Protestors filming documentary on Lucy the elephant call for her retirement to a sanctuary

EDMONTON -

A group of Edmontonians concerned about Lucy the elephant launched another protest Sunday afternoon.

Lucy’s Edmonton Advocates Project hosted the event and filmed the demonstration to use as part of an upcoming documentary focused on the controversy surrounding the elephant at the Valley Zoo.

Mary-Ann Holm said the group hopes the city will allow an independent team to examine the elephant and her living conditions.

“She has served the City of Edmonton well and she’s been the icon for this city,” Holm added. “We owe her nothing less then to, at minimum, allow the outside international species experts in and let them see what they think.”

Holm said experts were brought in by the zoo in 2019 to examine Lucy and her enclosure, but said they were not “considered independent.”

“Despite the promises made with us, they didn’t follow through,” she said.

“Lucy is not on public display as much as she has been in the past, but she is still in that tiny concrete barn.”

In January, in response to concerns for Lucy’s health voiced by primatologist Jane Goodall, the zoo said Lucy "receive(s) excellent care at the Edmonton Valley Zoo."

• Edmonton zoo responds to Jane Goodall plea to end elephant Lucy's 'plight'

The zoo has also stated in the past that Lucy has a serious respiratory illness and experts have told them any attempt to move her would result in her death.

“The only people that can make the real call as to whether Lucy can be safely transported, are those that safely transport older, ailing elephants routinely and that’s the sanctuaries,” said Holm.

The group is also calling on the zoo to accept an offer from Cher’s organization, Free The Wild, to fund bringing in a team of elephant experts from overseas to examine Lucy.