Zoo keepers fuming over vote sending elephants to sanctuary--The Politics of Animals

October 26, 2011 00:10:00
Donovan Vincent Staff Reporter

The Toronto Zoo’s elephant keepers are up in arms over a late-night city council vote to send the animals to a sanctuary rather than an accredited facility.

“No offence to any city (councillors) that made the decision, but they’re quite honestly not qualified to make a decision on what’s best for these elephants,’’ an angry Vernon Presley, one of seven elephant keepers at the zoo, told the Star last night.

Council voted 31-4 late Tuesday to send the zoo’s three remaining elephants — Toka, Thika and Iringa — to the sprawling Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary in San Andreas, Calif., rather than a zoo accredited with the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The zoo’s board of management voted in the spring to close the elephant exhibit for cost reasons, and the board’s first choice was an AZA facility.

In the meantime, animal rights advocates, led by former Price is Right host Bob Barker, launched an aggressive campaign to have the trio packed off to PAWS. Barker has offered to put up some of his own money toward the $100,000 to $300,000 cost to move them south.

Behind the scenes, zoo officials, staff and animal rights interests have been debating the merits of the sanctuary. Proponents say PAWS and others like it provide warmer climates and huge swaths for elephants to roam. But critics say sanctuaries have lower standards of care and don’t operate transparently.

Last week, a zoo official said talks were going well with an AZA facility in the U.S., a destination favoured by the elephant keepers. That’s now been scuttled by council’s decision.

Presley, who hasn’t been to the PAWS sanctuary, said AZA standards require regular routines with elephants, including drawing blood, trunk inspections and daily exercise such as strength and flexibility training, elephant “yoga’’ and cardio work.

PAWS co-founder and co-director Pat Derby said Wednesday she’s “surprised and excited’’ Toronto’s elephants are coming to her facility, which offers 30 hectares for African elephants, 20 hectares for Asian elephants and a barn with heated floors. They also have a Jacuzzi pool for arthritic elephants.

The sanctuary currently has nine elephants.

“We have the space and one of the best elephant facilities in this country, probably the world,’’ Derby said.

The zoo will now focus on ensuring its three elderly elephants survive their journey to the California sanctuary, said board chair Joe Torzsok.

“The elephants are the property of the city. As a subsidiary corporation, we have our direction,” he said.

“From what I’ve seen with the (PAWS) sanctuary, I think they offer great care to the animals. I think the biggest challenge of all of this becomes how do we move them safely.”

City councillor and zoo board member Raymond Cho, who has long pushed for the animals to be sent to a sanctuary, plans to visit PAWS in a week or so.

“I’m really excited they’re going there,’’ he said.

Council voted 31-4 to relocate the elephants after Councillor Michelle Berardinetti, who isn’t a zoo board member, made a passionate plea for the move to a sanctuary.

But Peter Evans, a former zoo board member for 12 years, called council’s decision a “slap in the face’’ to the current board and zoo staff.

“The arrogance and lack of respect shown and the disregard for the process, is appalling,’’ Evans said.

With files from David Rider

How to move an elephant

Paperwork: Both sides must secure permits because the animals are crossing the U.S. border. The PAWS sanctuary in San Andreas, Calif., must obtain an import permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which takes a minimum of about 90 days. The Toronto Zoo will apply for a Canadian export permit after the American one is in place. The Canadian permit takes a minimum 30 days.

Training: Given the zoo voted in the spring to close the elephant exhibit, the training has already started. It entails getting a 3,500 kilo animal used to the idea of walking into special crates for transport, and being restrained while they’re moving.

“We don’t know how they’re going to react. We don’t force the elephant . . . the elephant has to be trained to be motivated to go in on its own,’’ said Toronto Zoo CEO John Tracogna.

Transportation: They’ll be lifted by crane and placed on a flatbed truck for a lengthy drive to California. Or they may fly on a cargo plane.

Tracogna said there are a “lot of unknowns’’ at play in moving the animals and a lot of risk.

Courtesy of Mark Rosenthal