A lonely, barren existence for elephant

Does the elephant in question, a 34-year-old female from Sri Lanka, really look that curious?

To me she looks malungkot (lonely). You would be too, if you were taken from your home, kicking and screaming, to be later confined in a small space with little or nothing to do for the rest of your life.

It’s a barren, dusty and miserable existence for one of our planet’s most intelligent animals. While she has it bad, some of the zoo’s less lucky animals have it even worse. The monkey exhibit is nothing more than a collection of barren cages, without so much as a single leaf provided to replicate a natural environment.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim’s claim that some of Manila Zoo’s animal residents, in captivity, live beyond their life span is a weak argument. I think all of us would prefer to live to 75 surrounded by friends and family, rather than living 100 lonely years in a prison cell. After a lifetime of misery, even the best birthday cake would taste like dust.

Carlos Celdran advises all tourists who take his tours not to go to Manila Zoo. Would he do that if it were the brilliant source of education and entertainment that Lim so often claims it to be?

I understand why our neighboring countries are dragging their feet when it comes to donating more animals to this already overcrowded zoo. There’s such little space available, that any new arrival might be forced to bunk up with existing residents. I don’t see a long future for the joint zebra/lion exhibit, but maybe Lim does. After all, he does seem determined to leave behind a legacy of cruelty.

Many animal rights groups such as the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), are calling for the zoo to be closed permanently. They’re not alone in their thoughts either, with groups popping up on Facebook and an abundance of petitions circulating the Web sounding out similar calls.

Mayor Lim should hang his head in shame.

—ROBERT FRY,

rj_fry@hotmail.com