Another heated debate over the L.A. Zoo's elephant enclosure
The Daily News reports that animal activists and zoo supporters locked horns in a heated battle Thursday over whether the Los Angeles Zoo should stop construction of a new $42 million elephant enclosure.
Among a herd of celebrities, including former game-show host Bob Barker and several "Desperate Housewives" cast members, actress Lily Tomlin said subjecting elephants to zoo life amounts to torture.
"The word 'zoo' is sort of elephant-speak for Guantanamo," Tomlin said.
"Golden Girl" Betty White also showed, but spoke in favor of building the new enclosure and dismissed claims that the lone remaining elephant at the zoo was stressed out or depressed.
The City Council's Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee recommended to the full council that construction continue.
Those in favor of the six-acre enclosure told the committee the new habitat would be more comfortable for the zoo's elephant population - which currently sits at just one, a 21-year-old Asian elephant named Billy - and boost the zoo's prestige.
Opponents say the millions of dollars the city would spend to build the enclosure and care for the animals should instead go to projects that would directly benefit humans.
Photo: Tomlin visits Jenny the elephant at the Dallas Zoo. LM Otero/Associated Press.
With regards to the new proposed Elephant exhibit, it will be both a great thing for the zoo, the Elephants and the public to benefit from. Animal Welfare Activists don't have all the facts as they seem to think and I think this whole new deal is more about the conscious of Tony Cardenas than anything else. He was one of the council members who approved this 2 years ago and now he is having a change of heart. I'm sorry, but the project has already been approved, construction is well underway and 30% complete, and $10 million of the $42 million set aside for the project has been spent. I think that once everyone see's the new exhibit in 2010, then it will ease everyone's minds. Tony Cardenas needs to resign from the council as this latest move to stop construction of the Pachyderm Forest habitat is likely to come back to haunt him. At some point, he stopped listening to Zoo experts and started talking to celebrities and Animal Welfare people who don't know anything on the subject and are trying to further their own agenda.
Posted by: Kenneth Pearson II | November 27, 2008 at 04:58 PM
Poor Billy, I think these people who release him to be with his mate should be locked up in a small closet somewhere and forced to live there.
The State of California can't even pay its bills. Free the damn elephant and use the money left over from not elephant enclosure to your teachers so your kids have more brains then you once they become public servents.
Free Billy!!
Posted by: MuddSlinger | February 12, 2009 at 06:41 PM