Help Winky and Wanda
I've always been kind of torn on the topic of zoos. On the one hand, I don't think I'd have developed my love for animals if I hadn't made frequent trips to the Detroit Zoo as a kid. On the other hand, it always depresses me to see caged animals.
I try to believe that most people who run zoos have the animals' best interests at heart. It certainly seems like Detroit Zoo Director Ron Kagan does.
The Detroit Zoo's elephant enclosure is an acre... not very large, but 16 times larger than the legal requirements. Several months ago, Kagan decided that the zoo's elephant enclosure wasn't good enough for Winky and Wanda, the zoo's aging, arthritic elephants. Winky is 51, Wanda is 45. So he petitioned the American Zoo and Aquarium Association to be able to send the pair to an elephant sanctuary, where they could spend their final years roaming freely in a warm climate. The decision made headlines nationwide.
But the AZA told him no. They told him to transfer Winky and Wanda to Columbus, Ohio. Kagan appealed the ruling. The AZA turned him down.
From Friday's Detroit Free Press:
"...Kagan argues that Columbus uses outdated, inhumane methods involving blows with a sharp-pointed bull hook; the ground in the enclosure isn't soft enough to ease arthritis symptoms; the climate is barely warmer than Detroit's; and on a per-elephant basis, has no more room than Detroit."
So, because he wanted to do what's best for these animals, Kagan is essentially being told to send them into a worse situation instead. The AZA, of course, doesn't see it that way. They claim that their decision is in Wanda and Winky's best interests because of the close proximity between the two zoos and because the "modern elephant facility" in Columbus, Ohio would give them solid medical care and more social interaction.
If you want to weigh in on poor Winky and Wanda, you can sign this petition. You can also email the AZA. If you're feeling particularly motivated, you can even call AZA Director Syd Butler at (301) 562-0777.
I've always been kind of torn on the topic of zoos. On the one hand, I don't think I'd have developed my love for animals if I hadn't made frequent trips to the Detroit Zoo as a kid. On the other hand, it always depresses me to see caged animals.
I try to believe that most people who run zoos have the animals' best interests at heart. It certainly seems like Detroit Zoo Director Ron Kagan does.
The Detroit Zoo's elephant enclosure is an acre... not very large, but 16 times larger than the legal requirements. Several months ago, Kagan decided that the zoo's elephant enclosure wasn't good enough for Winky and Wanda, the zoo's aging, arthritic elephants. Winky is 51, Wanda is 45. So he petitioned the American Zoo and Aquarium Association to be able to send the pair to an elephant sanctuary, where they could spend their final years roaming freely in a warm climate. The decision made headlines nationwide.
But the AZA told him no. They told him to transfer Winky and Wanda to Columbus, Ohio. Kagan appealed the ruling. The AZA turned him down.
From Friday's Detroit Free Press:
"...Kagan argues that Columbus uses outdated, inhumane methods involving blows with a sharp-pointed bull hook; the ground in the enclosure isn't soft enough to ease arthritis symptoms; the climate is barely warmer than Detroit's; and on a per-elephant basis, has no more room than Detroit."
So, because he wanted to do what's best for these animals, Kagan is essentially being told to send them into a worse situation instead. The AZA, of course, doesn't see it that way. They claim that their decision is in Wanda and Winky's best interests because of the close proximity between the two zoos and because the "modern elephant facility" in Columbus, Ohio would give them solid medical care and more social interaction.
If you want to weigh in on poor Winky and Wanda, you can sign this petition. You can also email the AZA. If you're feeling particularly motivated, you can even call AZA Director Syd Butler at (301) 562-0777.
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