A polish lawmaker is angry that his
local zoo spent big bucks on a “gay” elephant.
Michal Grzes groused at local zoo
officials after they acquired Ninio, an elephant who prefers male
companions, Reuters reports.
“We didn't pay 37 million zlotys ($11
million) for the largest elephant house in Europe to have a gay
elephant live there,” Grzes, a conservative councilor in the city
of Poznan in western Poland, said.
“We were supposed to have a heard,
but as Ninio prefers male friends over females how will he produce
offspring?” Grzes is a member of the right-wing Law and Justice
Party.
This is Ninio's third home in the past
five years. Zoo officials describe him as aggressive towards female
elephants while affectionate towards males.
But zoo officials say Ninio has not
reached sexual maturity. Most elephants begin reproducing at 14, but
Ninio is only 10 years old. The press surrounding the question of
Ninio's sexual orientation has peaked the curiosity of locals who are
flocking to the zoo to catch a glimpse of Ninio.