Demand Edmonton Zoo Frees Lucy the Elephant

  • by: Jaime Nichols
  • recipient: Premier Rachel Notley, Denise Prefontaine-Edmonton Zoo Director, Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks, Mayor and Members of Council City of Edmonton

Lucy is a lone female Asian Elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo in Alberta, Canada. Lucy was purchased in 1977 at the age of 2 years. She lives in Edmonton with long, cold winters, a small inadequate space, very little for her to do, is socially isolated and suffers respiratory problems most likely due to the cold weather. The Edmonton Valley Zoo claims that Lucy is an unsocial elephant and is bonded to her keepers. Elephants like Lucy eat roots, grasses, fruit and bark, and they eat a lot of these things. They roam over great distances while foraging for the large quantities of food they require to sustain their massive bodies. Asian elephants tend to live in groups of 4-8 members.
Elephants are highly intelligent animals that display complex social behaviors such as greeting ceremonies, tactile contacts, vocal communication, scent communication, social play, courtship, mating, birthing, parenting, communal care and teaching. Elephants have a number of adaptations that help them maintain communication. Their sensitive hearing allows them to keep in touch over long distances. They also use their ears as signaling devices, often to warn the herd of approaching danger.
Elephants produce a variety of vocalizations including trumpets, squeaks, chirps, and low frequency rumbles. Rumble vocalizations contain frequencies that are below the range of human hearing (infrasonic components). These low frequency calls can travel several miles and may be used to coordinate their movements.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo most recently turned down the gift of a waterproof and insulated coat for Lucy saying she does not need it. The Edmonton Valley Zoo says that she is too sick to move to a sanctuary, but refuses to let any elephant experts examine her other than their own veterinarian who passed away earlier this year. Please help Lucy. She deserves to live out the rest of her life happily in a sanctuary with other elephants of her own kind.

Lucy is a lone female Asian Elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo in Alberta, Canada. Lucy was purchased in 1977 at the age of 2 years. She lives in Edmonton with long, cold winters, a small inadequate space, very little for her to do, is socially isolated and suffers respiratory problems most likely due to the cold weather. The Edmonton Valley Zoo claims that Lucy is an unsocial elephant and is bonded to her keepers. Elephants like Lucy eat roots, grasses, fruit and bark, and they eat a lot of these things. They roam over great distances while foraging for the large quantities of food they require to sustain their massive bodies. Asian elephants tend to live in groups of 4-8 members. Elephants are highly intelligent animals that display complex social behaviors such as greeting ceremonies, tactile contacts, vocal communication, scent communication, social play, courtship, mating, birthing, parenting, communal care and teaching. Elephants have a number of adaptations that help them maintain communication. Their sensitive hearing allows them to keep in touch over long distances. They also use their ears as signaling devices, often to warn the herd of approaching danger. Elephants produce a variety of vocalizations including trumpets, squeaks, chirps, and low frequency rumbles. Rumble vocalizations contain frequencies that are below the range of human hearing (infrasonic components). These low frequency calls can travel several miles and may be used to coordinate their movements. The Edmonton Valley Zoo most recently turned down the gift of a waterproof and insulated coat for Lucy saying she does not need it. The Edmonton Valley Zoo says that she is too sick to move to a sanctuary, but refuses to let any elephant experts examine her other than their own veterinarian who passed away earlier this year. Please help Lucy. She deserves to live out the rest of her life happily in a sanctuary with other elephants of her own kind.

Update #38 years ago
The Edmonton Valley Zoo's provincial permit expires at the end of this month, on March 31st.
Please sign the petition and check out the Friends of Lucy face book page. Please contact the Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks, Honourable Shannon Phillips at AEP.Minister@gov.ab.ca and let them know that this zoos permit needs to be shut down.
We are running out of time...LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR LUCY!

Update #28 years ago
Please check out SaveLucy.ca
Update #18 years ago
Thank you all so much to everyone who has signed this petition. While I work on building a face book page or something bigger to get this message out there, I am going to please ask that if you are able, please add this petition to your own face book page or pass it around however possible. Lucy doesn't need to spend another winter here in Canada. Thank you all so much and know I will be working hard to get her moved as well. Happy New Year from Calgary, Canada!
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