Lucy the elephant should stay at Edmonton zoo, is a lesson for best practice, say city councillors

Lucy the elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, in Edmonton on Tuesday March 21, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Lucy the elephant, a longtime resident of the Edmonton Valley Zoo and topic of heated debate on the quality of her care, now has two city councillors vouching for her to stay put.

Coun. Jon Morgan and Erin Rutherford previously echoed activists’ concerns about the Asian elephant’s livelihood due to her lack of herd mates and Edmonton’s harsh climate.

But both councillors, after what they said was lengthy consultation with animal welfare advocates, the zoo’s animal care team and meeting Lucy herself, have now issued a joint statement acknowledging that best practice would be to keep the geriatric pachyderm where she is for the remainder of her life.

Rutherford said the conclusion came from a more in-depth understanding of the toll moving her to another sanctuary may take.

“Not just her chronic and ongoing health conditions, like the odd way that she breathes, but also understanding really where she is, and when you compare her with something like your grandmother that’s aging, at what point do you put them under more stress?” she told reporters Friday.

Lucy, who is now 50, has lived in Edmonton since she was two years old. She’s assessed yearly by outside experts, some of whom have recently said she’s at “significant risk” of dying in transit and has been receiving good care at her current home.

Rutherford and Morgan’s statement acknowledges a myriad of concerns from advocates and protestors on her comfort and wellbeing, but says the time to relocate her has long passed.

“In the past, they’ve tried to get her acquainted with other elephants, and it just has not been successful, as she’s pretty tied to her handlers there at the Valley Zoo,” Morgan added.

Both say Lucy should now serve as a “beacon” for future zoos on how to appropriately care for large animals’ social and space needs.

“The standards and understanding of animal care have evolved significantly since Lucy first came to Edmonton in the 1970s,” the statement reads.

“Looking back, multiple parties recognize that bringing an animal like Lucy to an Edmontonian climate would not align with today’s practices. This is a difficult, but necessary truth to face.”

Lucy has been the subject of numerous protests over the years. In 2012, PETA filed a lawsuit against the Edmonton Valley Zoo over what it said was Lucy’s “abusive and illegal” living conditions as a solitary elephant. That application was dismissed.

In 2021, the zoo was ranked as the worst one for elephants in North America by international advocacy organization In Defense of Animals.

Morgan and Rutherford say there are no imminent plans to move Lucy, but council had received numerous emails and requests to look into it, which prompted their public stance.

Their statement further says that Lucy’s current infrastructure has been “designed with longevity in mind” and notes that she’s been retired for years, often roaming the grounds and living an autonomous life.

“As animal lovers and advocates ourselves we support continued investment in her care, including the infrastructure upgrades and additional resources needed to ensure she is comfortable, supported, and treated with dignity at this stage of her life.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson