"Voice for the Animals" Fights for Elephants at Los Angeles Zoo

Melya Kaplan is a teacher and an activist. As the Founder and Executive Director of Voice for the Animals Foundation, Kaplan speaks out on behalf of the elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo.

"The tide is turning. Elephant exhibits are being phased out all over this country. The Bronx Zoo is phasing out their elephant exhibit. Meanwhile, the Detroit Zoo has already closed their elephant exhibit. There are economic issues and passionate issues, such as the health and care of the animal, but no elephant should be in a zoo. The elephant is the largest mammal and it's too large to be held in a zoo. Elephants are social beings and yet they are being separated from their families. Zoos don't offer a natural habitat for elephants. There's not enough room for them, they´re in confinement and it's truly unfair," Kaplan explained.

"Billy, a 19-year-old male Asian elephant, is all alone at the L.A. Zoo. We want him to be moved to a sanctuary. Ruby was at the L.A. Zoo and now she´s in a sanctuary. She´s having a great time, romping around with her friends."

Kaplan notes that elephants are managed with a bull hook, fear, domination, and violence. "There are many factors in play that prevent elephants from being moved to sanctuaries. Some zoo employees want to do the right thing, but politics come into play and misplaced education. Kids do not learn about elephants by seeing them at the zoo. Thirty years ago times were different. Some people who perpetuate the problem grew up in a different era, but we need to evolve," Kaplan said.

"Part of evolution is education. Educating ourselves about elephants. We need to ask: 'Can we meet the needs of elephants?' The answer is a resounding 'No!' Los Angeles is supposed to be cutting-edge, but it's not. Billy needs to leave the L.A. Zoo. It's cruel keeping him by himself. In captivity, Billy will only live half of his natural life span. He's already 19 so he needs to move now."

Kaplan works hard through her foundation to educate the public. "The elephants are number one. They are suffering the most. As human caretakers, we're supposed to be the most compassionate tenants on the planet. We are not that. Look at the animals in captivity. We use them. We need to re-examine the captivity of wild animals because once they live in a zoo, they can never be returned to the wild," Kaplan said.

"The world has changed. We have computers and the Internet. We need to open our minds. There's been education about the way animals are trained and brutalized in a cruel environment in the circus, yet they still exist. It's shocking when you hear the circus is in town. They were in L.A. in June. We're breaking up families, putting animals in confinement, for what? It´s not entertainment anymore. Old timers are holding onto another era that is long over."

Kaplan reminds parents that zoos and circuses teach nothing about animals. "A group of students sat in front of the elephant exhibit for four or five hours interviewing people asking what they learned about the elephant. They learned nothing. Only that the elephant is big and gray with a long trunk. Well, children can learn much more about animals on Discovery, Animal Planet, or bring experts into the classroom, show videos, or talk to the kids about the life of an elephant. As a teacher, I go into schools and they learn from me."

Kaplan understands families who want to spend a beautiful Saturday on an outing at the zoo. "I do understand that approach. But, if they take their children to the zoo, look at the animals. Are they really happy? And, ask yourself, what am I really teaching my child? The world is changing and we've got to evolve with it," Kaplan said. "We need to teach so others can learn. Don´t pull animals out of their natural environment. Now that the animals are in zoos, we want to work with them to make it as close as possible to the animals' natural environment."

For more information on the Los Angeles Zoo Watch visit www.VFTAFoundation.org.

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