What to know<\/p>\n
\u200b\u200bA viral video of African Lion Safari elephants walking in the snow has sparked widespread public concern about the welfare of captive elephants in Canada.<\/p>\n
Multiple animal-welfare organizations say the concern is justified, arguing that Canada\u2019s climate and captive environments cannot meet elephants\u2019 socio-biological needs.<\/p>\n
Advocates are calling on the federal government to revive legislation that would end elephant captivity in Canada, stressing that elephants do not belong in the country\u2019s climate or entertainment facilities.<\/p>\n
African Lion Safari defends its practices, saying its elephants are well-adapted, receive specialized care, and have access to large outdoor spaces and heated indoor facilities.<\/p>\n
A video of African Lion Safari\u2019s elephants seemingly playing in last week\u2019s snowfall has ignited a wave of public concern over animals in captivity, and many advocacy groups are speaking out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The video, posted by the Hamilton safari park<\/a> last Wednesday, shows multiple elephants trudging back and forth in the snow.\u00a0<\/p>\n @africanlionsafari1969<\/a> Enjoy 30 seconds of joy as our Asian elephants play in this week\u2019s fresh snowfall! \u2744\ufe0f Did you know our elephants enjoy spending time outside year-round? They love a good snow day! #AfricanLionSafari<\/a> #AsianElephants<\/a> #Elephants<\/a> #SnowDay<\/a> #Snow<\/a> \u266c original sound \u2013 African Lion Safari<\/a> <\/p>\n But what was intended to be a lighthearted video of their playtime session has drawn scrutiny from viewers on the elephants\u2019 welfare needs in the frigid Canadian climate.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks soooo unnatural to see elephants in snow,\u201d one person commented.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cImagine going from the beautiful deciduous forests of Borneo to end up in Hamilton, Ontario,\u201d another commenter said. <\/p>\n ANIMAL WELFARE GROUPS SAY CONCERNS ARE JUSTIFIED\u00a0<\/p>\n Animal-welfare organizations are responding to the video, many agreeing that the video is alarming.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are right to be concerned \u2013 the climate in Canada is nothing like the home range of wild elephants,\u201d Wildlife Campaign Manager for World Animal Protection<\/a> Erin Ryan told Now Toronto in an email statement. \u201cThey should be enjoying home ranges of tens of thousands of kilometres, all year long.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryan noted that Canada\u2019s leading zoos have already phased out elephant exhibits, citing a lack of conservation benefit and growing scientific evidence that captive environments can\u2019t meet elephants\u2019 physical, social, and psychological needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Toronto Zoo, for example, no longer hosts elephants, after moving its remaining three African elephants<\/a> to a California sanctuary in late 2013. According to Ryan, Canada\u2019s cold temperatures force elephants indoors for prolonged periods, limiting movement and putting them at risk for frostbite on trunks, tails, and ears. Younger and older elephants, she added, are particularly vulnerable.<\/p>\n The wildlife advocate also pointed to the now-defunct federal bill S-241<\/a> inspired by late anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall that would have ended elephant captivity in Canada, which didn\u2019t move forward after Parliament prorogued earlier this year in January.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe encourage the Canadian government to reintroduce it,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cThis would be a great way to honour Dr. Goodall\u2019s advocacy for animal welfare and wildlife protection given her recent passing.\u201d<\/p>\n She also reiterated that in order for the animals to have the greatest chance of a good life, they shouldn\u2019t be here at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rebecca Aldworth, the Executive Director of Humane World for Animals Canada<\/a>, echoed these sentiments.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHighly intelligent, complex, and social animals such as elephants suffer intensively in captivity, in profit-driven facilities that cannot begin to replicate wild habitats,\u201d she said. \u201cElephants don\u2019t belong in Canada, and there is simply no justification to subject them to a lifetime of deprivation for the amusement of onlookers.\u201d<\/p>\n Aldworth called on the federal government to follow through on its commitment to end the captivity of great apes, elephants, and big cats for entertainment purposes. \u201cIt is time for the Canadian government to bring its policy in line with public values,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n AFRICAN LION SAFARI DEFENDS ITS PRACTICES\u00a0<\/p>\n African Lion Safari rejected the criticism, saying the online reaction overlooks decades of specialized care and research at the park.<\/p>\n \u201cOur herd of Asian elephants live in a very natural social structure with a large, cohesive, multi-generational family\u2014much like elephants in the wild, without the threats posed by poachers and habitat loss,\u201d the park said in a statement to Now Toronto.\u00a0<\/p>\n African Lion Safari also emphasized that the majority of its elephants were born on-site and have adapted to Ontario\u2019s seasonal climate.<\/p>\n According to the park, the elephants have year-round access to more than 200 acres of woodlands, fields, ponds, and streams, as well as a large heated indoor facility during colder weather. The park cited its research<\/a> on elephant thermoregulation using infrared thermography, saying thermal imaging shows that the animals \u201ceffectively regulate their temperature and remain comfortable in cooler conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are extremely proud of our decades of commitment to caring for elephants and ensuring their survival for future generations,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n EXPERT SAYS COLD WEATHER IS JUST PART OF THE PROBLEM\u00a0<\/p>\n While the Canadian climate has dominated much of the public conversation, biologist and Co-Founder\/Director of ElephantVoices<\/a> Dr. Joyce Poole argues that the issue goes far beyond temperature.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many reasons why elephants should not be held in captivity \u2013 a cold climate being only one of many,\u201d Poole said. \u201cElephants need space to roam and a large social network to thrive. They can\u2019t have either in captivity. Their well-being is especially compromised in cold climates when they are often kept indoors in tiny cages.\u201d<\/p>\n