Instructions
Computer
Put your cursor where you want to begin, highlight the text you want, right click and select copy.
Go to your email program
create an email
put your cursor in the place where you want to paste, right click and paste it into the email.
Go back and forth between the web page and your email program repeating the steps.
On a cell phone
Put your finger and scroll to select the section you want to copy,
Copy, share, select comes up. Choose copy.
Go to your email program and create an email.
Put your finger and hold it where you want to paste. Paste will pop up as an option.
Go back and forth between the web page and your email program repeating the steps.
Go to this document if you are having trouble with your email client sending to the whole group at once.
Email 1
Copy paste into TO field of email:
Amarjeet.sohi@edmonton.ca; erin.rutherford@edmonton.ca; aaron.paquette@edmonton.ca; jennifer.rice@edmonton.ca; keren.tang@edmonton.ca; ashley.salvador@edmonton.ca; andrew.knack@edmonton.ca; anne.stevenson@edmonton.ca; michael.janz@edmonton.ca; tim.cartmell@edmonton.ca; sarah.hamilton@edmonton.ca; jo-anne.wright@edmonton.ca; karen.principe@edmonton.ca
Copy paste as CC:
gary.dewar@edmonton.ca, info@freethewild.org, zoocheck@zoocheck.com, info@v4a.org, justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca, premier@gov.ab.ca, aep.minister@gov.ab.ca, af.minister@gov.ab.ca, LTGov@gov.ab.ca
And BCC to:
niroshinijay@gmail.com, tj2vegas@hotmail.com
Copy paste SUBJECT of the emails:
Lucy’s 2021 Health Assessment and Future Care
_________________
Copy and paste into the BODY of the email:
I’m writing to express my deep concern over Lucy the Asian elephant’s overdue health assessment. Time is of the essence in deciding which experts will conduct Lucy’s next assessment, especially after the zoo postponed her 2020 assessment due to COVID travel restrictions. The zoo has scaled back Lucy’s public appearances since she turned 46 this summer, as part of their retirement plan for her. Elephant experts warn that elephants in Canada rarely live past age 40 due to the damage to their joints and foot problems from living in cold, confined spaces on hard substrates. Elephants in the wild can live for 60 years or more, so Lucy is actually middle-aged. She appears geriatric due to her many health issues listed in the zoo’s previous assessment reports including an undiagnosed respiratory issue, obesity, arthritis, chronic foot issues, insufficient opportunity to exercise, colic and dental issues.
Since Lucy’s arrival in 1977, the zoo has only made small incremental changes to her habitat, such as installing rubber flooring in her barn and setting up an area for her to exercise indoors in the winter. Due to her deteriorating health, Zoocheck suggested in 2019 that the zoo install a heated therapeutic pool to soothe Lucy’s joints, and build a shelter over her yard to allow her to exercise without having to walk through the ice and snow to get to the winter exercise area. The zoo has failed to follow up on these suggestions, meanwhile spending millions of dollars to upgrade the visitor areas of the zoo. Without these minimal essential upgrades, Lucy’s health will continue to suffer unnecessarily as long as she remains at the zoo.
It is my understanding that Cher and her foundation Free the Wild have contacted you about Lucy and in previous years Zoocheck Canada also offered to provide elephant experts to assess Lucy's condition. Since these offers are free of charge to the Zoo and the City, I would ask that you please ensure, when Lucy is assessed this fall, the panel of experts consists of a representative from, not only, Free the Wild, but also that the panel should have a 50% representation by experts recommended by Zoocheck. Zoocheck is a trusted and well established Canadian charity that has previous experience moving elephants to sanctuary and no doubt a representative from Free the Wild would also bring an important opinion in any discussion about whether Lucy is fit to travel or not.
If an unbiased assessment determines that Lucy’s health would allow her to be moved, the experts will work with the zoo to secure her release and relocation to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee (TES).
At TES, Lucy would benefit from all of the following:
a peaceful, natural life in a spacious, complex, natural environment where resident elephants are free to roam and socialize (or not) in the company of other elephants;
a warm, elephant–friendly climate with a long, extended growing season for foraging;
ongoing husbandry care and medical treatment including foot care, dental care, weight monitoring, routine annual testing, radiographic monitoring of chronic illnesses such as osteoarthritis, laser therapy, and pain medication;
elephants are managed in protected contact using positive reinforcement instead of bullhooks;
individualized behavioural, veterinary, and dietary care and support to enhance her psychological and physical fitness;
round-the-clock care in the only sanctuary for elephants in North America certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
City and zoo spokespersons have always maintained that they’re open to moving Lucy if her health changed. Linda Cochrane, former city manager, told McLean’s magazine in 2009 “We have no hesitation to move animals when it’s in their best interests”. In a June 26, 2019 story by CTV News Edmonton, former zoo director Lindsey Galloway said “We’re interested in identifying who is the best to take a look at Lucy, so we’re absolutely open to understanding who is the best in the world to assess her condition and we’re not going to be guided by any preconceived ideas or outcomes that we have in mind”. Officials said Lucy suffers from a serious respiratory illness which experts have told them would result in her death if Lucy was moved. If that condition changes, Galloway said the city would be open to relocating Lucy.
There is a small but growing number of North American zoos that have looked at the needs of elephants and their ability to meet them properly, and have concluded that they should no longer keep them. In these examples of elephants being moved from cold, cramped zoos to sanctuaries, the process has been managed to the satisfaction of zookeepers, as well as animal welfare advocates. By allowing Free the Wild and Zoocheck experts to be on the panel who evaluate Lucy, the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Valley Zoo could join that select, progressive group, making a positive decision that truly has Lucy’s best interests in mind at this critical period in her life.
If Lucy is unable to go to a sanctuary, please consider improving her living conditions by implementing the changes to her environment suggested by Zoocheck to ease her suffering.
Thank you.
_________________
Email 2
Send email to:
justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
With BCC to:
niroshinijay@gmail.com, tj2vegas@hotmail.com
With SUBJECT:
Appeal for Lucy the LONE elephant at EVZ
Copy & paste into BODY of email:
On March 16, 2021, Justice for Animals and Nature delivered an appeal to the Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo, Sri Lanka supporting the release of Lucy the lone Asian elephant at Edmonton Valley Zoo to a Sanctuary. She was captured in Sri Lanka and sold to the Edmonton Valley Zoo when she was only two years old, and has not been with another Asian elephant in 44 years. I trust that you have received the letter.
I see from your visit to Wildlife SOS in India in 2018 that you support elephants in sanctuaries. I hope that means you will be giving a positive answer soon to the group Justice for Animals and Nature. The Valley Zoo is violating the province's Zoo standards by keeping Lucy alone.
Free the Wild and Zoocheck have offered free medical assessments by independent elephant experts for Lucy and transfer to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee if she is deemed fit to be moved. Time is of the essence as elephant experts warn that elephants in Canada rarely live past age 40 due to the damage to their joints and foot problems from living in cold, confined spaces on hard substrates. The sanctuary would provide Lucy the opportunity to heal and be with other Asian elephants for the first time in 44 years.
I appreciate your attention and action on this urgent matter.