Do elephants belong in zoos?

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Ah, free-range life in Kenya for a mother elephant and her family. In the wild, they live to be much older than those raised in zoos, according to a study.

The findings will probably give celebrities Lily Tomlin and Bob Barker more leverage in their fight to halt construction of the L.A. Zoo’s elephant exhibit, and to move its sole current resident, Billy, to a wildlife sanctuary. According to Tomlin, ‘The word ‘zoo’ is sort of elephant speak for Guantanamo.’

What do you think? Should elephants live their lives outside of zoo confinement, or do you agree with columnist Hector Tobar: a zoo without elephants would be a loss for the children of L.A.?

-- Clare Abreu