Text, photos, and source code © Merry L. Morris

The three African elephants will soon be leaving, and, for the first time in its almost 150 year history, the Philadelphia Zoo will have no elephants. (The very first animal exhibited at the Zoo was an elephant!) It was not easy for me to accept the Zoo's decision to close the elephant exhibit, but I finally have, partly because I had no choice, and partly because I now have a better understanding of why it is being closed. (I still disagree with the decision, though!)

Vik Dewan, President of the Zoo, has said he hopes in the future the Zoo will be able to open a fantastic new elephant exhibit that will give visitors a much more accurate idea of how elephants live in the wild than the current exhibit does because it will allow the elephants to live very much as they would in the wild.

I hope that happens - it really would be wonderful to see a small herd of elephant mothers and babies, up close, in real life, and would surely inspire millions of visitors to want to contribute to elephant conservation efforts. And, I know, as always, the elephants would be well-cared for and loved by the Philadelphia Zoo staff.

But, no matter what happens in the future, there is one thing I know to be true in the present. The Philadelphia Zoo has a president who truly cares about the Zoo's elephants, and about elephants in the wild. Whatever decisions he has made since he became President of the Zoo in 2006, and whatever visions he has for the Zoo's future have been and will be based on what he believes is best for them.

So, for that reason, I will support whatever decisions he has made and will make, even when I disagree with them. And so should everyone else who cares about the Philadelphia Zoo and who truly cares about elephants.

When you have a good leader, you should follow!