L.A. Zoo elephant debate takes over City Council meeting

The Los Angeles Zoo's controversial pachyderm exhibit was hardly the proverbial elephant in the room Wednesday during a packed L.A. City Council meeting.

Far from being an unspoken issue, the topic consumed 4 1/2 hours of discussion. People cheered and groaned as wildlife experts, animal welfare activists, impassioned schoolteachers, zoo lovers, a former game show host-cum-animal cause philanthropist (Bob Barker) and council members weighed in on the future of elephants in the city.

At issue was a proposal from Councilman Tony Cardenas to halt construction of the zoo's $42-million "Pachyderm Forest" habitat and create an elephant preserve of at least 60 acres elsewhere in the L.A. Basin.

In the end, the council took no vote and referred the matter to its budget committee for further study. But at least one council member said he was amazed by all the trumpeting the issue inspired.

"I hope we spend four hours on the homeless, gridlock and other issues that affect our city," Councilman Bill Rosendahl said.

The fate of the exhibit has been called into question several times over the last few years. On Wednesday it was clear that the issue remained an emotional one for council members and city residents.

"I've been to South Africa," Councilman Dennis Zine said, noting that he had seen elephants in their natural habitat. "It's a huge, huge animal. It doesn't belong in an enclosure."

Councilman Tom LaBonge, a fierce supporter of the zoo, said that not everyone in Los Angeles has the means to go to South Africa to view elephants in the wild and that the elephant exhibit should be completed.

"Everyone can get down the 101 Freeway to Griffith Park to the zoo," he said.

Cardenas, who offered two motions on the matter, said the issue comes down to "what is humane." Though the council approved the zoo exhibit two years ago, Cardenas said he reopened debate on the issue after seeing medical records of L.A. zoo elephants.

The debate has come to focus on whether the zoo's new exhibit will offer the small herd of Asian elephants that the zoo hopes to acquire an environment in which they can thrive.

Photo: Billy the elephant drinks water in his L.A. Zoo enclosure.  Paula Frier/Associated Press.

Comments

[Bashti]

Take an enormous chunk out of Griffith Park to make the L.A. Zoo's proposed Pachyderm Forest larger. Problem solved.

[michele6933]

Send Billy to PAWS , use the already built construction for a classroom to teach nature, environment, respect for all life . Spend what's left of the money - if it's not already spent,- to better the conditions of animals who are stuck in this concentration camp named ZOO .
Case closed . Then, close the zoo too ,

[Theresa Aulig]

"I hope we spend four hours on the homeless, gridlock and other issues that affect our city," Councilman Bill Rosendahl "

When there is a discussion on important animals' issues and people come out with all those "what about the children / homeless! ? etc" you may be absolutely sure that they do nothing about either.
I've met many who actively support animals and had adapted kids and are helping homeless too.
If a person doesn't care about the animals it won't care about others also.