Although Canada did not make the list of top 10 worst zoos for elephants in North America, the Edmonton Valley Zoo did get called out as a repeat offender.
The organization, In Defense of Animals, compiled a list of the worst zoos for elephants in North America, which they say reveals “the premature deaths, brutal breeding procedures, and flagrant violations of animal welfare rules” that take place.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is home to Lucy, an Asian elephant, where In Defense of Animals says that she suffers from health problems that could be improved if she were transferred to a warm-weather elephant sanctuary.
“If there’s one entry on our list that just won’t go away, it’s Edmonton Valley Zoo,” says Toni Frohoff Ph.D., In Defense of Animals elephant scientist. “Here, poor Lucy, an Asian elephant, lives a lonely life of solitary confinement in a bone-chilling prison in one of the coldest cities in Canada.”
According to the Edmonton Valley Zoo's website, where health updates on the elephant can also be found, Lucy was orphaned in Sri Lanka and was brought to them through a partnership with the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage and Colombo Zoo.
A number of YouTube videos like the one above can also be found on the zoo's website, which gives insight into how they care for Lucy.
According to the organization, a legal challenge was launched by Zoocheck and Voice For Animals against the issuance of the zoo’s annual provincial permit requiring that the facility complies with Alberta Zoo Standards.
The organization says that the aim was to “achieve compliance with regional zoo standards, thereby resulting in the relief of Lucy’s distress, ensuring a safer environment for her, as well as for visitors to the zoo.”
However, it was ruled that Alberta's Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, and Environment and Parks, are not responsible for ensuring that the zoo is in compliance with the standards before issuing the annual zoo permit. Zoocheck and Voice for Animals are currently appealing that decision.
As a result, the Edmonton Valley Zoo has been labeled a “repeat offender” in the list, along with the Bronx Zoo in Bronx, New York.
1. Topeka Zoo, Topeka, Kansas
2. Pittsburgh Zoo and International Conservation Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska
4. Louisville Zoo, Louisville, Kentucky
5. Oregon Zoo, Portland, Oregon
6. Myrtle Beach Safari, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
7. Two Tails Ranch, Williston, Florida
8. St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri
9. Natural Bridge Zoo, Rockbridge County, Virginia
10. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia, South Carolina
