PETA calls on Calgary Zoo to change handling of elephants

An American animal rights group is calling on the Calgary Zoo to change the way it handles elephants after a keeper was injured by one of the pachyderms over the weekend.

In a letter posted on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website,dated Monday, the group calls on the zoo tomove toa "protected-contact" elephant management system, which "means that keepers do not use any form of corporal punishment and that a safety barrier always separates the elephants and keepers."

The letter isaddressed to former Calgary Zoo president Alex Graham. The current president and CEO of the zoo is Dr. Clement Lanthier.

"There is absolutely no reason for any zoo to continue managing elephants in the old 'free-contact' style," the letter continues, adding that"aside fromeliminating the practice of keeping elephants in captivity altogether, protected-contact management is the only way to prevent keepers from being injured and killed."

The letter follows an injury to senior elephant keeper Brent Vanhooft, 48, who was knocked down by Swarna, a 34-year-old female elephant, on Sunday and sent to hospital with cuts and bruises on his face. The zoo said he was pushed from behind while cleaning the floor in the area where Swarna was standing. Vanhooft was at home recovering on Monday.

The letter, signed by the group's exotic animal specialistLisa Wathne,saysPETA had alreadyasked the zoo to make the change, in 2004 after another elephant keeper was injured.

"It is irresponsible for the zoo to allow keepers to continue using an outdated and dangerous form of elephant management that allows direct physical contact with the elephants," the letter concludes, calling on the zoo "to put the welfare of the zoo's elephants and keepers above everything else and immediately begin the conversion."

The group said several other North American zoos have already switched to this method of handling elephants.

Zoo officials are reviewing the incident, which follows a mysterious mass death in the aquarium. Last week, 40 stingrays died suddenly. Zoo officials are trying to find what killed them and say the three surviving rays are doing well.

Zookeepers are also keeping an eye on a baby western lowland gorilla born Thursday morning.