After all the drama of the last year is there any chance that the Toronto Zoo will just decide to build a new elephant exhibit and keep them at the zoo?
I completely agree with you about reason number 3. I don't think it's a good reason to not keep the elephants but I know that if the elephants stayed, animal rights people would do whatever they could to close the zoo. I think the zoo would rather just send the elephants away than deal with that.
They will try to close Toronto Zoo (and all zoos) either, no matter if the elephants stay or not.
The politic of appeasement is (as - if this historical comparison is allowed - it was before World War II by Chamberlain and Daladier versus Hitler) the wrong way when debating with an aggressor (which animal rights activists are). You have to face and controvert them - not physical and not on an emotional base but with scientific facts.
The zoo decided to end the elephant program before the decision was made by the ****** at city council to listen to even stupider Bob Barker and the activists. They knew they didnt want to pay for what would have been necessary to keep the girls at the AZA standard level and expand the herd. At the time they suggested a cost of 16 million to make the necessary upgrades... likely much more by the time all would have been said and done. Considering the costs and space required for just one species its not a bad decision to end the program. The zoo wanted them to go to the National Elephant Conservation Center in Florida though and were close to a deal before people who think they know better than professionals made the decision for them. Bobs offer to pay for all transport costs sadly sealed their fate because the cheap twit politicians liked the idea of not paying for the move. After all the horrible mud slung at the zoo I think its just better that they go and we can now all move forward as horrible as it is to say. People can focus on the zoo for all of the right reasons once they are gone.
@TZFan: Don't get me wrong. There might be some good or at least valuable arguments to end elephant keeping at Toronto Zoo (whether I share them or not) and I also know that the decision is done. Its only that I don't can be agree that a zoo has to say yes and amen because they are scared of reactions of animal right activists...
