L.A. City Councilman /*Tony Cardenas*/ wants to stop construction on the $40-million elephant exhibit at the L.A. Zoo because he says it's not humane enough. Instead he wants something better and much bigger. He wants to form a new committee to find at least 60 acres of land somewhere in Los Angeles to build a local sanctuary. And he has the backings of celebrities like Bob Barker.
The city has already spent more than $10 million on the zoo's new 3.5-acre exhibit. The zoo's director argues that making it bigger doesn't necessarily make it better. And on the zoo side, Councilman /*Tom LaBonge*/ and actress Betty White say the exhibit has to be small enough to educate people. At least one educator at Wednesday's meeting agreed.
"It is in the best place it can be now. It can be improved. Let's give the L.A. Zoo the opportunity to do that. Let's put the money in public hands where it can be watched and closely monitored. Let's keep this animal accessible to the public school students," said LAUSD schoolteacher Mrs. Mendaville.
"Let's do get Billy out of that zoo, we're for that," said animal-rights activist /*Bob Barker*/. "Let's do close the elephant exhibit at the zoo. Zoos all over the country -- in fact, all over the world -- are closing elephant exhibits. Everybody knows that's passé. And let's do eventually get this sanctuary."
Councilman Cardenas's proposal to stop construction on the zoo's elephant exhibit has been referred to the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee and a motion to shut down the Pachyderm Forest is expected to be back before council in the next two weeks
- Get more local news headlines from Los Angeles
- Have a news tip? Send your tips, video, or pictures
