Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas has challenged the Los Angeles Zoo, arguing that their new $40 million elephant exhibition won’t provide adequate space for the giant pachyderms.   The zoo contests that the 3 1/2 acres, which includes fun stuff like waterfalls and pools of mud, is plenty of room, but Cardenas has proposed that the city find a 50-100 acre plot outside of the city for the animals.   I’m hoping they can meet in the middle, and find a way to offer these magnificent creatures wide open space to wander, while occasionally bringing them into town so the public can admire and learn from them.

While I’m not a fan of seeing animals in confined spaces or cages, I do think that zoos can play in important role in the protection of endangered species like the Asian elephant, and provide an excellent educational opportunity for the public, who otherwise might not have a chance to encounter wild animals.   Species preservation and environmental conservation is at the forefront of many zoo’s programs, including the Los Angeles and Bronx zoos, and if run intelligently can be a boon to animal welfare, and not a threat.

On a sad, related note, Les Schobert, the former L.A. Zoo curator passed away last week from lung cancer.   Les was a huge advocate for open spaces and less isolation for animals and elephants in particular, and would probably be in favor of a larger sanctuary for the elephants.

takepart by helping the World Wildlife Fund protect endangered species.

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Extinction

Photo: Carmelo Aquilina’s Flickr Photostream