By Canadian Press

Edmonton zoo says 47-year-old Asian elephant Lucy is too sick to be moved

Mar 21, 2023 | 11:47 AM

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Valley Zoo is releasing medical information about an elephant in its care named Lucy after animal rights groups protested for years that she should be moved to a sanctuary.

The zoo says it has been working closely with the animal advocacy group Free the Wild since October 2022.

It says most visiting experts agreed that the 47-year-old Asian elephant is unfit to travel.

In a news release, it says Lucy is to remain at the zoo, where she has been living for more than 45 years.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals turned to the legal system in Canada to move Lucy to a sanctuary in the United States.

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In 2012, PETA took the case to the Supreme Court, where the application was dismissed.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo says Lucy has severe condition of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels in her blood and tissues, which makes her breathe solely from her mouth.

The experts also discovered a uterine tumour that is common in female elephants that have never given birth. 

The Canadian Press