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This morning I attending one of many meetings at the Los Angeles City Council concerning the fate of Billy the Elephant, who occupies a relatively small enclosure at the L.A. Zoo, and the fate of the 6 acre Pachyderm Forest currently under construction adjacent to the current elephant exhibit.
A couple of years ago, when the city was enjoying a better economy, the people of Los Angeles approved a bond measure that would pay for a facelift and modernization of the Zoo. A portion of the money has already been spent on the Campo Gorilla Reserve, a new home for the great apes who already belonged to the Zoo, and another exhibit called The Golden Monkey Pavillion, which is complete and waiting for the new inhabitants who will arrive from China sometime in the near future.
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But wealthy wackos like Bob Barker and Lily Tomlin, in cooperation with radical animal activists, who hate all zoos and see the residents as victims and prisoners, have beenagitating to stop construction of the new Pachyderm Forest, simply because they disapprove of any animals held in captivity.
The proposed exhibit will include shade trees, a waterfall, wading pools and sand pits, designed to simulate the natural environment, and to be fun and interesting for Elephant and visitor alike. The 6 acres of roaming land that will house 4-5 adults with their young offspring, will also have 2 additional acres of Elephant barns where the animals can sleep at night. The Elephants will be allowed to roam in and out of the barns at night, to prevent conflict between the co-inhabitants.
But this is not enough for the wackos, who showed up at the City Council meeting wearing buttons bearing the unimaginative slogan "Free Billy."
I had one of these nutters sit next to me, only to freak out when she discovered that she was surrounded by Zoo supporters. We reassured her that we also loved animals, and that we would not bite, but she sheepishly got up and backed away from us as if she had found herself in a pit of vipers!
Unfortunately, although 2 years ago the City Council had voted in favor of the Zoo 9 to 2, many of them have crossed over to the dark side, and there are only about 4 councilmembers whose vote we are certain of. It is speculated that one Councilmember represents a district that may be considered as a large Elephant sanctuary, and there is some speculation that he may be getting large campaign contributions to the owner of the land in question, who would be happy to lease the property for millions of dollars to the City.
I have written all of this to let you know that the Los Angeles Zoo needs your support! GLAZA, the orginization that raises additional funding for the Zoo, has promised to try and raise money for the project through private funds, taking the burden off the city.
You can help by writing letters to the City Council, or by joining the Zoo, or making a direct contribution to the Pachyderm Forest.
To find out how you can help, please email:
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