| "The worst sin towards our
fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them.
That's the essence of inhumanity"
George Bernard Shaw |
|
Contents |
| Home |
| About |
| Animal Cruelty |
| Animal Emotions |
| Animal Rights |
| Arna's Plight |
| FAQ's |
| Incidents |
| The Experts Say |
| Links |
| Latest News |
| Quotes |
| What you can do |
| Contact |
| Guestbook |
| Code of Practice |
| Search |
Protesters decry elephant deathsDemonstrators demand Lincoln Park chief's resignationBy Maegan Carberry Kelly Willis loves elephants, but she doesn't want to see them in a Chicago zoo. Willis, 21, joined dozens of protesters demanding the resignation of Lincoln Park Zoo President Kevin Bell over the death of Wankie, a 36-year-old elephant euthanized Sunday after being transported to a zoo in Salt Lake City. "He should have done more while the elephants were alive," Willis said of Bell. Willis brought a stuffed elephant doll with her and affixed a tissue to its eye, as if it were crying. She also brought a bouquet of flowers to Tuesday's protest, which was organized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "I just don't think the elephants should be in zoos in this climate," Willis said. Some protesters held signs that read, "Lincoln Park Zoo = Death Sentence," and "Wanted: New zoo director to put animals first." Bell will not step down from his position, the zoo said in a statement from Chairman Jay Proops Tuesday. "I and the entire Lincoln Park Zoo Board of Directors have the utmost confidence in the professionalism, skill and dedication of the entire zoo staff, and President and CEO Kevin Bell has our unconditional support," Proops said. After announcing the elephant's death Sunday, Bell said there were no plans to replace elephants at the zoo for the immediate future. Wankie was the third Lincoln Park Zoo elephant to die since October. A 35-year-old, Tatima, died Oct. 16 of a rare lung disease and another named Peaches, 55, died Jan. 17 of age-related maladies. After Peaches' death, the zoo decided to find a new home for Wankie, who was put down shortly after a two-day transport by a truck to the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. The deaths provoked intense criticism from animal rights activists who have argued that Chicago winters and the animals' 4,000-square-foot indoor facility--which is standard among zoos--proved detrimental to their health. Bell told the Tribune Monday that it is too early to determine what caused Wankie's death but that a preliminary report will be out this week. A complete analysis won't be available for weeks. Bell said the zoo is committed to a long-term study on whether it is harmful to keep elephants in cold-climate zoos. He said he has invited the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate Wankie's death, and has also asked for an independent audit of the zoo's elephant care. Zachary Kluth, 20, who visited the zoo Tuesday, said it seemed "odd" that three elephants had died in such a short time but that he doesn't blame zoo officials and hopes the zoo will continue to house elephants. "It's very sad that this happened but I still think it's nice to have elephants at the zoo," said Kluth. "It's free to come here. Are we all supposed to pay $7,000 to go see them in Africa? You don't want to see them sad with no room to play, but you still want to see the animals."
|
|||
