Elephant conservation news 12 December - 18 December
A conservation group has said that the closure of Topeka zoo's elephant exhibit is necessary to the Kansas city's efforts to improve animal welfare, news site KTKA.com reports.
In a letter to city manager Norton Bonaparte, In Defense of Animals (IDA) says that zoo records show the exhibit's two elephants to suffer from foot disorders caused by a lack of space and movement and by hard surfaces. It urges the relocation of the animals to a more spacious sanctuary.
Catherine Doyle, IDA captive elephant specialist, argued that the three-quarters of an acre provided to the zoo's elephants was not enough for animals that would normally walk 10 miles a day in the wild.
City spokesman David Bevens said of the letter: "We appreciate the input and the time [Doyle] took to tell us of her concerns."
He added that, while the zoo's director would be retiring as of Christmas day, the vacancy had not yet been posted.
"As we look toward a fresh start at the Topeka Zoo, we will think about what she has said."
Elephant hospital planned in Vietnam
Plans to build an elephant hospital in Vietnam's central highlands were announced by an official of the country's government this week, according to Earth Times.
Y Rit Buon Ya, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Dak Lak province, said that the project will be developed between 2010 and 2014. It is intended to care for the 91 captive and 80-110 wild elephants in the province.
The hospital will form part of a new reservation in the area and will cost around $320,000, Ya said, with funds provided by the Government and foreign donors.
While there are elephant treatment centres in Thailand and Sri Lanka, the hospital will be the first of its kind in Vietnam.
Indonesian floods drive elephants to villages
A herd of elephants has entered villages in the Riau province of Indonesia as floods submerge their natural habitat, Antara News reports.
"Many elephants have entered villages, destroying villagers' oil palm plantations and rice fields," said 'Syahimin', the head of Raiu's Nature Preservation and Conservation Agency.
He added that it was natural for elephants to avoid wetlands. The agency has deployed officers to help villagers deter the elephants from farming and residential areas.
