Advocate Discusses Zoo Elephant Controversy on "Talking Animals"

Talking Animals Mar 04 2009 11:30AM

Our guest on "Talking Animals," March 4, at 11:30am, will be CATHERINE DOYLE, an elephant advocate and central figure in what's become a national story about the debate that's erupted over the Los Angeles Zoo, its lone elephant, Billy, and the Zoo's plans to build a $42 million "Pachyderm Forest" elephant exhibit.

Lined up opposite those who operate the L.A. Zoo stands a sizable faction of folks--advocates like Doyle, as well as internationally renowned elephant experts, animal-savvy prominent figures in other fields and others maintain that the new exhibit would be a waste of money because it still doesn't provide a sound, humane way to display elephants in zoos, and that Billy should not only not be living alone at the LA Zoo, but should be relocated to a sanctuary.

This debate intersects a pioneering, peer-reviewed study published in the Dec. 2008 journal Science, documenting that elephants in zoos live dramatically shorter lives than their wild counterparts.

Doyle is affiliated with In Defense of Animals, which annually issues a "Ten Worst Zoos For Elephants" list--the IDA's recently released 2008 list includes Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, Lowry's first appearance on the list.

We'll be speaking with Catherine Doyle live on March 4, and listeners are invited to call (813-239-9663) or e-mail (DJ@wmnf.org) to participate in the conversation.