Edmonton, Stand Up for Lucy the Elephant
- par: Susan Vaughan
- destinataire: Edmonton and Canada Supreme Court
Just a baby when torn from her family in the warm tropics of Sri Lanka, Lucy now lives through Edmonton’s bitter cold winters, mostly in an enclosed space within its zoo. Activists believe the cold is worsening Lucy’s current respiratory condition, and, afraid she will die, they've been pleading for her relocation.
Perhaps sadder than the ailments Lucy suffers is the loneliness. The zoo’s only other elephant was moved to NC in 2007, leaving Lucy “the most socially isolated elephant on the continent.”
Zoo officials claim Lucy is well cared for and that moving her would be too risky. But activists strongly disagree. Female elephants need a moderate climate, large spaces with natural terrain and other elephants, says Zoocheck, which has fought all the way to Canada’s Supreme Court on Lucy’s behalf. It’s been a long-running fight, and the Court has just announced its refusal to hear the case.
Don’t let the fight end here. Tell Edmonton to stand up for Lucy; give her a better life.
We, the undersigned, believe that arguments by activists concerning the well-being of Lucy should be heard.
It is not clear why the Zoo has fought activists’ attempts to give Lucy a better home, especially considering the fact that other elephants have already been moved to more suitable locations. And it seems, whatever the reason, it should outweigh the sad situation of keeping an animal in an environment not at all suited for the species, even sadder since Lucy’s only companion was moved years ago.
Zoocheck claims that Edmonton Zoo has not been honest about Lucy’s condition, and we believe this inability to come to an agreement calls for an independent hearing of arguments on both sides. Zoocheck’s Julie Woodyer says Lucy’s health continues to decline at the zoo, and she believes Lucy will die if not moved. She refuses to give up on Lucy.
We request that the Court reconsider its refusal to hear this case and the people of Edmonton speak out on behalf of Lucy.
