Denver to spend 50 million for elephant exhibit

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DENVER, Colorado - The Denver Zoo will start building a $50 millionexhibit for its elephants next year at a time when five major U.S.zoos are closing their pachyderm houses.Since 2004, zoos in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York and SanFrancisco have decided to eliminate their elephant exhibits, mainlyout of concern for the animals' well being, but also for financialreasons.Denver Zoo officials say their planned Asian Tropics exhibit —whichcould house up to 12 elephants — will greatly improve the herd'sliving conditions and help ensure the species' long-term survival.But animal-rights activists and others say keeping elephants incaptivity is barbaric."Zoos just can't meet the needs of these animals," said Marc Bekoff,author, researcher and former University of Colorado

biologyprofessor."Their social relationships are enduring, and they're complex," Bekoff said.-- full story:http://www.vaildail y.com/article/ 20080628/ NEWS/640138451/ 1062

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight - Albert Schweitzer

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