Join Us Tomorrow
for a Remembrance and Protest for Seattle Elephants Bamboo and
Chai
Despite the best efforts of activists, they were shipped to Oklahoma City Zoo instead of Sanctuary
Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle City Council shamefully failed to invoke their authority to send Asian elephants, Bamboo and Chai, to a sanctuary instead of the Oklahoma City Zoo. Instead, they let Woodland Park Zoo carry out its cruel last act for the elephants by condemning them to live and die in a zoo with an even colder and more hazardous environment than they were forced to endure in Seattle.
Mayor Murray said he would have preferred the elephants be sent to a sanctuary; the mayor even said he was disappointed by the selection of Oklahoma City Zoo. But neither he nor the council stepped up when the elephants needed them the most.
After years of pressure from IDA, other organizations and local advocates, Woodland Park Zoo announced, in November 2014, they would close their elephant exhibit. In January, Seattle's Mayor and majority of the City Council sent a letter to the Zoo setting criteria that could only be satisfied by The Elephant Sanctuary in TN or PAWS sanctuary in CA. The Zoo fired back with its own set of criteria. Now they are on their way to another zoo where they will face the same, and now, new challenges.
Although the good fight to get Bamboo and Chai to a sanctuary was lost, Friends of Woodland Park Zoo - and all of Bamboo and Chai's true supporters - have incurred a larger and longer-lasting win for all captive animals by raising awareness of the inherent cruelty in zoos. Triumph will eventually prevail over tragedy for captive elephants and other wild animals used and abused in zoos and circuses due to the expansive and inspiring public education and advocacy that this campaign has ignited.
IDA sends our appreciation and condolences to Friends of Woodland Park Zoo for their long and good fight – if you can, please join with them tomorrow, this Saturday – in this special gathering for elephants everywhere. You can also support them, and learn more about their tireless, 9-year battle here and here.
Read more in the news here.
What: Remembrance and Protest for Bamboo, Chai and All Captive Elephants
When: This Saturday, April 18th. 11am - noon or later
Where: Woodland Park Zoo (South entrance on sidewalk right at the entrance gates. Enter at N. 50th and Fremont Ave. N.)
Wear: Orange
More Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1663430373886982/
Elephant Spotlight
Retire Ruth Now at Buttonwood Zoo!
Earlier this month, In Defense of Animals (IDA) filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), charging that the Buttonwood Zoo in New Bedford, Massachusetts has been violating the federal Animal Welfare Act by knowingly forcing two incompatible Asian elephants to live in the same enclosure together. Ruth, at 55 years of age, is forced to share an exhibit with Emily, 50, who outweighs Ruth by 1,200 pounds and regularly demonstrates aggressive behavior towards her, sometimes causing injuries. IDA is requesting that the USDA make a much more thorough investigation into the frequent attacks by her exhibit mate, Emily, and into the zoo's inability to prevent harm to Ruth by the forced cohabitation.
Unless and until Ruth is removed from Buttonwood Park Zoo, she will continue to suffer excessively and be in an unacceptably dangerous situation. There are many other issues at this zoo that make it inhospitable for both Emily and Ruth, but our complaint focuses on the most immediate and untenable issue for Ruth; that of incompatibility between these two elephants originating from two different countries, and the resulting negative impacts and risks to Ruth’s health and wellbeing.
Dr. Toni Frohoff, IDA's Elephant Scientist, said, "Ruth endures chronic psychological trauma and continued physical injuries from living with Emily. Yet Emily's hyper-aggression towards Ruth indicates that Emily's own welfare is also severely compromised." It is tragic that animals living in unnaturally stressful captive situations may act out in such violent ways compared to their wild counterparts - even towards the only other animal of their own species in their tiny, artificial worlds.
Ruth has been attacked by her exhibit mate at least 29 times in the past 8 years, as far back as the Zoo says it has records. In addition to being hit, bitten, rammed, tusked, and pushed down, in 2006, Emily bit off 6 1/2" of Ruth's tail in one of the more overt incidents. Furthermore, due to neglect in 2014, Ruth incurred hypothermia and frostbite on various areas of her body, leading to the need for the partial, 10" surgical amputation of what remained of her tail.
The zoo has pledged to eventually phase out its elephant exhibit as it clearly it is incapable of properly caring for Ruth and Emily, who need a warmer climate and the open spaces of a sanctuary. Why not do it NOW while these elder elephants can still live out their days in comfort, peace and safety?
Request
IDA is requesting that the USDA make a much more thorough investigation. Confiscation may be an appropriate and necessary action to reasonably care for Ruth’s wellbeing according to the Animal Welfare Act. Ideally we want to see both elephants retired – but Ruth is in the most dire straits and we recommend that she be moved to an accredited, U.S. sanctuary immediately. She is in urgent need of a safer environment where she will not be further harassed or attacked by Emily - and a warmer climate more suitable to her species, her age, and where she can spend a reasonable amount of time outside without further ill effects.
- 2014 was the fifth year in which Buttonwood Park Zoo landed in IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants List.
- To read IDA's complaint against Buttonwood Park Zoo, please go here.
- To get more involved and for much more comprehensive background and updates, click here.
- To view a video showing just one example of our concerns, click here.
New Documentary ‘Tyke Elephant Outlaw,’ Poised to Be the Blackfish for Captive Elephants
Thanks to the successful documentary, “Blackfish,” most people are now familiar with Tilikum, the orca made infamous for his role in the tragic death of his SeaWorld Orlando trainer, Dawn Brancheau. The film not only introduced the public to Tilikum, it created a wave of backlash against holding orcas captive in marine parks such as SeaWorld. While Tilikum is now well-known, many people may not be as familiar with Tyke, the circus elephant who went on a deadly rampage in Hawaii in 1994. Thanks to a new documentary opening at the Sarasota Film Festival this month, that may soon change.
“Tyke Elephant Outlaw” tells Tyke’s story, from her obvious frustration with being forced to perform mindless tricks to the rampage that left one person dead and several more injured. Entering the world of circus elephants unlike ever before, this new documentary stands poised to make an important contribution to ongoing debates regarding holding wild animals captive so that they can entertain people.
Tyke’s Story
Tyke’s story mirrors Tilikum’s story in many ways. Tyke was a female circus elephant who was owned and used by Circus International in shows around the world in the 1990s. According to those who had interactions with Tyke, it was obvious that she was extremely unhappy and frustrated by her captivity and the pointless tricks she was forced to perform. It seemed only a matter of time before she would lash out.
On August 20, 1994, Tyke was performing in Honolulu, Hawaii, as part of a Circus International show. On that day, Tyke finally snapped. She trampled and seriously injured her groomer, and then killed her trainer when he attempted to intervene. As a horrified audience looked on, Tyke broke out of the arena – injuring another person in the process – and began running through the streets of Honolulu. The local police department and nearby residents responded, chasing Tyke through the streets for 30 minutes and striking her with 87 bullets as she desperately tried to flee. As onlookers watched in shock, Tyke died on the street as a result of her injuries.
The scene is one that remains a vivid memory for those who witnessed Tyke’s dash for freedom. The incident certainly had a lasting impression in Hawaii – no elephants have performed as part of a traveling circus in Hawaii since that terrible day in 1994.
The Sad Truth about Circus Elephants
While Tyke’s story is shocking, stories of wild animals snapping and lashing out at people are unfortunately nothing new. In 1992, Janet the elephant was shot to death after breaking away from her trainer while being forced to give rides to children in Florida. In 2003, famed performer Roy Horn was mauled by one of his captive tigers. Of course, Tilikum the orca is notorious for killing his trainer in 2010 by violently pulling her under the water at SeaWorld Orlando.
There is no question that elephants, orcas, and other wild animals are highly intelligent and sensitive beings. There is also no question that they are ill-suited to captivity and are often physically and psychologically harmed by it. Circus elephants, in particular, suffer immensely when they are separated from their family units, chained by the legs for up to 23 hours per day, shipped around the world in tiny crates, and abused with bullhooks and other training devices. The combination of this treatment often causes them to become depressed or go insane. Sometimes, they snap – just as Tyke did.
Fortunately, a growing number of countries, including Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, have realized the cruelty inherent in wild animal circuses and have outlawed them entirely. In the United States, individual cities have banned bullhooks, effectively ensuring that circuses that use elephants will not perform in their cities ever again, as bullhooks are essential tools in forcing elephants to perform. Even Ringling Brothers, the most famous wild animal circus in history, finally agreed to phase elephants out of its shows.
Despite these successes, some companies still insist upon using elephants in their shows, placing spectators at risk and inflicting great psychological and often physical pain on the approximately 15,000 to 20,000 elephants held captive around the world.
A New Voice for Elephants
Unfortunately, many people remain unaware of the cruelty involved in using sensitive elephants in circuses. For this reason, “Tyke Elephant Outlaw” has the potential to do for elephants what “Blackfish” did for orcas, by showing just how wrong and dangerous it is to keep these magnificent animals captive. An informed and incensed public could speak up for elephants in the same way that they have spoken up for orcas since the release of “Blackfish.”
Hopefully, a hard look at the tragedy of Tyke’s story and a growing public discontent will force circuses to reconsider their unnecessary use of elephants, and eventually lead to a world where elephants are not forced to perform for our entertainment.
Be sure to spread the word and check out “Tyke Elephant Outlaw” as it makes its way across the country this year!
Nosey is an African elephant who was brought from Zimbabwe along with 61 other baby elephants, to the US for a wealthy business owner’s private exotic animal collection in the early 80’s. When her new owner realized he couldn’t handle all the elephants, he began selling them off to circuses and zoos. Nosey was purchased by a circus clown named Hugo Liebel and has been exploited as the primary means of supporting Liebel’s family ever since.
To make Nosey “circus-ready” Liebel electro-shocked her, beat her with sledgehammers and shovels in the dark and is rarely seen near Nosey without a bullhook both in his hand and within her eye-shot. Liebel has withheld food in the name of training Nosey and has repeatedly denied her adequate veterinary care. The USDA has cited Liebel nearly 200 times for violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Now Nosey has suffers from arthritis, as noted by elephant expert, Dr. P. Ensley.
“[Nosey] undoubtedly suffers from advanced arthritis and degenerative joint disease,
resulting in ongoing pain, and most likely permanently impaired limb function.”
Arthritis and foot problems are the primary reason captive elephants are euthanized. Over recent months, many individuals have collected video footage of Nosey showing a clear and steady decline in her ability to ambulate without dragging her left rear leg yet, the USDA refuses to exercise its authority to interpret and enforce the Animal Welfare Act to protect Nosey. Instead the agency cites Liebel who pays a paltry fine, likely viewed as a mere operating expense, and both the USDA and Liebel go on about their business as usual without providing Nosey with any of the basic protections she so desperately needs. Among the problems the USDA has been made aware of but has refused to act on are: a chronic eye condition that has lasted for at least five years, a painful skin condition where Nosey’s skin is covered with deep fissures that has gone at least seven years uncorrected, a rusted through and cramped trailer that Nosey spends most of the year riding in or simply contained in and multiple recent videos showing lameness. Even with all of this, perhaps the cruelest of all is the fact that as a sentient, highly social and intelligent being, Nosey hasn’t been allowed to live with another of her own kind in over 30 years. Simply put, Nosey will not survive the circumstances she is forced to face on a day-to-day basis much longer.
NOSEY DESPERATELY NEEDS ALL THE SUPPORT SHE CAN GET.
FOR WAYS YOU CAN HELP NOSEY, SEE FACEBOOK PAGE:
“ACTION FOR NOSEY NOW”
