Edmonton Valley Zoo and the Lucy controversy

What's buzzin Hive!!

Whoa, should I picking out lambo colors or what cottage home in the Rockies I want? Last I checked, .66 cents is quite a nice jump after that long crypto winter, will we see a dollar in the next little while? I think it's official enough to say ALT SEASON might be kicking off for real, will we reach ATH? Ok, back to the topic intended way too soon for lambos and country houses but a girl can dream but not rich yet, or for a long while! A while back before the pandemic, I had a visit at our beloved zoo but I never got around to posting all the pictures, only a few, yes I am bad for that I know. Lots of it is I get distracted easy since I go to these events more for myself than to post about it. Parts of it was also because the zoo closed for covid for quite some time so writing about it felt weird. Some pictures you may have seen while others will be new to Hive.

Red Panda, aren't they just the cutest thing!

It's been officially announced that after a 3 month closure the zoo will re-open to the public this Thursday March 25 after a long break. Tickets for entry will only be available thru online ticket sales and will be at reduced capacity to fit with the current 15% of normal capacity like every other businesses in Alberta. The buildings will not be accessible, only the outdoor activities until we move into phase 3 of re-opening which seems like they will delay for a few weeks as cases are rising again and all the variants (up too 100 different variants in Alberta).

Many things have changed since, one of our Red Panda matriarch has passed away of old age but many babies of other species were born recently some still as young as 21 days old. I really want to go see the babies. Some include camels and the near-by enclosure of the rarer Asian Takin, that baby Takin is SOOOO ADORABLE, I can't wait to meet them. @silvergingerman will be working but I don't care, I'll go by myself if I have to! From what I could see, the cariboo still have their winter colors as well, I only ever seen them brown for summer. No promises of a post about baby Takin but I will try. Other changes have been made during the closure, the red panda and tiger habitats has been upgraded along with a few others.

What is the Lucy controversy? If you grew up in North- America in the 90's, most of us grew up watching Bob Barker and "The price is Right" on snowdays off school. Any of you ever pay attention to the message at the end of the show "SAVE LUCY THE ELEPHANT" ? Well my friends today you get to virtually meet Lucy and hear her story, maybe you can even weight in you thoughts on the subject.

Lucy is a 45 year old Asian Elephant from Sri Lanka and the belief is that our climate is too cold for her and there are concerns for her health and joints as she gets older and she is not getting enough of the quality outdoor exercises she needs for her species. Very real concerns indeed with a huge impact but here is the story they don't tell...

Lucy was found orphaned, sick and emaciated as a baby due to poaching activities. She was in really bad shape and in dire need of immediate help but the sanctuary that rescued her didn't have any room to take her permanently. Would she be better off in a warmer climate from the beginning? Yes indeed she would have so why wasn't she placed in a more suitable climate? Nobody wanted her, nobody wanted to care for her. No zoos, no sanctuaries, nothing. Every establishment claimed they had no room for her or adequate resources to raise her at the time. Edmonton understanding that yes, it is too cold for an Asian Elephant in Alberta and she would have been better off somewhere else but after analyzing the situation and with nobody willing to take her in, The Edmonton Valley Zoo decided that the wrong climate was better than the certain death of an orphan in need and agreed to make room for her and develop a program and indoor space fit for her to live in. She is also a little peculiar and shy around other elephants with no desire to socialize with them after numerous attempts, she displayed a preference for human companionship.

The plan includes many open free walks in the zoo accompanied by her handlers among the visitors. Timing your visits right, you can actually join her on her walks. She is very calm and well mannered around crowds. Of course we still can't get close enough to touch her and her handlers are more to keep the general public from crowding her for her safety rather than public safety. Messing with Lucy will get you in a lot of trouble and kicked off the area. They are also helpful in answering any questions bout her or her species and daily routine. The rest of the time is spent indoors with a large enclosure building just for her. Her care takers constantly asses her health and well-being and adjust her routine according to her specific needs and the climate.

https://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_events/edmonton_valley_zoo/facts-vs-myths.aspx

Being over 40, her health has been deteriorating in the predicted ways because of the cold climate along with the loneliness that comes with being the only elephant in town but to move her now could have deadly consequences as aging elephants don't move well and causes a lot of stress for the animal. With the memory of an elephant, being moved from the only place she has ever know could cause depression even if she does survive the move. Weighting all the options and taking her well being as a primary concern, moving her at this point would be more detrimental to her health than to let her finish her life in Edmonton in the not so perfect climate as originally intended.

Advocacy groups are still up in arms trying to get Lucy moved and also harassing zoo keepers and her handlers to go as far as calling it cruelty to animals. If her only other option was certain death, is it cruel to house her here from the beginning so she could still have a chance at life? Is it worth trying to move her now after over 40 years even if it causes her death? Separating her from her home and all she's ever known, even if it's not 100% meeting her needs as an elephant? The only city that stepped up to care for her when she was in dire need? The reason she shouldn't be moved is because she suffers from respiratory problems that get aggravated when she is stressed with a narrowing passage in her trunk that continues to get worse as she ages and adds difficulty while she's eating naturally being a mouth-breather unlike the rest of her kind.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6283521/lucy-edmonton-valley-zoo-examination-sanctuary/

Truth is, no she will not live as long as she should have had she been initially placed in a more suitable climate but there was no other suitable care centers that stepped up for the task until much later, she's only alive because we welcomed her into our city and we celebrate her even if she a bit of an oddity for the north. I see some countries where these elephants are ridden and abused into submission or all chained up. Is Edmonton that cruel? We don't ride her or keep her chained up. During the winter, they take her out on shorter walks but more frequently with her body temperature monitored.

Not that I know much about elephant moods but she seems happy here especially out on her walks, loves interacting and is quite affectionate with her caretakers, she loves her visitors and giving us a show and signing her elephant songs when out on her free walks around the zoo. She is so calm that they don't need to secure her in an enclosure or restraints when she is out and about socializing with her guests. We understand the risks of keeping her here but understand this, there are much greater risks to move her now. We adore and celebrate her and it would break our hearts to lose such an icon now after so long, Lucy is part of us. Here is a link so you can get a preview of her life in Edmonton. If you get to visit the zoo, keep an eye out for her interactive social walks, her schedule is generally posted at her building's entrance.

https://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_events/edmonton_valley_zoo/lucy-news.aspx

Artic Wolf

Peregrine Falcons are super endangered here in Alberta and under strict government and environmental protection. They prefer nesting in real high places compared to other birds making their nests safe from predators. I get too see them at work all the time as they nest on top of oil refining or power generating equipment (oddly enough) We can't get near them or we'll get fired (and some have tried, hope it was worth their job!) but we do see them flying around many of our jobsites.

Clearly there are many more animals than an elephant and a family of red pandas, the edmonton zoo is called home by over 350 animals from exotic to native species. Birds of prey including the locally endangered peregrine falcon and various owls and other birds of prey. Open for the first time July first in 1959 sits on the banks of the North Saskatchewan near our downtown, it's a rather small zoo compared to other facilities but contains enough to keep any animal lover entertained for an afternoon. They are generally open from 10 am to 4 pm daily and offer many interactive activities and meet ups with animals but this requires advanced booking. The more intimate activities with the animals and staff may be suspended until that covid mess is sorted out. They also offer learning programs in association with other non profits for children with various day camps at other locations and sanctuaries.

I don't remember what type of owl that is, it's common to North-America so lets call it a regular owl?!?🤣

Burrowing owl, these owls are rather small and prefer spending their time on the ground looking for worms and other insects it can gig out of the ground, also pretty common.

Big ol Barn Owl, typically native of Brittan rather than Canada, this majestic creature had a photo of alien looking baby birds circulating around a few years back that somehow started conspiracy theories, this is the species in question, sorry to break to you no baby aliens landed here yet(that we have evidence of). This species likes to perch in barns, as their name suggest.

Each of the species have specially designed habitats suitable for their needs resembling their natural habitat with the guidance of various conservation programs to ensure the best conditions for each. Bigger animals that can handle the cold climate are housed outside with an available shelter meanwhile many smaller exotic species reside in various buildings to visit since they can't survive our harsh winter climate.

The odd picture is an Australian Kookaburra (silver stackers, we know what they are 😂😍). This bird is funny, it's call sounds like a really bad laugh and the zoo's pair residents get excited every time a visitor walk by them and it sounds like they are making fun of you, cute not so little birds! All other pictures are from a pair of Emu and obviously, a large proud bird that loves the camera and fun to photograph, especially their captive eyes. Very friendly pair, I'm not sure the wild ones would be as nice, they look like they could really mess you up!

Black Swan, common enough, these ones have their wings clipped so they can't fly away, why their feathers look a little off., still a beautiful species, they are prettier than the white ones any day, well that's my opinion anyway.

In the background, the zoo takes part in various conservation efforts and captivity breeding programs for endangered or at risk species also participating in exchanges with other zoos across Canada and the rest of the world to ensure genetic variety for optimal future health of the resident animals.

This next series of pictures are various exotic animals and birds that cannot survive our harsh winter so they are housed indoors. Some are in pairs while others live with other species that have symbiotic relationships with in the wild, more common with small monkeys.

I missed a lot during my initial walk because I ran out of time and wanted to spend at least a half hour with the red pandas before closing. My next visit, I plan on going right at opening at 10 am so I can take my time and see it all. I don't visit zoos very often because I have issues with wild animals in captivity in small enclosures, why the buildings especially bother me but I understand for some it's their only chance since some of the residents are rehabilitated animals that wouldn't otherwise make it in the wild for various reasons including health conditions that require lifetime vet care. Nonetheless, being an empath, I can tell some of them are really depressed. Most seemed pretty happy but some really broke my heart seeing their sadness, a specific monkey comes to mind, I don't have pictures of him, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It felt wrong.

The Meerkat exhibit was probably one of the cutest in the buildings, looks like a box of fluffy oddly looking kittens. They typically sleep in a bunch to retain heat with one of the mates staying awake and keeping guard for the sleeping pile. They will alternate the designated watchmen. This watchmen was really intrigued with @silvergingerman and gave us quite a few cute poses but thru glass it distorts the image a bit.

I'm not sure what these are exactly, first time seeing it, I have so much to learn about the animal kingdom!

A Chinese icon and protected species is the Sichuan Takin, one of the babies I am anticipating, they look like a giant fluffy goat and the babies are so small compared to the adults. The Takin is considered under threat in China due to poaching and habitat loss. Much like the Red Panda, this species is mostly elusive making it difficult to get a head count in the wild with unknown numbers and rare sightings they are by default considered under threat and protected. They prefer mountainous areas much like rams and Cariboo, they will migrate lower into the valleys when food at altitude gets scarce.

Sichuan Takin is a rather weird looking animal but look at this cuteness, imagine that in mini baby size! AWWWE😍🥰

Big Horn Sheep aka Ram, these are my buddies from the Rockies. They seem a bit smaller and lighter in color in captivity compared to wild ones that seem browner in color but just as active and playful, I prefer the wild ones naturally.

Wildland Cariboo in it's summer colors. In winter the fur is a lighter color like what most imagine out of a reindeer. Not many remain in the wild in Alberta especially in the Rockies. Seeing them in a zoo is probably the easiest option to catch a glimpse of this elusive creature. This is where they hang out when Santa doesn't need them!😋

Snow Leopard. Sorry for the less than desirable quality, given their climbing and high jumping capabilities, they have quite a tall fence around their enclosure so they don't escape. Someday after covid, I plan to check on having a personal meet with him and the artic wolf (this activity comes at additional costs and are temporarily suspended with covid.

Well this concludes this walk for now. Cheers my friends! X🐞X