BILLY THE ELEPHANT IS NOT DOING WELL AT THE LOS ANGELES ZOO
Billy, who is the sole male elephant, has to be kept apart from the other elephants who are females, usually in a small enclosure. The only 'contact' Billy has with the other elephants is through bars periodically. This is akin to saying a prison inmate has quality contact with his family with a wall in between them.
Even if Billy had the full 6.5 plus acres all to himself, this would still not be enough room to meet his needs. There is no way that the daily needs of elephants kept in a zoo can make up for the elephants being in a more natural environment that is conducive to their health and well-being to roam over miles of earthy terrain and forage for food to prevent arthritis, boredom and depression that elephants kept in zoos acquire, such as tuberculosis and herpes.
Much of the over 6.5 acres is deceptively made to look like the elephants have more room than they do as it is divided into sections and areas that the elephants have no access to. There are narrow paths that are lined with electrified fences and even the trees are electrified to keep the elephants from pushing on them, which is their natural behavior. There are many things that elephants in zoos are deprived of that is normal for them and conducive to their good health and happiness, which a zoo cannot realistically provide.
Billy is kept separate from the other elephants, and they are rotated from one 'corral' to another throughout the day, which has to be micro-managed and controlled by zoo staff. In other words, the elephants have little choice in how they 'roam' and get the exercise that they need but don't receive.
The truth is that nothing is 'natural' about the pachyderm exhibit at all, including their 'breeding program'. Baby elephants born in zoos generally do not survive.
Billy displays significant ongoing signs of post traumatic stress and psychological breakdown. While the Los Angeles Zoo may no longer use bull hooks or electric shock, the truth is that Billy was trained by these methods as a youngster after he was ripped away from his mother and his herd in Malaysia as a youngster by the Los Angeles Zoo.
We must ask ourselves the following -- would we consider it normal for a wild elephant in his natural habitat to stand in one spot for long periods of time just bobbing his head? It is a sign of significant distress and frustration, if not complete desperation according to Dr. Gay Bradshaw, a psychologist who studies Elephants and diagnosed PTSD in captive held and free living Elephants due to poaching and habitat loss, and is the author of 'Elephants on the Edge'.
Elephants simply do not thrive or do well in zoo environments and many zoos have closed down their elephant exhibits in realization of this. Zoos are literally death traps for elephants.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP BILLY
1. Don't go to places such as zoos, circuses and marine parks that use animals for entertainment or profit. Alternatives are;
Go to places like The Gentle Barn (gentlebarn.org), Marine Mammal Care Center (marinemammalcare.org), La Brea Tar Pits (tarpits.org) or The Farm Sanctuary (farmsanctuary.org). Do not support any place that exploits animals for profit but seek out wildlife and animal sanctuaries where you live and support them.
2. Email and call Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu, District 4, and ask him to support Motion 17-0453 calling for the release of Billy the Elephant from the Los Angeles Zoo to an accredited sanctuary. -- Email for David Ryu: david.ryu@lacity.org - - Phone Number for David Ryu: 213-473-7004
3. If you live in Los Angeles, find your Los Angeles City Councilmember at: neighborhoodinfo.lacity.org, then call and email asking her or him to support Motion 17-0453 calling for the release of Billy the Elephant.
4. Sign our petitions for Billy at Care2 and Change.org -- 'Something is not cool at the Los Angeles Zoo' and 'Shut down the elephant exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo'.
5. For more information, please visit the following --
Elephant Guardians of Los Angeles (elephantguardians.org), The Kerulos Center (kerulos.org) and Elephant Voices (elephantvoices.org). Visit and support Billy's Facebook page at 'Free Billy the Elephant'. Thank you!
Read Dr. Gay Bradshaw's book, 'Elephants on the Edge'. She has diagnosed post traumatic stress disorder in captive and wild elephants due to exploitation and poaching. The director of 'The Kerulos Center', she founded the field of trans-species psychology, the articulation of a vertebrate common model of brain, mind, and behavior that is supported by existing science. The goal of 'The Kerulos Center' is to provide a safe haven and rehabilitation for male elephants who are suffering from PTSD, recognizing that there is a shortage of sanctuaries that can take bull elephants who have suffered under the 'care' of zoos and circuses.
By Karen Eisenlord