© Paul WilliamsToronto Zoo is now boasting that its “international accreditation” has been restored—and, apparently, we are all supposed to give a big sigh of relief. Forget it.[teaserbreak]
Four years ago, the accreditation from the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AAZA) was revoked. AAZA’s Canadian version, the Canadian Association for Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA), threatened to do the same, but never did.
You see, the zoo had three aging elephants it could no longer care for without a massive expenditure it could not pay for. One had a bad foot problem, as tends to happen to elephants when held captive on hard ground for long periods. Sadly, she recently died.
The zoo was, and is, owned by Toronto, so City Council had, and still has, final say. Zoocheck and other animal protection groups wanted the elephants moved to a sanctuary to live out their lives with far more space than could be provided in the AAZA-accredited facilities favored by the zoo staff.
After much debate, the council chose to send the animals to the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS): a sanctuary in California with far more space than could be provided by any AAZA-accredited facility, but with all other state-of-the-art amenities. The elephants could finally live as close to how they evolved to live (as possible in captivity), while receiving excellent care. (PAWS is not AAZA-accredited because it is not a zoo. It’s a sanctuary, and is therefore accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries [GFAS], which does not accredit zoos.)
Among many concerns by CAZA was the distance the animals had to be moved. Mind you, that concern did not apply to other zoos, such as Calgary (which, at nearly the same time, also sent several elephants across the U.S.—almost the same distance).
More disturbingly, in 2006, Bowmanville Zoo, a private zoo east of Toronto, was to send an elephant, Angus, far, far further—to Africa—to perform in a documentary. After 20 years of earning money for zoo owner Michael Hackenberger, who would look good for “saving” Angus, the animal was to go not to an AAZA-accredited facility, but to a game farm: rather like a sanctuary, minus the care facilities. It was all to be an episode on Animal Planet.
In preparation for the long journey, Angus was given tranquilizers—something not advised for elephants. And, a month before departure, Angus died.
CAZA stuck by Bowmanville, as it has with other zoos, such as Marineland Niagara Falls… no matter how many reports of animal abuse surfaced.
Less than two weeks ago, Hackenberger was charged by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) with five counts relating to allegedly beating a tiger with a whip, as caught by an undercover agent with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and then boasting about his abusive animal training methods. CAZA took away Hackenberger’s membership (but not, it seems, the zoo’s accreditation). Hackenberger “stepped down” as zoo director while protesting his innocence and maintaining zoo ownership.
The take-home message is that nothing has changed. Toronto Zoo had always sent animals to non-AAZA or CAZA-accredited facilities—even, until exposed via media, game farms where they could be shot—and still sends animals to non-accredited facilities.
While media report that Bowmanville lost its accreditation, it apparently did not. It’s just sanctuaries—which are best for the animals—that are forbidden. Lack of AAZA accreditation did nothing to impede day-to-day operations at Toronto Zoo, and Toronto City Council is still in charge. It’s all so silly and meaningless, but enough to fool people, sad to say.
Keep wildlife in the wild,
Barry