Make Way For Elephants

So the remaining two elephants in the Philadelphia zoo are packing their trunks (pun intended) and getting ready to hit the road. After much debate and publicity surrounding their current habitat, which animal activists deemed too small and out of date, the pair of African elephants is being transferred to the Pittsburgh Zoo's 724 acre International Conservation Center.

Although these conditions are certainly better than their present accommodations, they are not meeting with the approval of the Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants. According to Marianne Bessey, who heads the group, the concern is that Kallie (age 27) and Betty (age 28) will be bred, a practice they feel is a health risk because of the elephants' advanced ages.

The Philadelphia Zoo dismisses those fears. "At this time, no one is even thinking about whether or not the elephants will be bred," countered Bill Larson, Director of Communications. If indeed the decision is made to go forward with a breeding plan, it will only be after consultation with experts in the field.

Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants also question the size of the facility in Pittsburgh as well as the methods used by the staff to manage the pachyderms. To demonstrate their committment to the elephants' welfare, the group has been staging protests outside the zoo for weveral weekends. They would prefer that the aging elephants be transferred to a 2,300 acre refuge in California run by the Performing Animal Welfare Society. It is presumed that were they to end up there, they would have the opportunity to live out their days without the possibility of being bred.

Personally, I am delighted that the elephants are being relocated from their "antique" habitat and can only hope that whatever facility does ultimately end up caring for Kallie and Betty will not want and adverse publicity related to their health. I also have a feeling that this group will continue to monitor the welfare of Kallie and Betty after they leave Philadelphia and will be the first to let the press know if anything is amiss.

For now, I wish these dignified beasts "Bon Voyage."