Billy, an Asian elephant bull, has spent most of his 37 years on the Los Angeles Zoo fascinating guests along with his lengthy ivory tusks and worrying animal welfare advocates along with his frequent head bobbing. Whereas zoo officers have maintained it’s nothing greater than a innocent behavior — typically finished when he anticipates keepers coming to feed or train him — varied animal specialists, together with veterinarians, say it’s an indication of stress and trauma.
The difficulty of whether or not any zoo can efficiently look after elephants, the most important land mammal, and able to strolling miles a day for meals and shelter, has been debated for years. Some zoos have retired their elephants, letting them stay out the remainder of their lives at a sanctuary with acres of land. Others, together with the L.A. Zoo, stored their pachyderms however improved their dwelling situations. The L.A. Zoo spent $42 million constructing the bigger Elephants of Asia exhibit that provides its 4 Asian elephants 3.6 acres of house, divided into 4 yards. The previous zoo director stated the L.A. Zoo elephant exhibit is within the high 10 nationwide by way of dimension.
Through the years, Metropolis Council members, animal specialists and advocates have argued that the L.A. Zoo isn’t any place for elephants and that Billy, the seemingly most careworn of the zoo herd, needs to be retired to a sanctuary. One non-public citizen waged a decade-long authorized battle to get the zoo to cease elephant protecting. Though the choose within the case criticized the zoo as “not a contented place for elephants” and ordered adjustments in its care, that ruling was finally thrown out by the California Supreme Court docket. Zoo officers have stated they nonetheless observe the choose’s orders regarding care.
On Tuesday, a Metropolis Council committee voted in favor of relocating Billy to a sanctuary. The complete Metropolis Council ought to now do the identical, and instruct the zoo to start out the method by learning how and the place.
This isn’t about accusing the zoo of mistreatment or negligence, however a recognition of the zoo’s inherent shortcomings in offering every thing this explicit elephant wants; a bigger enclosure hasn’t alleviated Billy’s head-bobbing habits.
For years, Billy was stored aside from the zoo’s three feminine Asian elephants, so he had no elephants to socialize with. (Bulls don’t stick with feminine herds after they mature, however research within the wild have proven they’re extra social than was as soon as thought.) In the previous couple of years, the zoo employees has let him mingle with the females, and on these events they’ve seen a big discount in his head bobbing, based on Denise Verret, the director of the L.A. Zoo for the final 3½ years, and deputy director for practically 20 years beforehand. These observations of Billy are encouraging however not a motive sufficient to maintain him on the zoo.
Retirement would additionally imply that Billy will not be topic to invasive makes an attempt to retrieve his semen for synthetic insemination of feminine elephants in different zoos. (The L.A. Zoo’s females — Shaunzi, 51; Tina, 56; and Jewel, 60— are past their breeding years.) These makes an attempt had been unsuccessful and based on zoo officers had been stopped eight years in the past.
Verret says she is open to transferring Billy to a brand new place the place he can thrive, though she has made it clear she would favor a zoo accredited by the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums, the commerce group that represents and accredits zoos in North America. Some sanctuaries, together with the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, are accredited, though most will not be open to the general public. However Verret says, “We by no means cease contemplating all of the alternatives there are to reinforce Billy’s welfare — together with different locations the place his welfare may be improved.”
Good. Verret and her employees ought to begin doing that by wanting into sanctuaries. Discovering an acceptable one shall be a months-long course of. Making ready him for a transfer might take months as nicely. There are solely a handful within the U.S. that may look after elephants. How a lot house the sanctuary has, what number of different Asian elephants are there and the way a lot care shall be supplied are all points that may have to be addressed.
Can the sanctuary supply terrain that shall be softer and higher for Billy’s ft than the exhibit on the zoo? Even the bottom within the L.A. Zoo exhibit, which is rototilled repeatedly to make it softer to stroll on, will get arduous in locations after heavy elephants have repeatedly trodden on it. Captive elephants are in danger for debilitating foot and joint issues, and Billy has had cracks in his nails, based on Philip Ensley, a former veterinarian for 3 a long time on the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Safari Park who has written studies and given trial testimony on the well being of elephants in varied zoos.
Billy has put in additional than three a long time of service on the L.A. Zoo. He has earned retirement in a spot the place he has more room to roam and a much less nerve-racking life.
