This Isolated Elephant Has Been Without A Friend For 11 Years

Sep 11, 2018

Usually when we envision elephants we don’t think of them as being trapped inside cages made of concrete. These are precisely the living conditions for Lucy, an elephant of 43 years in the Edmonton Zoo.

The weather in this area of Canada is often cold. As a result of the terrible living conditions for an animal like Lucy, it all has a negative impact on her overall health. This living style is not one that is natural and far from the more desirable environment of tropical areas and massive land masses that stretch through forests and follow the lengths of flowing rivers.

It is very disheartening to know that Lucy spends the majority of her days locked up in a cage with no company. Her only means for interaction is the swinging tire in her cage. Lucy no longer has the privilege of being able to interact with other elephants or play in the mud while taking in rays from the sun. Instead, she is forced to sit alone in her cage and watch as the unknown faces of strangers stop and stare or pass by on the way to their next destination.

This is a very depressing way for any animal to live out the rest of their life.

In 1977, Lucy was taken from her homeland in Sri Lanka. At that time, she was only a young calf. Now she has reached the age of 43. After 12 years in her new home environment, Lucy was paired with a baby elephant from Africa. This gave Lucy an outlet to express her care and affection for other elephants while receiving the same in return from the young elephant. Elephants are social animals and this interaction is needed for them to live healthy lives.

Lucy and the younger elephant, Samantha, were able to share 18 years of their life together before they were torn apart. The two were separated in 2007 and Samantha was taken to North Carolina for breeding. Samantha and Lucy were never reunited, and Lucy has been alone from that day forward.

According to the zoo where Lucy is located, Lucy is an antisocial elephant who prefers to be around humans. The zoo has also stated that Lucy never liked Samantha. We all know this to be untrue and there are photos of the two standing together while holding each other’s trunks.

Research says that elephants thrive and depend on a social environment that is closely held together. Though this may be true, there are many zoos around the world that force this kind of lifestyle on elephants just like Lucy. 

This is a terrible way to live for any animal of this nature. Share this article with your friends and family and help us raise awareness about these horrible conditions that some wild animals must live in when in captivity!