Photo: Changes for elephants are sought

Mammoth changes are needed for captive elephants in the world's zoos, including Utah's Hogle Zoo, the In Defense of Animals groups believes. The IDA staged a very small, peaceful demonstration Saturday at Hogle Zoo. Only Shannon Larsen, a Utah IDA member was there. The group believes that elephant captivity does not equal elephant conservation, and that earth's largest land mammals do not belong in cramped and unnatural zoo exhibits where they sicken and die prematurely.

Holly Braithwaite, Hogle Zoo's spokeswoman, said the zoo doesn't agree with the IDA, but does agrees with the beliefs of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, that elephants are in trouble in the wild, but are thriving in zoos. In zoos, elephants are also carefully governed by AZA standards.

Hogle Park Zoo houses two African elephants, females, Dari, age 48, and Christie, age 23, who is pregnant. Similar demonstrations were held at many other zoos world-wide.

Actress Lily Tomlin also issued a statement advocating the IDA and its demonstrations at: www.helpelephants.com/alert_tomlin_06_09.html