Where Does Lucy the Elephant Belong?

As a vegetarian and a member of PETA, I fully support animal rights. But I also happen to think that Valley Zoo's Lucy the elephant belongs in Edmonton. I know this is a controversial issue and that many people are currently arguing that Lucy should be moved to an elephant sanctuary in the US that is willing to take her, but I believe that Lucy should stay in Edmonton.

Let's get down to some basic facts: while it’s true that elephants are social animals, technically elephants do not need other elephants for companionship. Elephants can makes friends with anything: dogs, elephants, people…. And according to the zoo’s veterinarian, Milton Ness, Lucy is one of those elephants that has happily bonded with her human keepers – in fact, she has many people friends pampering her daily. What would your reaction be if someone showed up at your house and decided to take your dog (or cat or tarantula) away, because you didn't have a second dog to keep it company? It's the same thing with Lucy. Just as you keep your dog company, the zookeepers keep Lucy company.

More importantly though, the zoo has argued that a trip to an elephant sanctuary in the US would be long and stressful for Lucy, who is 34 years old. Lucy has breathing problems, making any long voyage not only a difficult one for her, but possibly a dangerous and fatal one. And who's to say Lucy wouldn't miss Edmonton, where she has lived most of her life? There's always a chance that Lucy wouldn't find new friends in the sanctuary, just like there's a chance people won't make friends everywhere they go.

Let's also not forget that there are much greater battles to be fought in the world: Haiti has just suffered a massive earthquake, there is an AIDS crisis in Africa, a war in the Middle East and countless injustices going on in our own country. It's time we turned our attention and money to feeding the hungry and reaching out to those who have less in our world.