Letter to the Editor:
I want to first acknowledge that the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as a global organization does great work in the field of conservation and routinely assists with the rescue and rehabilitation of trafficked animals. However, WCS needs to step up and actually “stand for wildlife” by not allowing animals to be kept in captivity for human amusement.
The death of Happy the Asian Elephant is deeply saddening, not only for the loss of a magnificent elephant whose life was anything but happy, but for the disappointing response by the Bronx Zoo’s interim president. The lawsuits brought in defense of Happy’s rights as a self-aware individual are NOT frivolous. Zoo management should welcome the opportunity to being anew by releasing Patty, now the lone elephant confined at the zoo, to an accredited elephant sanctuary. Additionally, the standard established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) does not permit a lone female elephant to be held in captivity.
The rationalization that animals like Happy and Patty are ambassadors for their species is a pipedream at best. Zoos are an antiquated relic, and visitors are more entertained by animatronic dinosaurs than living, breathing, thinking animals that deserve better.
Christina DeRespiris, New Rochelle
