Lucy (elephant): Difference between revisions
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==== Obesity ==== |
==== Obesity ==== |
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According to the zoo's medical records, Lucy has been [[obesity|overweight]]. Extra weight may aggravate her arthritis and foot pain. |
According to the zoo's medical records, Lucy has been [[obesity|overweight]]. Extra weight may aggravate her arthritis and foot pain. |
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== Similarities to Maggie == |
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Lucy's story is similar to that of Maggie, an African elephant that lived at the [[Alaska Zoo]] for over 20 years. In 2007, due to public pressure, Maggie was moved to the PAWS Sanctuary in California. She has been doing well ever since. |
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! Maggie - Alaska Zoo |
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! Lucy - Edmonton Zoo |
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| Maggie was captured from the wild in southern Africa when she was an infant. |
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| Lucy was captured from the wild in Sri Lanka when she was an infant. |
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| Maggie was shipped to the Alaska Zoo where she was the star attraction for more than two decades. |
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| Lucy was shipped to the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Official zoo documents describe Lucy as the “zoo icon” and“célèbre for fundraising.” |
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| Maggie had an elephant companion named Annabelle for 15 years while living at the zoo. |
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| Lucy had an elephant companion named Samantha for 18 years while living at the zoo. |
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| Maggie was left alone at the zoo after Annabelle died in 1997 as a result of chronic foot infections. |
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| Lucy has been alone at the zoo since Samantha was sent to a US zoo on a long-term breeding loan. |
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| Maggie was locked inside a small cement-floored barn when the zoo was closed and during cold and inclement weather. |
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| Lucy is locked inside a small cement-floored barn when the zoo is closed and during cold and inclement weather. |
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| The zoo claimed that Maggie’s walks around the zoo grounds were adequate exercise for her. They later built a exercise treadmill in herbarn for the days she could not be outside but Maggie never used it. |
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| The zoo claims that Lucy’s walks around around the zoo grounds are adequate exercise for her. Lucy suffers from chronic foot infections, arthritis and ongoing respiratory problems. |
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| The Alaska Zoo claimed Maggie could not be moved to a sanctuary because she was not social with Annabelle and therefore would not do well with other elephants. They insisted that she was happy in the company of her keepers at the zoo. |
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| The Valley Zoo claims Lucy cannot be moved to a sanctuary because she was not social with Samantha (zoo records contradict that claim). Zoo officials insist that Lucy is happy in the company of her keepers at the zoo. |
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| The Alaska Zoo claimed that it would be risky to Maggie’s health tomove her to a sanctuary. |
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| The Valley Zoo claims that it is too risky to Lucy’s heath to move her to a sanctuary. |
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| Maggie went down due to colic and could not get up again. The Alaska Zoo had to bring in heavy equipment to get her back on her feet, only to find she was unable to get up again a few days later. |
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| Lucy’s medical records show that she was in the early stages of colic in the summer of 2008 and over the years has had difficulty getting up and on some days will barely eat or drink. |
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| After significant public pressure to move Maggie to a better facility, the Alaska Zoo agreed to move her to the PAWS sanctuary in California. |
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| The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and the PAWS sanctuary in California have both offered to give Lucy a permanent home. |
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| Like all of the other elephants that have been labeled as anti-social by their caretakers, Maggie began to socialize normally after arriving at the sanctuary. |
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| Valley Zoo officials continue to claim it is too risky to move Lucy to a sanctuary because she may be stressed by being with other elephants and because it may make her breathing problem worse with possibly lethal consequences. Animal welfare groups argue that they have no evidence supporting the claim that Lucy can't be moved and that transfer to a large, spacious environment with other elephants would enhance her overall wellbeing and result in substantial improvements to her physical health as well. |
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| Maggie’s health has improved since she has been living at the PAWS sanctuary. |
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Source: Zoocheck Canada |
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== Recent Developments == |
== Recent Developments == |
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Revision as of 22:47, 26 June 2009
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
 Lucy in April 2007 | |
| Species | Elephas maximus |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Occupation | Zoo attraction |
 |
Lucy (1975 - present) is a female Asian elephant currently residing at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. According to animal protectionist group Zoocheck Canada, Lucy lives in an inappropriate climate, lacks sufficient space and is socially isolated. Lucy is one of a relatively small number of elephants in North America being kept alone. Based on the zoo's medical records obtained through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, as well as its own investigations, Zoocheck also argues that Lucy suffers from a variety of health issues, is lethargic and expresses abnormal, stereotypic behaviours, such as rocking back and forth, an indication of an abnormal interaction between Lucy and her surroundings.
Zoocheck Canada and the Edmonton-based Voice for Animals Humane Society were the first to publicly advocate for Lucy to be relocated to an elephant sanctuary. Since that time, the debate about Lucy has received a great deal of attention from media and members of the public.
Two accredited sanctuaries in the United States have offered to provide Lucy with a permanent home and to cover the costs of her transfer. Each facility offers Lucy very large, naturalistic paddocks, a suitable climate and other elephants to socialize with. The sanctuaries are the The Elephant Sanctuary (Hohenwald)[1], and the Performing Animal Welfare Society[2]. However, the Valley Zoo has refused both offers.
Early life
According to the Elephant Studbook, where she is listed under the name Skanik, studbook #314, Lucy was born in Sri Lanka in 1975[3]. It is unclear when Lucy was captured, but she was brought to Colombo in 1976. In 1977, Lucy was purchased by the Valley Zoo and arrived there on May 19. The studbook records show that Lucy was kept alone at the zoo for the next 12 years with the exception of two short breeding loans. On October 6, 1986, Lucy was sent to the Calgary zoo on a 6 month breeding loan. She was sent back to Edmonton on April 23, 1987. Lucy was not impregnated. Then on September 16, 1987, Lucy was sent to Calgary on another breeding loan for 7 months. She was sent back to Edmonton on April 20, 1988, still not pregnant.
On April 18, 1989, Samantha, an African elephant, was transferred to the Valley Zoo. She had been captured in Zimbabwe earlier that year at approximately 1 year of age[4]. However, on September 25, 2007, Samantha was moved to the North Carolina zoo on a minimum 5 year breeding loan, leaving Lucy alone in Edmonton.
Medical Records
Medical records obtained by Zoocheck Canada through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which date back to 2002 show that Lucy has had ongoing foot issues (such as puss-filled, bleeding abscesses), arthritis and respiratory problems.
- June 6, 2002: Lucy is not eating or drinking well, she is laying down all the time, and only getting up long enough to change sides. On the dates leading up to this medical report she was having serious foot problems including bleeding and puss discharge.
- July 3, 2002: Lucy is suffering from “bed sores” on her hip, face and elbows.
- August 16, 2002: Lucy fell on her right hip during a walk. The fall resulted in a lump on her right hip. The lump continued to get larger over the next few months and on November 5 was reported as an abscess. More than a year later the abscess was still causing Lucy problems.
- 2003: Lucy’s foot problems continue to get worse and she continues to have problems with the abscess on her hip.
- 2004: Lucy began to show signs of respiratory problems to the extent that she is “wheezing”, has “gurgling in her trunk” and is “open mouth breathing”. In addition, her feet problems continue to be a problem with ongoing abscesses.
- 2005: Lucy’s heath concerns continue in her feet and respiratory system and on February 16 she is reported to have puss coming out of her tail. In addition, Lucy continues to have puss discharge from her hip.
- May 11, 2005: Lucy’s medical reports show that she has blood in her urine and has an enlarged lump in her vulva.
- November 22, 2005: The EVZ medical records indicate that Lucy (& Samantha) have typical health concerns for “housed elephants”. Lucy has been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and has a chronic respiratory ailment. However, they note that the elephants are in their opinion are “healthy (with minor concerns)”. However, by 2007, the zoo is telling the authorities that Lucy is too ill to be moved.
- 2006: Lucy’s foot, tail and respiratory problems continue. On August 19 Lucy is reported to have pneumonia with labored breathing.
- August 27, 2006: Lucy’s companion, Samantha, lost the end of her trunk (20 cm), including the finger-like tip, when it was torn off after getting caught in a gate latch in the zoo’s enclosure. Samantha reached her trunk through a gate to a gate handle, where her trunk got stuck and they think she panicked and pulled. The zoo called it a 'freak accident'. The damage was severe and could not be repaired. She was separated from Lucy and kept away from the public for six weeks.
- 2007: Lucy’s respiratory and arthritis problems continue to be a problem despite years of treatments and walks. That said, there are significantly less entries reporting serious foot infections and respiratory infections.
Why People Want Lucy Moved to a Sanctuary
Social Isolation
Currently, Lucy is one of only a handful of captive female elephants in North America living alone. Elephants are highly social animals and live in herds in the wild. Wild female elephants typically remain in the same extended family group their entire lives and are rarely, if ever, out of contact with their family members.
The Valley Zoo, a member of both the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums, ignores both groups' recommendations[5][6] that zoos make every effort to maintain elephants in social groupings and allow opportunities for appropriate social interaction. Both associations believe that it is inappropriate to keep highly social female elephants singly. The AZA further suggests that institutions should strive to hold no less than three female elephants whenever possible.
The Valley Zoo is also in violation of Alberta’s own zoo regulations, which require that animals be kept in appropriate social environments.
According to the Coalition for Captive Elephant Well-Being, "Elephants are highly social animals that live in a matriarchal society...Protection and promotion of elephants' matriarchal clan society is essential to their welfare in capacity".[7] Additionally, social relationships are central to elephant life and it is, therefore, important to house elephants together so that confined individuals may communicate and socialize with their herd partners.[8]
Zoo associations around the world say female elephants should not be kept alone[9]. The Coalition for Captive Elephant Wellbeing suggests a minimum of five Asian elephants be kept together in captivity[10]. Scientists and field biologists say that female elephants are never alone.
The Valley Zoo claims Lucy's keepers are her family, that she has bonded with them and that it would be too stressful to be with other elephants. However, human zoo keepers are not a satisfactory substitute for a real elephant family or herd. In normal elephant society, a female elephant spends her entire life, day and night, in some kind of contact with other elephants. For example, elephants communicate with each other through subtle body postures, chemical cues, infrasound (sounds that are too low for humans to hear that can be heard many kilometers away), as well as a range of audible sounds, and seismic vibrations. Keepers are not with Lucy 24 hours a day and they are not able to interact with Lucy as other elephants would.
According to animal welfare group Zoocheck Canada, Lucy's keepers go home at the end of their shift. When they do, Lucy is left alone in her rather Spartan indoor facility until the next morning. Elephant families do not disband in the late afternoon and then reassemble the next morning. They are together all the time. Lucy’s keepers are not a stand-in for a real elephant family[11].
Lucy got along with Samantha, but outside of two short periods at the Calgary Zoo more than 20 years ago, she has not had a chance to socialize with other Asian elephants. Even so, she has been deemed by the zoo to be anti-social and more interested in humans than elephants.
Inappropriate Climate
Elephants have evolved to live in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Zoos located in colder regions of the world, like the Valley Zoo in Edmonton are required to keep elephants indoors for a considerable amount of time, particularly during winter months.
According to zoo staff, Lucy is typically kept inside when the outside temperature is below -10°C, as well as at night when the zoo staff go home. Based on a review of weather data from Environment Canada, Zoocheck estimates that Lucy may be inside her barn as much as 76% of the time[12]. Since the climate in Edmonton cannot be changed, the prudent course of action would be to move Lucy to a warmer climate.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recommends that new exhibits give elephants access to the outdoors 24 hours a day[13]. The Coalition for Captive Elephant Wellbeing recommends that as well[14]. With winter weather and the Valley Zoo locking Lucy in at night, those recommendations are not being met.
According to Winnie Kiiru, elephant biologist, "The climate in Edmonton is completely inappropriate for elephants. This cold climate, combined with the zoo's lock-in policy, results in the elephants being locked inside the barn for most of their lives and they are showing physical ailments as a result...I recommend that the City of Edmonton take immediate action to move Lucy and Samantha to a sanctuary that can provide them with a more appropriate physical and social environment and to close the elephant exhibit at this zoo."[15]
Lack of Space
According to Dr. Cynthia Moss, elephant scientist, elephants are physically vigorous, non-territorial animals that move almost continuously for 20 out of every 24 hours.[16] According to Dr. Raman Sukumar, one of the world's leading experts on the Asian elephant, elephants range from 10 to 20 km per day.[17] Therefore, an elephant must be allowed sufficient space to meet her exercise needs. Elephants in captivity should have enough space to travel at least 10 km on a daily basis while engaged in natural behaviours like foraging, feeding, exploring, and socializing.
Unfortunately, most elephants in captivity are not allowed to do this and so they end up standing around most of the time. The AZA recommends that an outdoor yard for one elephant be no smaller than 1,800 sq. ft or the size of nine parking lot spaces. This is 60,000 times smaller than the smallest known home range for elephants in the wild.
At the Valley Zoo, Lucy's enclosure is approximately 0.5 acres (or 0.002 square kilometres) in size. This is tens of thousands of times smaller than the home range Lucy would have had in the wild. Her indoor space is even smaller smaller.
Elephants in captivity need very large enclosures that give them a variety of different ground surfaces, including clean dirt, mulch, sand and, probably most importantly, grassy areas and pasture, as well as slopes, hills, gullies, scrub and forest, so they can get enough exercise and mental stimulation. Lucy's enclosure is flat, barren and doesn't provide any of those things.
Health problems
The Valley Zoo claims that Lucy is healthy, but their own medical records[18] tell a different story. The medical records show that Lucy has suffered from a variety of health issues for more than 20 years; some of them are very serious and do not appear to be improving. Some of Lucy's health issues include:
Abnormal/Stereotypic behaviour
Lucy is idle for a lot of the day (unlike normal elephants who are active up to 20 hours each day) and displays behaviours called stereotypies. When she sways her head or rocks forward and backward repeatedly, that's a stereotypy and it means there's a problem with the way Lucy interacts with her environment. Zoocheck Canada conducted a behavioural analysis of Lucy (& Samantha) in July 2007 to determine what activities they are engaged in during a typical day. The study revealed that the elephants are spending most of their time standing around doing nothing or exhibiting stereotypic behaviours[19].
Foot problems
Since 1989, Lucy has suffered from foot infections, including puss-filled, bleeding abscesses. Foot infections are a leading cause of death in captive elephants. Foot problems are often made worse by lack of exercise, overweight bodies, standing on hard earth or concrete floors and cool, damp conditions. Wild elephants typically have feet in good condition because they walk long distances and the natural surfaces they walk on keep their foot pads trim and healthy.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Lucy was diagnosed with RA in 1991 and is still being treated daily for pain. Arthritis is a common and serious ailment in elephants confined in zoos. It is a degenerative bone disease that affects the joints. It can be made worse by lack of exercise, being overweight, standing on hard earth or concrete floors and cool, damp conditions.
Chronic respiratory problems
Since 2004, Lucy has displayed breathing problems such as wheezing, gurgling in her trunk and open mouth breathing.
Teeth Trouble
Lucy has a malpositioned tooth. This kind of tooth condition is often due to an inppropriate diet. Except for eye pain, tooth pain is known to be the most intense.
Colic
Lucy was diagnosed with the early stages of colic in August 2008.
Obesity
According to the zoo's medical records, Lucy has been overweight. Extra weight may aggravate her arthritis and foot pain.
Recent Developments
KidsSaveLucy.com Website
On June 2, 2009, Zoocheck Canada launched the Kids Save Lucy website[20]. The website provides information on the Lucy debate and calls on children to send an email to city councillors, write letters to newspapers, contact the zoo, and do a school presentation about Lucy[21].
Famous Canadian Authors Speak Up for Lucy
On May 22, 2009, 36 of Canada's most famous authors wrote to the City of Edmonton, asking the Mayor and Members of Council to facilitate an independent expert assessment of Lucy’s health and her transfer to more suitable accommodation elsewhere. Representing fiction, non-fiction, popular, academic, adult and children’s book genres, the authors include: Elizabeth Abbott, Margaret Atwood, Ken Babstock, Catherine Bush, Anne Innis Dagg, Syliva Dolson, Max Foran, Graeme Gibson, Celia Godkin, Barbara Gowdy, Carla Gunn, Diane Haynes, Michael Helm, Maureen Jennings, Evelyn Kirkaldy, Barbara Kyle, Rob Laidlaw, Sue Lebrecht, Barry Kent MacKay, Atsuko Matsuoka, Susan McClelland, Michael Ondaatje, Karen Patkau, Jacquie Pearce, Rod Preece, Nicholas Read, Michael Redhill, Nino Ricci, Erika Ritter, Anne Russon, John Sorenson, Linda Spalding, Cindy Stone, Susan Swan, Jane Urquhart, and Rex Weyler[22].
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 highlights 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. It also highlights 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.
Bob Barker Asks that Lucy be Moved to a Sanctuary
In January 2009, Bob Barker, retired host of the game show "The Price is Right" wrote to the City of Edmonton asking that they have Lucy moved to a sanctuary[23].
References
- ^ http://www.elephants.com
- ^ http://www.pawsweb.org
- ^ Keele, Mike (April 30, 2005). Asian Elephant North American Regional Studbook. http://www.elephanttag.org/Professional/AsianElephantStudbook.pdf
- ^ Olson, Deborah (April 2006). North American Region Studbook for the African Elephant. http://www.elephanttag.org/Professional/AfricanElephantStudbook%204-06.pdf
- ^ http://www.elephantcare.org/protodoc_files/new%2006/AZA_2003_ElephantStandards.pdf
- ^ http://www.caza.ca/media/Pdf/Accreditation/Visiting%20Committee%20Handbook%20-%20%20amended%20December%201%202008.pdf
- ^ Kane, L., Forthman, D., Hancocks, D. (2005). Best Practices by the Coalition for Captive Elephant Well-Being, p. 16. http://www.elephantcare.org/protodoc_files/new%2006/CCEWBCoreBestPractices.2.pdf
- ^ Sukumar, Raman. (2003). The living elephants. New York: Oxford University Press
- ^ American Zoo and Aquarium Association (2003). Guide to Accreditation of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, p. 46. http://www.elephantcare.org/protodoc_files/new%2006/AZA_2003_ElephantStandards.pdf
- ^ Kane, L., Forthman, D., Hancocks, D. (2005). Best Practices by the Coalition for Captive Elephant Well-Being, p. 16. http://www.elephantcare.org/protodoc_files/new%2006/CCEWBCoreBestPractices.2.pdf
- ^ http://www.zoocheck.com
- ^ Kiiru, W. (2007). The Sad State of Captive Elephants in Canada, p. 20. http://www.zoocheck.com/Reports%20pdf's/Sad%20State%20Report(REV).pdf
- ^ American Zoo and Aquarium Association (2003). Guide to Accreditation of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, p. 44. http://www.elephantcare.org/protodoc_files/new%2006/AZA_2003_ElephantStandards.pdf
- ^ Kane, L., Forthman, D., Hancocks, D. (2005). Best Practices by the Coalition for Captive Elephant Well-Being, p. 3, 8
- ^ Kiiru, W. (2007). The Sad State of Captive Elephants in Canada, p. 20. http://www.zoocheck.com/Reports%20pdf's/Sad%20State%20Report(REV).pdf
- ^ Moss, Cynthia (2001). Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226542378.
- ^ Sukumar, Raman. (2003). The living elephants. New York: Oxford University Press
- ^ http://www.kidssavelucy.com/health/medical-records
- ^ Kiiru, W. (2007). The Sad State of Captive Elephants in Canada. http://www.zoocheck.com/Reports%20pdf's/Sad%20State%20Report(REV).pdf
- ^ http://www.KidsSaveLucy.com
- ^ The Canadian Press (June 4, 2009). "Zoocheck wants kids to save Lucy the elephant". http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/edmonton/2009/06/04/9678241.html
- ^ CBC News (May 22, 2009). "Canadian authors call on Edmonton to move zoo elephant". http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/05/22/edmonton-lucy-elephant-authors.html
- ^ Florence Loyie for the Edmonton Journal (February 23, 2009). "Get Lucy out of Edmonton, says Bob Barker". http://www2.canada.com/authors+want+lucy+elephant+moved+from+edmonton/1620548/story.html?id=1321074
External links
- The Kids Save Lucy official website
- The Elephant Sanctuary official website
- Maggie's story
- Rescue the Elephants - This site was created by an international group of individuals devoted to the welfare of captive elephants.
- Elephant Information Repository - An in-depth resource on elephants
- Zoocheck Canada