Thank you for reporting on this issue. A growing number of zoos have acknowledged that all the love in the world cannot overcome the physical and psychological damage elephants suffer in confinement, nor do children learn about them by observing them in conditions of deprivation. Billy was taken from his family as an infant and shipped halfway around the world to be placed on exhibit; he cannot roam, forage, or mud-bathe as he would in the wild with companions of his own choosing. I doubt the advocates of the L.A. Zoo would embrace similar treatment for themselves or their loved ones.