Canadian Authors for Lucy (May 21, 2009)

Post date: Aug 26, 2010 5:23:37 PM

Prominent Canadian authors, including Barbara Gowdy, Elizabeth Abbott, Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje, are urging the City of Edmonton Mayor and Members of Council to intervene on behalf of Lucy the elephant

Representing fiction, non-fiction, popular, academic, adult and children’s book genres, 36 Canadian authors have signed on to a letter in the hope that it will help facilitate Lucy’s transfer to a better home.

The authors are urging the City to facilitate an independent expert assessment of Lucy’s health and her transfer to more suitable accommodation elsewhere.

According to author Elizabeth Abbott, “The zoo’s position that Lucy is better left where she is contradicts everything that science tells us about elephants. Their position is nonsensical. Think about it. A socially isolated elephant in a small exhibit in a cold climate zoo. This shouldn’t even be up for debate.”

The letter highlight the fact that Lucy’s physical and social environment is inappropriate and that the zoo has not been able to resolve Lucy’s ongoing health issues. They also highlight aspects of the natural lifestyles of elephants to show just how impoverished Lucy’s situation is.

“Lucy’s health issues are chronic and it’s obvious the zoo can’t resolve them. Their own records prove that. Claiming that the very issues they can’t correct prevent Lucy from being moved is convenient and self-serving. Clearly, if Lucy were feeling better, by having space, stimulation and other elephants to socialize with, she’d have a much better potential to improve her health,” said Barry Kent MacKay, a signatory to the letter.

“We hope common sense and compassion win the day and that Lucy is moved to a better life elsewhere as soon as possible. At this point in her life, after spending so long in Edmonton, Lucy just needs one act of kindness. She needs to be moved,” added Abbott.

To view the authors’ letter online, click here.

To view the author list, click here.

For more information, contact:

Julie Woodyer, Zoocheck Canada: 416-285-1744 (office), 416-451-5976 (cell)

Elizabeth Abbott, Author Contact: 416-462-3521, 416-316-4925 (cell)