Jane Goodall Asks Edmonton City Council to Transfer "Lucy the Lonely Elephant" from Harsh Winter to Tennessee Sanctuary

Example of Inhumane Animal Treatment Prohibited by Recent "Jane Goodall Act" Sponsored by Senator Murray Sinclair

TORONTO, Dec. 29, 2020 /CNW/ - Dr. Jane Goodall, who has consistently inspired hope around the world for 60 years, has recorded a video statement urging Edmonton City Council to take the necessary steps to "free Lucy the lonely elephant". Her message is consistent with the Jane Goodall Act recently introduced in the Senate of Canada by Senator Murray Sinclair.

"I am told that Lucy, after many years confined in isolation, has been up to 1,000 pounds overweight, significantly contributing to her ongoing health issues," said Dr. Goodall. "It seems to me that after the four decades Lucy has "worked" for your City, she has earned her retirement in a more humane setting. I encourage you to work with Lucy's Edmonton Advocates' Project to take the next steps to make that transition."   

"This is exactly the sort of inappropriate conditions the Jane Goodall Act would prohibit, and why it is so necessary", said Senator Sinclair, "And a key element of the Act, the "Noah Clause," authorizes the federal cabinet to extend legal protections to additional captive, non-domesticated species through regulation."

Dr. Rick Quinn, veterinary ophthalmologist, Jane Goodall Institute of Canada board member, and founder of Docs4GreatApes, describes who is best equipped to judge Lucy's travel-readiness: "It's very important that a thorough examination be performed by an independent specialist zoo veterinarian with experience in elephants", he said, in reference to her standing invitation from an accredited sanctuary in Tennessee.

David Y. Smith, CEO of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, referenced broad public support for addressing these issues: "Over 600,000 Canadians signed our Ivory Free Canada coalition's petition banning elephant ivory importation, and more than 60,000 letters to MPs and Senators have been sent so far in support of the Jane Goodall Act. It is clear that a great many Canadians are impatient for these changes to happen."

For More Information

To view Dr. Goodall's video to Edmonton City Council in support of Lucy, and to easily send a letter of support for the Jane Goodall Act to members of both Parliament and the Senate, go to: https://janegoodall.ca/lucy-the-elephant/

More information about Lucy's situation can be found at:  https://www.leapforlucy.com

Videos of Lucy and her enclosure can be found at: https://www.leapforlucy.com/videos

Photographs of Lucy can be found at: https://www.leapforlucy.com/gallery

More information about the Jane Goodall Act can be found at the parliamentary website: https://parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/bill/S-218/first-reading

More information about the Ivory Free Canada coalition can be found at:  https://janegoodall.ca/join-us/campaign/ivory-free-canada

About Dr. Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Dr. Goodall's study of chimpanzees in the wild and her resulting observations and discoveries revolutionized the scientific world, altering forever our understanding of humankind's relationship to the rest of the animal kingdom and making her and the chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, Tanzania, globally renowned. Her subsequent evolution as activist for the protection of wildlife and the preservation of habitat continues to attract and empower worldwide audiences. Today she is one of the most recognized and influential advocates for the health of the planet on issues ranging from animal welfare to climate change.

About the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada

The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is a global, community-centered conservation organization founded in 1977 that advances the vision and work of Dr. Jane Goodall in over 30 countries. Its aim is to understand and protect chimpanzees, other apes and other threatened species and their habitats, and to empower people to be compassionate citizens committed to conservation. JGI uses research, collaboration with local communities, best-in-class animal welfare standards, and the innovative use of science and technology to inspire hope and transform it into action for the common good. JGI Canada runs programs in Africa in the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Senegal, and in Canada its Roots & Shoots program for young people of all ages, which is active in over 68 countries.

SOURCE The Jane Goodall Institute of Canada

Rachel Gruber, Manager, Communications, Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, [email protected], 416-978-7573; For high-res images of Lucy, please contact: Mary-Ann Holm, [email protected], President, Lucy's Edmonton Advocates' Project (LEAP)