Officials with Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo are dismissing extremely unfavorable remarks made by the San Francisco based animal rights group, In Defense of Animals. The group gave the zoo a "Dishonorable Mention" in its listing of the 2012 Top Ten Worst Zoos For Elephants.
The "Dishonorable Mention" ranking was specifically for receiving four elephants from Swaziland in 2003. Zoo officials claimed they were saving the pachyderms from culling due to overpopulation.
In Defense of Animals members said this is inaccurate, and "reserves in Africa were available where the elephants could have remained free."
There were 11 elephants sent to the states, four going to Lowry Park and the remaining seven to the San Diego Zoo Global.
This article appears in Jan 17-23, 2013.