OTTAWA, April 26 (UPI) -- Canada's Supreme Court announced Thursday it will not hear an appeal by animal-rights groups to move a lone, ailing elephant out of a zoo in Edmonton, Alberta.
The court upheld an Alberta appellate court ruling from 2010 that said courts should not be involved in animal-care matters when there are existing agencies and oversight, the Edmonton Sun reported.
The 36-year-old Asian elephant named Lucy has been living alone at the Edmonton Valley Zoo since 2007 when another female was sent to a breeding program in the United States.
Animal-rights groups including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Zoocheck Canada have been lobbying to move Lucy to a better climate and to be with other elephants, but zoo officials say she is too frail to move safely because of lung problems.
Celebrities including William Shatner and former host of "The Price is Right" Bob Barker have also petitioned the city to move the elephant, Postmedia News said.
