Ruby & friend at PAWS
Sanctuary for All the
L.A. Zoo Elephants
L.A. Zoo's lone male Asian
elephant, 19-year-old Billy, who spends most of his time living in
solitary confinement must also be transferred. For years, he has been
displaying extreme "zoochotic" behavior in the form of neurotic "head
bobbing." This type of behavior is caused by factors such as lack of
space and lack of complexity in the elephant's environment.
The L.A. Zoo must transfer Billy to a sanctuary, where he
can experience the highest quality of life. It's as close to living in
the wild as he will ever get!
There are two elephant
sanctuaries in the U.S.: Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in
Northern California and The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. They both
offer hundreds of acres of naturalistic habitat where an elephant can
move freely and walk on soft, natural surfaces that foster the healing
of painful feet and joints.
In May 2007, Ruby was successfully transferred to PAWS. She now roams the hillsides with her other companions, Lulu and Mara. Now 46 years old, we know that she will enjoy a happy and healthy life out of the public's eye.
Click here to see Ruby and her other elephant friends at PAWS.
Learn about our film
Elephants and Man
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It is critical to understand the remarkable and historical significance of this case. With the highest quality legal representation possible (and for free) we finally have the opportunity to fight and remedy an age-old problem. David Casselman has been representing clients and winning civil causes at the highest level for over thirty years. He and his firm (Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten LLP) have provided over a million dollars in pro bono legal fees and costs and are continuing to prosecute this ground-breaking case. It offers a unique opportunity to substantively challenge the inhumane treatment of elephants in a public Zoo. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to directly remedy these abuses; enlighten the world regarding these longstanding problems and improve the plight of captive elephants everywhere.
The case is already receiving media attention across the globe. It is the first time, ever, that a court will apply settled state law to address the merits of a challenge regarding Zoo abuses of elephants. They are forced to live in tiny pens, usually on hard ground, under conditions which predictably harm their feet and legs. These poor animals commonly suffer their entire lives, before succumbing to a premature death. Thirteen elephants have already died in the Los Angeles Zoo, allegedly using AZA methods and meeting AZA standards.
This is the first civil case, ever, approved for a trial to determine whether a public elephant exhibit should be closed due to abuse of the elephants in its care. It is also the only case, ever, to go forward regarding such an issue, with the express approval of a Court of Appeal. We believe that more than sufficient evidence exists to prove that the care these captive elephants receive constitutes civil and criminal abuse under California law. If we win this case, we can forever change the way elephants are treated in California; and based upon the inevitable publicity; we can change these abuses around the world.
VFTA has been working on L.A. Zoo issues, with a focus on
elephants, since the 1990s, holding press conferences
and campaigning to close the Zoo's inadequate elephant
exhibit. In 2003, VFTA was a major supporter of the
taxpayer lawsuit to bring Ruby the elephant
back to the Los Angeles Zoo after she had been separated
from her companion of 16 years and sent to the Knoxville
Zoo in Tennessee. Elephant advocates prevailed when
44-year-old Ruby was brought back in November 2004.
Billy the Asian elephant
FACT: Zoos often separate elephant friends and
family. Ruby's plight highlighted the national problem
of elephants being indiscriminately moved from zoo to
zoo with little regard for important social ties. In
fact, elephants have the largest social network of any
animal studied, except humans. They live in matriarchal
herds, where all the females help raise the young
elephants. Females remain with their mothers for life.
FACT: An elephant's natural lifespan is 60-70
years. In AZA
zoos, elephants are dying at an average age of 34 years.
FACT: Elephants need a lot of space! Wild elephants can easily
walk 30 miles a day. There is a story about one male elephant who walked
100 miles in one day! Elephants are in constant movement, which is
essential to their physical and psychological health. Yet, the American
Zoo and Aquarium Association, an industry trade group that accredits
zoos, allows elephants to be held in 1800 square feet of space— the
size of 6 parking lot spaces.
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In Memory of Gita
Gita, the L.A. Zoo's Asian Elephant, passed away on June 10, 2006. For over two years, Gita was kept in a tiny exhibit area with no room to move about. Zoo records indicate that she suffered from serious, chronic foot problems for years and she also had arthritis. These are the two leading causes of euthanasia in captive elephants in the U.S. Inadequate living quarters led to her infected foot, which was continuously dosed with pain killers. Gita died at 48, with no one around her when she collapsed.
In Memory of Tara
Tara, a
39-year-old African elephant, prematurely died in
December 2004. Prior to her death, she suffered from
horrendous arthritis, existing on a high-dose cocktail
of pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs. This is not
uncommon in today's zoos, where lack of movement due to
small spaces and walking on hard surfaces creates
often-lethal foot and joint problems.
It may be
too late for Tara, but we will work tirelessly to ensure
that the remaining L.A. Zoo elephants do not suffer and
die like Tara did. They should have the chance to live
out their lives at an elephant sanctuary.
How you can Help
Become part
of the Zoo Watch L.A. team! Send an email to info@vftafoundation.org or donate to our Zoo Watch L.A. Fund.
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