Hi I am Takia Anderson and I am 12 years old. When I read this story I was shocked that my city zoo would do such a horrible thing to an innocent animal who is just a baby. For the first time, the Denver Zoo is on In Defense of Animals' "ten worst zoos ever" shame list:
"The Denver Zoo set a dangerous precedent in 2013 by bringing a young bull from Europe, making Billy (Budi) reportedly the first imported Asian elephant in more than 30 years. It’s no secret that housing male elephants is a challenge, but adding to their numbers to bring in “new blood and genes,” when existing captive elephants desperately need better conditions, defies reason. In its desperate bid to boost the number of captive elephants, which does nothing to help conserve the species, the zoo industry is ignoring what should be the priority—the welfare of individuals. At just six years old, Billy has already been moved twice, prematurely separated from his mother at the tender age of four. The Denver Zoo hopes to eventually house at least eight bulls to use them for breeding and enable other zoos to do the same. The zoo industry should instead halt breeding altogether and take better care of the hundreds of elephants already languishing in substandard zoos".
I am asking the Denver Zoo to halt breeding altogether and take better care of the of its elephants already languishing in a substandard zoo habitat.
