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Subject: Request for follow-up documentary - Lucy the elephant at Edmonton Zoo
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Dear Mr. McKeown:
I am writing today to ask you to consider doing a follow up to the 2012 documentary you hosted on CBC's Fifth Estate “The Elephant in the Room” about Lucy the elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo (EVZ). In 2012, the zoo said that Lucy was too sick to travel to a sanctuary. Here we are nine years later and she is still living alone at EVZ in unsuitable conditions for an elephant.
For many years, Zoocheck and advocates from around the world have been requesting a thorough exam of Lucy by a team of experts agreed upon by both the zoo and advocates. Zoocheck’s request over these many years has remained consistent. The Edmonton Valley Zoo administrators have not once allowed an independent medical and psychological assessment of Lucy. They commission their own specialists to conduct medical checks on Lucy.
Zoocheck took Lucy’s case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada but on December 19, 2019 the Supreme Court of Canada announced the decision not to hear Lucy’s case. This fully exhausted any legal options to bring justice for Lucy.
In addition to the legal cases, Zoocheck also filed several animal cruelty complaints with authorities regarding Lucy’s inhumane environment and care. As a result of these complaints the zoo has made small incremental changes to try to justify keeping her in Edmonton, such as installing rubber flooring in her barn and setting up an area for her to exercise indoors in the winter. However, these are akin to tinkering with her environment rather than addressing the fundamental issue that, not only does keeping a solitary elephant amount to cruelty, but it is impossible to create a healthy environment for an elephant in Canada’s cold climate.
In October, the zoo had Lucy assessed and the reports are available at https://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_events/edmonton_valley_zoo/lucy-news
Once again, they have hired Dr. Jim Oosterhuis. You may remember that Dr. Oosterhuis was the only expert out of 10 who said Maggie from Alaska shouldn't go to a sanctuary. Oosterhuis also had the half-million dollar idea to build a colossal treadmill that Maggie never accepted. Maggie was allowed to travel to PAWS and enjoyed life there for almost 14 years until she passed in 2021.
It should also be noted that Dr. Oosterhuis was the senior veterinarian at the San Diego Wild Animal Park when their elephant, Dunda, was beaten. He said it is acceptable to strike an elephant on the head: 'It’s important to remember that the elephant skull is 6 inches thick at this point and the skin is an inch thick,” Oosterhuis said. “There is limited blood flow and nerve presence here, which means the area is slow to heal. In my view, it is an appropriate and non-harmful place in which to administer required discipline,' he said." https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-30-me-6519-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3dswchNl_K5AnVWX1QAvFl5Xnt_H_27YsJu_OUHqP2RYznyyvHwR9JEV0
He was also the veterinarian on record, when the Hawthorne Circus was found in violation of the animal welfare act, and convicted on 19 counts of elephant abuse. As well, Dr Oosterhuis was the veterinarian who had examined two Hawthorne elephants, and deemed them healthy enough to continue performing only days before they died of tuberculosis. In 1996, Dr. Oosterhuis determined that the Hawthorne Corporation’s elephant Joyce only suffered from a tooth problem. Joyce died weeks later with advanced tuberculosis and severe foot complications. When the USDA cited the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers circus in 1998 for keeping their elephants in poor condition, they called upon Dr. Oosterhuis to inspect the circus’ six elephants. He determined they were all healthy enough to continue working. He claimed that elephant Pete was likely faking his injuries, and that although elephant Helen had a “trick” knee, she could still work with it. Pete died the following year after suffering with severe hip degeneration and chronic pneumonia. Elephant Helen was euthanized because of severe joint deterioration. Elephant Conti, known to have a kidney infection, also died within the year. These elephants were all forced to continue working to the end as even weeks before, Dr. Oosterhuis still contended that they were fine.
This year, EVZ also hired Charles Gray, Superintendent of Elephants at African Lion Safari to assess Lucy. He is not a veterinarian. In Defense of Animals (IDA) named African Lion Safari 2021's worst zoo for elephants in North America. African Lion Safari’s training techniques and “endless trafficking” makes it the number one worst zoo for the large land animals. In 2019, an elephant at ALS attacked a trainer. The attack occurred while the elephant was giving rides and someone was getting off her back. CAZA announced December 13, 2021 that they are banning elephant rides. They did not make this change until three years after the ALS incident.
Under the links to the reports there is a link to the CAZA variance for EVZ. CAZA has been allowing this variance since 2009. This variance allows the zoo to break the following CAZA standard :
V&CMP / PVGC 11.13 - “Facilities must provide an opportunity for each elephant to exercise and to interact socially with other elephants unless under extenuating circumstances (evaluated by veterinarian and elephant manager).
In previous years, the CAZA variance allowed EVZ break two of their standards. CAZA 28 has now been removed but it stated: “elephant management facilities should make every effort to maintain elephants in social groupings. It is inappropriate to keep highly social female elephants singly long term”.
Over the years, many celebrities have tried to help Lucy. Recently, Cher and her organization, Free the Wild, spoke out in support of sending her to a sanctuary. They offered to send experts to assess her health at no cost to the zoo but the EVZ refused their offer.
We have heard every argument that the Edmonton Valley Zoo has used to keep Lucy from making the journey to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Many of us who follow sanctuaries from around the world like the Performing Animal Welfare Society, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, Elephant Nature Park in Thailand and Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil and Wildlife SOS have watched the successful rescue of extremely sick elephants. It is also worth noting that zoos from around the world move elephants all the time so it’s not something unprecedented. You will know about this because of your involvement with the documentary “Elephants on Board: A Journey to Remember”.
The zoo and the veterinarians they hire have been claiming Lucy is too sick to move since at least 2007: “Former Zoo veterinarian, Dr. Robert Jones, signed a document in October 2007, claiming that it would be detrimental if not fatal to her health to move Lucy. Based on this document, The Animal Protection Department concluded in November 2007, that it would not be in Lucy's best interest not to be transported.” From p.54 of this report https://www.zoocheck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ZimLucyReportJune2009.pdf
Since 2004, Lucy has displayed breathing problems such as wheezing, gurgling in her trunk and open mouth breathing. Even though her respiratory condition was first mentioned 17 years ago, the experts the zoo hires have still not provided a diagnosis. Lucy's mysterious breathing condition has never stopped the zoo from forcing her to paint using her trunk. It is quite possible that painting and being forced to dip her trunk in paint are what caused her breathing issues. Here is a link to her trunk imprint paintings https://www.buildingourzoo.com/product-category/elephant-art-by-lucy/lucy-kisses/
The Zoo-tique is still selling her paintings as you can see in this video from November 27th, 2021 recorded by Julie King https://www.facebook.com/julie.king.908/videos/1561498584209987
Elephants who are older and sicker than Lucy have been moved successfully in Thailand. Love and Bananas is a documentary about Ashley Bell and a team of elephant rescuers, led by Asian elephant conservationist Lek Chailert, embarking on a 48-hour mission 500 miles across Thailand to rescue a 70-year old captive blind Asian elephant and bringing her to freedom.
This video about Shirley is truly incredible and the fact that she survived so many tragedies in her life but was able to have a wonderful retirement in the end gives us hope for Lucy. She recently passed away at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee at the age of 72. https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/local/2021/02/23/shirley-elephant-died-elephant-sanctuary-tennessee-72/4561468001/?fbclid=IwAR0Hz-82fuC1RADwlku6VEx9aN8ajVNC50EBdR4nkY-tbr6jL-2JyN20n6Y
The zoo claims they have Lucy’s interests at heart but if that's true, why have they not made any improvements to her enclosure and enlarged her outdoor space? Zoocheck believes that there is no elephant in captivity in the world that is in a worse situation than Lucy. Since Lucy’s health has continued to decline and the zoo refused to move her while she was still healthy enough to travel safely, Zoocheck has suggested 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.
Charles Gray suggests in his report this October that Lucy would benefit from a pool. A hydrotherapy pool would be more beneficial. Will the city of Edmonton and the zoo spend the money to get her one? The zoo have budgeted $50 million to upgrade the zoo in 2022. Will they spend any money on Lucy? https://www.buildingourzoo.com/revitalization/natures-wild-backyard/
Had Lucy been moved at the start of this debate 15 years ago, she could have enjoyed all those years of her life at a sanctuary.
Thank you for your time and consideration.