This is just disgusting. This elephant has been through hell. Why not move her immediately. Just consider all she has been through:
Solitary confinement in the
History of being an abused circus animal
Shunned from her Israeli herd four years after she left her previous home in
The sanctuary in
"Time is running out," says retired Zoologist Avinoam Lourie, who once headed
He has been following the story of La Petite and was surprised to hear that she was still in
Read on.....
Politics, Zoos and Elephants in Isreal
Seeking sanctuaryKarin Kloosterman,
THE
Jan. 19, 2006
Elephants can't vote, but whether they like it or not they are still involved in politics.
La Petite, a 20-year-old Asian elephant, has been living in solitary confinement in the
Elephants depend on contact with other elephants to stay healthy. An animal rights organization in
Even though an elephant sanctuary in
The Israel Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Tel Aviv (ISPCA), a retired director of the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, and the sanctuary in
"It's big politics. Shelters [and sanctuaries] want to close the zoos and introduce programs that will eventually return animals to the wild," says Gadi Vitner, the ISPCA-Tel Aviv spokesman.
"In a shelter, animals have their own private lives. In a zoo they do not. A zoo wants to produce animals. They want to make money. All the zoos will say they have excellent breeding programs, but it's bunk," he says.
As an animal rights activist, Vitner says the public should avoid visiting zoos and circuses that keep animals for the sole purpose of entertaining people.
Safari spokeswoman Sagit Horowitz says they are against sending La Petite to a shelter because she should be bred and live among male elephants. The shelter in
Vitner says that if given the go-ahead by the Safari, La Petite could be in
"Time is running out," says retired Zoologist Avinoam Lourie, who once headed
He has been following the story of La Petite and was surprised to hear that she was still in
"The elephant is a social animal," Lourie told Metro. "To isolate her will cause her to suffer quite a lot. She is probably experiencing severe mental stress right now. As far as I understand, there are political issues connected to the zoo organizations. I think only international pressure to push the Safari into making a quick decision will help. She should not be left here alone in the cold winter."
In
Until that decision is made, ISPCA's Vitner believes that La Petite will continue to suffer immeasurably, which could add to the elephant's psychological problems. In the past, La Petite has been violent - she killed her own calf and is suspected of killing her keeper while at a zoo in
Carol Buckley, who heads the shelter in
Most of all, Buckley is concerned about infections that La Petite could contract if she continues to live in confinement. Three out of four captive elephants, she explained, die of a bone infection, osteomyilitis - a preventable disease caused when elephants stand on hard surfaces and live in small spaces.
The ISPCA-Tel Aviv believes that after 20 years of a miserable life in captivity, the best solution for La Petite is the elephant sanctuary in
Horowitz from the Safari told Vitner last week that she is aware of the suffering being caused by keeping La Petite isolated. She said the Safari hopes to have La Petite in
A similar report was given in October, but La Petite is still waiting to pack her trunk for the big move.
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