IDA Writing Alert: Our elephants – California dreamin’?
March 23rd, 2007 4:51 pm by Kelly Garbato———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals – takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Mar 22, 2007 9:26 PM
Subject: Writing Alert: Our elephants: California dreamin’?
The Philadelphia Daily News printed a story about the possibility of Philadelphia Zoo sending their elephants to the PAWS Sanctuary in California. Please write a letter to the editor of The Philadelphia Daily News about the suffering elephants endure in zoos and supporting sending the elephants to a sanctuary instead of another zoo. Send letters to views [at] phillynews.com.
Read “Our elephants: California dreamin’?” online.
Our elephants: California dreamin’?
By TOM SCHMIDT
schmidt [at] phillynews.com; 215-854-5900The Philadelphia Zoo’s three African elephants may eventually wind up in California.
Pat Derby, director of PAWS, the Performing Animal Welfare Society, yesterday practically welcomed the elephants to the society’s spacious sanctuary with open arms.
“We have the space available,” Derby, a former Hollywood animal trainer and author, said. “This doesn’t mean we can take them next week.”
She said some work will have to be done on the PAWS habitat.
“Some cross-fencing” will have to be done so the three Philadelphia pachyderms can be kept together, but segregated from the sanctuary’s other elephants.
But something is going to have to be worked out with the Philadelphia Zoo, home of Petal, Bette and Kallie.
Andrew Baker, vice president for animal programs at the zoo, said no one had approached him with a proposal that the elephants be placed at the PAWS sanctuary.
He said the zoo is working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to find another site, and “I think there are several great options at other zoos.”
The scramble to find a home for the elephants started a few days ago, after the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, which was going to take the three, postponed plans to expand its elephant exhibit.
PAWS has a 100-plus-acre elephant habitat that provides year- round grazing and browsing, Derby said. Situated in the Sierra foothills, the mild climate, natural vegetation and large lakes are similar to the natural habitats of wild elephants.
You can use the following points to help you in your letter or visit www.helpelephants.com for more information.
*Elephants are highly complex, social animals who live in extended family groups and travel over thirty miles a day. Today’s zoos are unable to meet the physical and social needs of elephants. These needs include space, adequate exercise, and extended social groups.
*Elephants in zoos suffer from captivity-induced physical and psychological health problems due to lack of space. Health problems include debilitating foot and joint problems, arthritis, digestive disorders, stereotypic behaviors (neurotic behaviors resulting from severe confinement). Other problems include reproductive system shutdown (flatliners), and high infant mortality rate.
*The AZA, a zoo industry trade organization, provides a set of standards that are insufficient for the proper maintenance of elephants. These standards include a minimum outdoor enclosure size of 1,800 square feet for one elephant, the equivalent of six parking lot spaces. The standards also allow the prolonged chaining of elephants.
*As the largest land mammal, elephants are genetically designed to move and forage most of the day; this constant movement is necessary for their psychological and physical well-being.
*Zoos routinely move elephants, and other animals, from one zoo to another with little to no consideration for their social bonds. In the wild female elephants never leave their mothers and male elephants have complex social structures with other bulls and females. No elephant in the wild lives in constant solitary confinement.
Letters should be less than 200 words. Please do not send attachments. Please remember to include your full name, address, and phone number (for verification purposes–street names and phone numbers will not be published) and not to use any wording in this alert or cross-post it to other lists. Thanks and good luck!
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In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA’s efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi and Cameroon, Africa.
In Defense of Animals 3010 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, California 94901 – P: (415) 388-9641 F: (415) 388-0388
email: ida [at] idausa.org
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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts ida in defense of animals elephants zoos PAWS Performing Animal Welfare Society California Philadelphia Philadelphia Zoo sanctuary
