Protesters rally to free Lucy the elephant from Edmonton Valley Zoo
A group of animal rights activists gathered at the Whitemud overpass Saturday, calling for the release of Lucy the elephant from the Edmonton Valley Zoo.
Lucy is nearing her 45th year at the zoo, she was brought in as a two-year-old orphan in the 70s, the zoo’s director told CTV News Edmonton in March.
The protesters are calling for Lucy to be sent to an elephant sanctuary, saying the conditions at the zoo and in the Edmonton climate are harmful to her.
“Lucy suffers from a number of health conditions, but every single one of them can be contributed to captivity,” said Mary-Ann Holm, the founder of Lucy's Edmonton Advocates' Project (LEAP). “She also has arthritis and foot disease and those two are the biggest killers of elephants, they are the reason elephants die prematurely in zoos.
“She needs to be somewhere she can walk on soft earth and she also needs a place to swim.”
Holm added that Lucy is 453 kg overweight, which puts strain on her joints. In March, the zoo announced it is working to create a wading pool for Lucy, which would be therapeutic.
Elephants in zoos don’t often live past the age of 50, but elephants in sanctuaries can live decades longer, according to Holm.
“The city and the zoo have been misleading the public by implying that Lucy is old, when she’s really just a middle-aged elephant,” added Holm.
LEAP did a poll in the city in 2021 and found 66 per cent of respondents supported moving Lucy to a sanctuary where she could be with other elephants.
Over the years many groups have called for Lucy to be moved, but the zoo has said due to Lucy’s health issues, she may not survive the trip.
In 2021, the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada was one of the groups calling for Lucy to be relocated, but changed its stance after a review. The institute added that “the risks of moving Lucy outweigh the potential benefits to her."
Free The Wild, a charity group co-founded by Cher, is in negotiations with the Edmonton Valley Zoo to send in international experts to assess whether Lucy could survive being relocated, added Holm.
“We don’t want her to move if it’s not safe, so we’re just asking to bring in international species experts, who have no vested interest in whether Lucy stays or goes, to make the call about what would be best for her remaining years,” said Holm.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.