Toronto Zoo elephants are leaving! 🙁 Say goodbye to the elephants before they leave! FREE admission for kids 12 and under on weekends until October 14, 2013. This is really sad and hopefully Toronto Zoo will get their act together and take better care of animals in the future.
After nearly 40 years in Toronto, the Toronto Zoo continues to prepare for the departure of our three elephants, Toka, Thika and Iringa, occurring after Thanksgiving. This move is further to the City of Toronto Council decision to send our three African elephants from the Toronto Zoo to the PAWS Sanctuary in California. We appreciate the concern our Zoo friends and members have expressed on this topic and we understand the emotional impact this has for those who have visited our three elephants, over the four decades they have spent at the Toronto Zoo.
Viewing opportunities will be available daily from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, prior to their departure.
More details on Toronto Zoo Elephants leaving and Admission Here
It was never an issue of poor animal care. Toke, Thika, and Iringa get excellent care from a team that cares for them very much. The city council went over the heads of the zoo staff to vote to move the elephants to a sanctuary with known Tuberculosis infection history, due to some fast talking and connection with animal rights groups. Because of this, the zoo lost it’s AZA accreditation, which affects it’s ability to administer conservation programs for a number of endangered species. More info at http://zoosmatter.wordpress.com/
Thanks for the informative information Chrinstine! I hope this issue gets resolved in whatever way is best for the elephants!
Christine’s info is a bit one sided although she’s right the elephants leaving has never been an issue of care. It’s Canada, we have no business having African elephants in this climate. The AZA accreditation is regulated by a group that will cease to exist if zoos and aquariums don’t pay the annual registration fees so it’s in their best interest to ensure that the elephants stay in Canada even if it’s not in the animals’ best interest. It’s the same group that found there was no problem with animal treatment at Marineland.
You may want to reconsider the wording of your post, as it really was never an issue of animal care
“This is really sad and hopefully Toronto Zoo will get their act together and take better care of animals in the future.”
implies that the TO Zoo is neglecting the animals in their care….and this is not the case as stated above.
I have to concur with the above posts and say that I never recalled reading it was a case of neglect or mistreatment on the part of the zoo. Lack of experience (older elephants in Canada), but not lack of care.
I am a true believer that wild animals should not be kept for human viewing pleasure. I for one am sick and tired of reading about animal – and that means ALL animals large and small – abuse. It will never ever stop in our lifetime.
Rose, what about animals that are born in captivity and cannot fend for themselves in the wild? Should they just be put down? It seems pointless, especially when it’s an endangered animal like the African elephant.
You should really be editing the post. Also a bit of research before you make a post would be wise.