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What's best for Connie and Shaba? This is the primary question we should ask. More than 4,000 Tucson residents and zoo patrons have signed petitions urging the City Council to transfer the elephants at the Reid Park Zoo to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee where they will have free access to hundreds of acres of natural habitat.

When given all the information, Tucson strongly supports sending Connie and Shaba to the sanctuary, understanding the zoo's proposed expansion will waste tax dollars without satisfying these elephants' needs.

Elephants are naturally migratory, grazing animals traveling 30-50 miles a day. This movement is essential to their physical and psychological well- being.

When confined to zoo enclosures, elephants suffer from severe illnesses, typically causing them to die at roughly half their natural 70-year lifespan.

"Foot problems constitute the single most important ailment of captive elephants," conceded the American Zoological and Aquarium Association in March 2005. Foot disease is the leading cause of death of elephants in zoos. Not found in the wild, foot disease is caused by zoo conditions.

Connie already has chronic foot problems, which will worsen if kept at the zoo. The zoo's expanded enclosure will not address this problem.

Her only hope for a natural life is the 2,700-acre sanctuary, which has cured foot problems in other elephants largely by providing adequate space to roam.

Connie and Shaba were taken from their mothers in the wild as babies specifically to be put on display at the zoo.

Everything that was important to them was taken away: their mothers, families, natural habitats, and worse yet, their freedom.

Since arriving at the zoo as a 1-year-old, Connie has developed disturbing, neurotic head swinging called "stereotypic" behavior.

Caused by the stress of confinement, this behavior does not occur in wild elephants. Comparing it to "twirling your hair" blatantly misrepresents this serious illness.

Teaching that this abnormal behavior is acceptable is counter-educational to children and adults. This condition though can be cured by the sanctuary's natural environment.

Claiming Connie and Shaba must remain together lacks understanding. Connie, an Asian elephant, and Shaba, an African, are different species with vastly different temperaments and needs. They rarely interact with each other unless initiated by staff, and for years it has been noted in records that Connie is aggressive toward Shaba. At the sanctuary, they will have the ability to integrate with their own kind for the first time since infancy.

The proposal to breed Shaba is irresponsible and unrealistic. In zoos, elephants of Shaba's age often experience difficulties, even death, from pregnancy, and infant mortality rates are high. Yet African elephants are not an endangered species and breed easily in the wild. Why risk Shaba's life?

Connie and Shaba have the chance to be with other elephants of their own kind, have free access to hundreds of acres, and receive the best care available. Why would anyone, who cares about Connie and Shaba oppose this opportunity?