Bob Barker pleas for release of zoo's elephants

[muchlove]

Bob Barker pleads for elephants' release

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bob Barker pleaded with city officials to close the Los Angeles Zoo's pachyderm exhibit and allow its three elephants to retire to a sanctuary.

Appearing jovial when he arrived at Friday's City Council meeting, the veteran game show host and longtime animal rights activist turned serious when he began to talk about the zoo's elephants, Gita, Ruby and Billy.

"I came here today to ask, to beg you ... to vote to release those elephants from that zoo," Barker said. "They have lived in misery."

Gita and Ruby are ill, leaving only Billy on display. A fourth elephant, Tara, died in 2004.

Several zoos nationwide, including San Francisco's, have closed their elephant exhibits.

Barker denounced plans to build a 2-acre, $19 million exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo that supporters say would provide a spacious and more natural environment for the elephants. The 82-year-old host of "The Price is Right" said it was too costly and would likely be obsolete by the time it is completed.

The exhibit was not an issue on the council's agenda and no vote was taken.

"There's only one solution to the tragic, the embarrassing elephant problem going on at (the zoo), and it's to release those elephants from captivity and place them in a sanctuary," Barker said.

usatoday

[ourmaninBusan]

That poor pachyderm looks really, really sick.

[twitchy]

That elephant looks as though it's been standing under pidgeons!

[moomies]

Sorry OT


I was watching this documentary on Elephants in Thailand (and the elephant trainers) and I happened to see two elephants mating...and the male's you know what was as big as his trunk...so yea there might be some truth to the age old myth that nose is a good indicator of the size... Anyhoo...

It was a very good documentary, it was really nice to see humans and elephants co-existing in peace (but of course there were issues like urbanization and environmental degradattion etc).
Hope these elephants at the zoo will be able to live at the sanctuary.

[LynnieD]

You know, is there anyone on the planet that hasn't seen or heard of The Price is Right??? Seriously, even uncivilized countries w/no TV's know who this guy is. And we LOVE him!! I appreciate that he has used his celebrity to champion for animal causes and makes it a point to incorporate it into the show everyday.
It'll be a damn sad day when this guy is no longer around....he's just one of those guys that has been around for so damn long, like Dick Clark, that you just cannot believe will ever die. I'm sad just thinking about it.....