Lucy, Bob and Bill
Last week we received a much-publicized letter from William Shatner asking the city to move Lucy, the Asian elephant at the Valley Zoo, to a sanctuary. His letter added to a sustained campaign, headlined by the estimable Bob Barker, to get Lucy moved out of Edmonton. We’ve also received hundreds of emails from around the world. The arguments boil down to that it’s cold here and that she is alone.
Later this week Mr. Barker will visit Edmonton to see Lucy and meet with zoo officials. He’s asked to address city council but we are not Lucy’s stewards, the zoo is; and this issue is a veterinary one, not a political one.
The real question is what is best in terms of Lucy’s wellbeing under the circumstances.
There’s no arguing that it’s cold, but it’s debatable whether the cold amounts to an inhumane condition for Lucy. She has endured more Edmonton winters than me, though.
As for the question of her solitude, nobody would argue that this it’s ideal. The issue, according to her caregivers and independent experts, is that due to a persistent respiratory condition it would not be safe to move Lucy. The stress of transportation, we are told, could be very dangerous to her. Bringing in a companion elephant, which hasn’t been ruled out, would also be stressful according to zoo staff.
Yesterday the City released the preliminary findings from Dr. James Oosterhuis, an expert in elephant health from San Diego. An excerpt from his full letter is unequivocal:
“Her (Lucy’s) current respiratory problems preclude any thought of moving her and in fact it would (be) life threatening for her to be placed under that kind of stress. It is my opinion that it would be unethical for any veterinarian to recommend moving her and in fact would be malpractice to sign a health certificate for her at this time.”
There is a short video on the city website as well with more information, as well as a fact sheet on her health and some of the regulatory issues at play in her situation.
Councillors are receiving all of this information and my read of it is that Lucy’s caregivers continue to work with her best interests at heart – and her best interests are served by the status quo until her respiratory condition improves.
Dear Councilman Iverson,
With all due respect, Dr. Oosterhuis is a hired gun who works for zoos and circuses, hardly an independent consultant. He was the only vet of at least 10 to recommend that Maggie the elephant remain at the Alaska Zoo. There were concerns about how the long trip to sanctuary in California would affect her but, because the move was handled by people with a great deal of experience in moving elephants long distances, it went off without a hitch and today Maggie is thriving. What does that say about Dr. Oosterhuis and his judgment?
Just because Lucy has managed to survive for years in her current conditions does not mean that they should continue if she could be given a better life. It’s easy to say that Lucy has survived more Canadian winters than you have. The difference is that you can pile on more layers of clothing, you live in a comfortable house and you have freedom of choice in where you go, what you do and who you do it with. Lucy is an Asian elephant who belongs in a warmer climate.
There is no disputing that Lucy’s keepers love her and give her the best care possible. The problem is that elephants don’t need people — they need other elephants. Any expert who is familiar not just with elephant biology but also with their psychological, emotional and social needs will tell you that an elephant is defined by her relationships with other elephants. An elephant alone is truly a fish out of water. It is presumptuous to assume that relationships with her keepers, however loving they may be, substitute for the company of her own kind.
When you have two elephant sanctuaries willing to take Lucy, both of which have successfully moved many elephants in varying health, why would you not give her the best life possible for her remaining years? Certainly, her immediate health concerns should be addressed. But I appeal to your sense of justice and compassion to bring in a truly independent vet without ties to the circus and zoo industries to assess her health. Why not consult with the Alaska Zoo and see what they have to say, having gone through this themselves.
Thank you.
Dear Councilman Iverson,
I would like to concur with Amy. I would also like to add that from what I have read, Dr. Oosterhuis has had sufficient time to diagnose Lucy since he has been consulted by the Valley Zoo intermitently over the past 5 years. Would you continue to visit a doctor who, in a 5 year period, could not diagnose your illness correctly? At what point do we say “enough” and bring in a new set of eyes to look at Lucy?
Also, no-one mentions Lucy’s stereotypic behaviour which is clearly a sign of psychological distress. This is exacerbated by the amount of time she is forced to spend indoors during the winter.
Finally, according to an article that I read on adn.com (Alaska Daily News) Pat Lampi, Director of the Alaska Zoo says that Maggie is so happy at PAWS she is living in “elephant heaven”. Why can’t we be generous enough to give the same chance to Lucy?