I recently went to a fundraiser at the Edmonton Zoo. My neighbour is President; I received my tickets for free. I'd never been and wanted to see what kind of facilities they have for their animals. I was appalled. The fundraiser was to increase space for some of the animals, including the two elephants who were paraded around and forced to paint for the audience. According to zoo officials, the elephants love doing this and the audience was asked to applaud them to encourage their enthusiasm. I saw hopelessness, not joy, in their eyes.
And the menu? Skewered meats, bison burgers, pork spring rolls. What were they thinking?