Lucy's Future In Doubt, Rising cost of Valley Zoo's elephant exhibit may result in its closure
2005-11-18
by: Keith Gerein, Edmonton Journal
Edmonton's Valley Zoo will soon be facing a jumbo-sized dilemma as it pushes ahead with a new vision for rejuvenating the park.
The elephant exhibit, one of the zoo's most popular but costliest draws, may be phased out to make room for less expensive animals.
A report that will come to a council committee next week says the zoo has no plans to get rid of its star attraction, a 30-year-old Asian pachyderm named Lucy.
But the report suggests Lucy may have to live out her remaining years alone, and that once she dies, the elephant area could be redeveloped for other uses.
"The zoo will have to determine whether it has the financial and political will to commit a large portion of its future expenditures to exhibiting elephants in accordance with ever-increasing welfare requirements," the report says.
The Valley Zoo currently has two elephants: Lucy and a 20-year-old African female named Samantha.
Samantha, however, may not be in Edmonton much longer. As she has only a few years left in which to have a calf, zoo directors are recommending she be loaned to another zoo as soon as possible so she can participate in a breeding program. If the breeding is successful, Samantha and her baby could eventually return to the Valley Zoo. But before that decision is made, the zoo directors want to be sure that the facility can afford to remain in the elephant business in the long term.
Complicating the issue is the fact that tough new standards are being developed for facilities that have elephants. For example, zoos could soon be required to host a minimum of three to five cows in order to fully participate in survival and breeding programs.
To care for this many animals, the Valley Zoo would need to substantially expand its exhibit space and food budget.
New guidelines are also being developed for the size and temperature of elephant enclosures, the report says.
In a cold-weather city such as Edmonton, meeting the standards could be expensive, since much of the exhibit space has to be devoted to a heated indoor structure.
If Samantha is sent away for breeding, the zoo will have to determine how to best care for Lucy. One option would be to send Lucy to another facility so she can be with other elephants, the report says.
Jan Archbold of the community services department, however, believes Lucy isn't going anywhere, in part because she has become the Valley Zoo's major icon. The aging elephant may wind up living by herself or another pachyderm could be brought here to keep her company.
"She's an amazing gentle giant, so hopefully she'll be with us for a long time to come," Archbold said. "She's healthy and fine, and as long as that remains the case, I expect she will remain at the Valley Zoo."
The future of the elephant exhibit is just one of the issues arising out of a new, ambitious proposal to overhaul the entire zoo over the next 20 years. Up to $70 million could eventually be spent on a variety of projects. Further details on the rejuvenation plan are expected to be available today.
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