‘Get all the elephants out of Canada’: Bob Barker

Councillor Shelley Carroll has acquired a fawning new fan: animal rights activist and former The Price Is Right host Bob Barker.

Barker, 87, has campaigned for the transfer of the Edmonton Valley Zoo’s lone elephant, Lucy, to a sanctuary in California.

He hasn’t joined Carroll in advocating a transfer of the three elephants at the Toronto Zoo merely because he hasn’t been asked, he said when contacted at his Hollywood home Monday: the non-profit Zoocheck Canada has made him aware of their plight, he said, and he believes they, too, should be moved to a more spacious home in warmer climes.

A condensed transcript of his interview with the Star:

You’ve campaigned for Lucy to be taken out of the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Do you feel the same way about the elephants in Toronto?

I have great respect for Canada; The Price Is Right was popular in Canada from the day I started the show; I had wonderful Canadians on the show; one of my last shows, there was a group of Canadians all wearing shirts: “Bob Barker for Prime Minister.” So I have nothing but wonderful feelings about Canadians. But Canada is no place for elephants. It’s too far north. If we can get all of the elephants out of Canada, they’re gonna be much happier. And if three of them are gonna be removed from the Toronto Zoo, that would be a big step in the right direction.

"This is what would be called a world class ass kiss, planted dead center for the greatest impact."

Why shouldn’t elephants live in zoos up north?

It was never intended for elephants to be in such cold weather. And in captivity, the biggest cause of death for elephants is foot problems. They develop foot problems, and they become infected; that infection spreads all over their body, and they die, die much earlier than they would in the wild.

There is a councillor who is pushing for the elephants to be moved to California, but the zoo hasn’t agreed.

Well, that one councillor should be listened to. Is it a man or a woman?

"You have to wonder why it matters? Which reminds me, in the picture above does anyone know what that is in the Bobster's pocket? Is it a flashlight in his pocket or is he just glad to see someone(possibly Councillor Shelly Carroll?) His shenanigans on the Price is Right with the women is legendary. He admitted to an affair he had with Dian Parkinson, who sued him for $8 million afterwards. Holly Holstrom sued him for unlawful termination when she was fired in 1995 for being overweight. She got money in a settlement that was reportedly in the millions. Janice and Kathleen were let go in 2000, mainly because they testified in Holly's lawsuit against Barker and sided with Holly. They supposedly were paid a severence package in agreement not to sue. Hat's off to him if the old goat, as it appears is still raring to go."

A woman.

Well, that lady probably knows a lot more about elephants than anybody else on the council. And as a person who is willing to step forward in the face of opposition, she is courageous as well as intelligent, and God bless her. If you speak with that councilwoman, please tell her that she’s my heroine. I love her.

Why do you want them moved to the sanctuary in California?

They have acres and acres of land. They have a mud hole; elephants love to play in the mud. They have a pool; some of them stay underwater practically the whole summer. And there are elephants for them to socialize with. Elephants come in that have been mistreated and been lonely and depressed, and they just blossom. It’s wonderful to behold.

"The Bobster is parroting what he has been told about their past life, true or not, and he is seeing what he want's to see. Wasn't Benjamin below, swimming? I believe they even went to the expense and trouble of taking him and his "playmate" to a "mud hole."

Are you involved with any elephant-related campaigns other than the one in Edmonton?

Not beyond the Los Angles Zoo, which is an embarrassment to the city I live in. It’s a disgusting situation. They had one elephant there for a long period of time, poor Billy, who was showing all the signs typical of psychological problems. Now they’ve built an elephant habitat, spent more than $40 million on it, but it’s too small. They built this thing knowing it wasn’t big enough, and they’ve brought in two more elephants! At least Billy has some company now.

"How do you like this? They bring in companions for Billy, as the Bobster and his cronies said it was cruel for an elephant to live alone. So then he decides the exhibit is no good, so they build a bigger, better 40 million dollar one, and he is still not happy. Do you see what they are about? They don't want elephants to be kept except any way that THEY seem fit. They are like a religious zealot, as you punch holes in their story, they finally say "you just have to have faith." There is no response to that, and it doesn't matter if their stories can be scientifically proven away or not." Amazing.

Why do you think zoos are so resistant to your message?

Basically money. All animal exploitation and mistreatment — if you inquire deeply enough, it gets down to greed.

Courtesy of Wayne Jackson