Why Ron Kagan freed the Detroit Zoo's elephants – The Forward
When Ron Kagan closed the Detroit Zoo’s elephant exhibit, only the elephants were happy. Elephants were a signature attraction that drove attendance, and no American zoo had ever given up the prized pachyderms on humanitarian grounds. But 20 years ago, Kagan, the zoo’s soon-to-retire executive director, saw that the harsh Detroit winters were unnatural for Winky and Wanda, the pair of elderly Asia-born elephants in his care. They both suffered arthritis and foot ailments caused by hard zoo grounds, and a lack of proper exercise and socialization had left them depressed. But the idea of s...
Source: forward.com