COVID-19 lockdowns have made many Filipinos bored, stir-crazy, and lonely, but confinement for the animals at the Manila Zoo isn’t temporary—they spend their lives in lockdown, and no new paint or cages can change that. The Manila Zoo is a waste of taxpayer money that would be better spent on parks and sports facilities, as these require substantially less maintenance and benefit Manila’s residents.
The fact that Mali the elephant still remains at the zoo is a black spot on the city’s reputation. Elephant veterinarians and experts around the world agree that transferring her to a sanctuary would be in her best interests and the right decision for her welfare. Over the years that PETA has campaigned for her transfer, only politicians have tried to justify her suffering. Mali is still held captive—even though a sanctuary is ready to accept her—because of the government’s refusal to stand up and act compassionately.
We need to consider what we’re teaching our children if we don’t take this opportunity to transfer Mali to a sanctuary. If we can give her a better life, we should. Children learn little by watching a depressed elephant pace in her enclosure. But they would learn a valuable lesson by witnessing the compassionate act of transferring Mali to a sanctuary. We call on Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso to do the right thing, even if it’s for only one elephant.
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