanctuary where he can roam and be with other elephants.

His being in that enclosure is abuse enough.

[Pam Holt]

I am grateful that Gita and the other elephants whose lives ended way before their time will get their day in court. This lawsuit has been a long time coming! I hope the trial is fair and the zoo will be exposed for their violations, and appropriate measures will be taken, which would include sending Billy to a suitable sanctuary so that he will have a chance to live life as his maker intended.

I know it's not what the lawsuit is about, but I must vent a bit...

The City Councilmembers that voted to keep a lone elephant in an inadequate space (even when the new, mondo-expensive, money pit "Pachyderm Forest" is finished) after all the elephants that have suffered and died an early death there because of incompetency and lack of space, should NOT be able to sleep at night. Where is your compassion... where is your soul?

Tens of millions of dollars are being wasted on this inadequate exhibit while providing no benefit to elephants. For a fraction of the cost, a sanctuary could be created, and conservation promoted. This is the legacy that L.A. citizens should leave their children, not showing that it is OK to keep these magnificent animals confined unnaturally to their detriment.

Elephants don't live in zoos- they die in zoos, always way before their time. Their lives are shortened, many times, because they are crippled with joint and foot problems due to lack of adequate space. This is not a compassionate lesson we are teaching children- that it's OK to keep this majestic animal confined inhumanely for our selfish reasons. Zoos could never provide enough space for these animals, but sanctuaries with hundreds of acres can.

Those councilmembers on my you-know-what list made me embarrassed that my city I know to be full of compassion and love for other beings voted against humanity, letting us all down, especially Billy. What a callous light that shed on our city! And you know the world is watching. Some enlightened zoos that have closed their elephant exhibits are Chicago, New York, Santa Barbara, Sacramento, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit, and the Bronx Zoo, among many others. And Los Angeles isn't hip enough to do the right thing? Society is evolving, and a kinder attitude is becoming mainstream, but apparently L.A. missed the boat on this trend, as far as this important issue is concerned.

We're rooting for you, Billy!! Hang in there.

Thank you to all that have enough compassion and humanity to do all you can for what is right.

[Brenda]

Talk about tax payer waste! Rehashing an issue that has already been thoroughly investigated and debated in public and private is a great waste of taxpayer money.

Culp's evidence consists of things that happened at the zoo in the 1970s and 1980s. NOT the standards, care, staff, and facilities of today. And he wants to keep the zoo in the past by throwing up whatever roadblocks he can dream up to interrupt construction of the new elephant facility that is underway now. If you want things to improve for the animals, then let the zoo staff do what they do best-- care for the animals.

[Erica]

It's been proven that elephants in captivity suffer from PTSD, even after they've been removed from abuse and ill treatment. Baby elephants who have witnessed the violent deaths of their families have been seen waking up screaming from nightmares. Elephants are also the only animals who have death rituals. In the wild they will travel miles to visit the bones of elephants from their families, even years after that elephant has died. The elephants at the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN, will frequently revisit the burial sites of their pack, and visibly mourn deaths of friends, standing around the body after death. One of their elephants has even formed a close bond with a dog! A zoo is no place for Billy. Even he knows he deserves better. Take a look at The Elephant Sanctuary's links to research on PTSD in captive elephants if you really want to see what captivity does to them.

[Davitt]

What a ridiculous waste of time and money! I wonder if the plaintiffs have even visited the Zoo and seen the construction for the new Asian elephant conservation center, which is impressive!...extremely doubtful or they would drop this uncalled for lawsuit.

[Rhoda]

Elephants do not belong in a zoo. They belong in the wild. Do your research please. They are exhibiting distressed behavior in captivity. Those elephants that sway side to side, bob their head up and down, bite on the bars that confine them, etc., are really signs of an elephant that is disturbed. No elephant in the wild does these kinds of actions. I hope that in the future we'll look back on these kinds of zoos and say to our self "just what were we thinking by being so barbaric!" Those that oppose my sentiments should remember the 60's and how people were radically racists. Everyone thought that was normal up until then. A woman's right to vote was thought outragious at one point. Think for yourself and try to educate yourself for the sake of future generations. Try and think outside the cage. Going along with the status quo is easy but going again the grain and educating people about animal welfare is hard work and a selfless thing to do. How selfish is it to keep them in zoos for your own entertainment? very.

[Rita]

Thank God we have people in the World who love animals and are helping as much as they can ,and shame on you guys for not having the compassion gene. ..Rita

[alice in lala land]

It is AMAZING how many people are instant "elephant experts".. some even claim to be able to read a baby elephants mind and know when they are having "nighmares".. How utterly ridiiculous. This is a publicity grab by Culp.. and who knows why the other person has joined in. if indeed elephants do make "lifetime bonds" wouldn't they want to stay with people they have known all of their lives. Leave the elephant alone.
Meanwhile who knew you could bring suit under a Taxpayer wate statute. Is it possible to sue every single legislator who spends our precious dollars on junk bills like 'cow tail docking" and "mandatory castration of pets". If we can't sue them we can certainly VOTE THEM OUT. We need judges and legislators who care about PEOPLE first.

[Dr. Rosset]

These people are not animal welfare people they are animal rights terrorists who are using the system to harass the zoo. These people don't really care about animals they just want to end all use of animals and in reality end all the lives of animals. They are just paid staff of PeTA and HSUS out to harass people out of their living and these animal out of their lives. This 3 judge panel knows this is political and knows that these animals are not abused. Fire them all as California is known as the stupid law wacky place that is tearing down the rest of the country with its idiotic laws and crazy anti human attitudes. This is just another example of a cult belief that only California people would foster on its citizens.

[Dr. Rosset]

The comments that elephants don't bob their heads up and down in freedom have never been on a safari or they would know thats a lie. They do it all the time. As for the studies showing elephants are stressed out in Zoos failed to mention that they stress levels in free roaming animals including elephants is much higher than in captivity where every need is taken care of. These animal rights zealots always lie and push information that they have perverted to their own ends. Anyone who has worked with these animals in the wild know that they are under severe stress in droughts. They travel in the wild because they have to find food and this stresses them out unlike in the zoos where they are fed on schedule. Blood studies show that animals cared for by humans show less stressors than those that lead free roaming lives. This is common sense. These people don't know very mush about animals and they don't really care about animals. Just zealots who really want to get rid of animals altogether. These people need to realize that animals are here to stay and telling people they should let the Panda die off, and tigers too is idiotic. This is their true agenda anti animal terrorists is what they are not animal welfare.

[captain grumpy]

I only have one word to say,or is that two??? HOLLYWOOD INTELLIGENCE

[RowanM]

You don't have to be an elephant expert to know that keeping these intelligent, social creatures in small spaces for people to gawk it is WRONG. The LA zookeepers may care about the animals- but they also care about their paychecks. Ever hear of "conflict of interest" anyone? It's playing out right here.