Copy/Poste of Lakewood-Now.Net article on Jenny

[Guest guest]

I cut/pasted Lakewood-Now.net article for those had trouble pulling it up. Please try again to pull lit up with the below noted address as it looks so much better on the website (see photos/captain at end, and post a blog comment and email your thanks to writer, Polly Bohmfalk). http://lakewood-now.net/view/article/3908MargaretRally ‘Round the Elephant

 

Posted

July 26, 2008, 6:27 p.m.

by Polly Bohmfalk

 

 

Send to printer

Email to a friend

Get photo reprints

Post/read comments(1)

 

Margaret

Morin is not about to ship a trunk anywhere, especially with an

elephant connected to it. She and her Dallas support group, Concerned Citizens for Jenny, are rallying Sunday against the Dallas Zoo's planned August "forced March" to Mexico of Jenny, the Zoo's African elephant.If

all the words that recently have been written about Jenny were put into

a sack, it would weigh more than Jenny does. Her champ writers are on

the Dallas Observer's Unfair Park blog, with detailed accounts of the story's twists and turns.

 

 

Courtesy Concerned Citizens for Jenny

Jenny

 

Elephant experts and lovers, People for The Ethical Treatment of

Animals, and In Defense of Animals believe Jenny should go to the

world-renowned Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn The sanctuary's mission statement: "To

provide a haven for old, sick, or needy elephants in a setting of green

pastures, old-growth forests, spring-fed ponds, and a heated barn for

cold winter nights. To provide education about the crisis facing these

social, sensitive, passionately intense, playful, complex, exceedingly

intelligent, and endangered creatures."Jenny would join a

growing Tennessee herd of three African elephants — and a separate

group of Asians — roaming 2,700 acres of pasturelands, trees with tasty

leaves, play tires hanging from ropes, super mud holes, and other

elephant amenities. Seemingly nobody — and I'm totally biased —

has figured out the real reason for the dumb plans by the Dallas Zoo to

send Jenny, who is afraid of cars and traffic, to Africam, a Mexican

drive-through safari park.But there is a hint of a reason. My

e-mail from the Dallas Zoological Society reads, "… the Zoo is not

profiting at all, this is a loan where the Dallas Zoo retains ownership

of Jenny and will continue to monitor her care." Aha — "ownership" and "monitor" sound like that good old Bottom Line.To check out the "care" elephants are getting in Mexico, watch the videos Dallas council member Angela Hunt shot of the three Asian elephants now at the Africam Safari Park,

swaying back and forth like autistic children, which signifies

stressed, bored, abnormal behavior in these extremely social animals.

Or see Hunt's great photos on her Web site. Hunt e-mailed, "Encourage Dallas folks to write council members requesting a public hearing on this!" My zoo e-mail also read, "Africam Safari is an AZA-accredited facility …" AZA is the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

Their mission statement reads like a menu for the benefit of member

zoos with a side of animals; some call it a trade organization. The

AZA accredits zoos and aquariums but the regulation of them falls under

the duties of the U.S. Department of Agriculture — and you know how

good government is at its job. What job?Les Schobert, online at Zoos Can Do Better,

has been a zoo man for more than 30 years, his career includes the

General Curatorship of the Los Angeles Zoo. He's a former professional

member of the AZA.In an published report, Schobert said, "The

AZA tries to position itself as the No. 1 conservation organization in

the United States, but they're entertainment-oriented — getting people

through the gate has been the main focus of zoos."OK, so what if

PETA, with its oft-odd behavior, in my opinion, and IDF are involved in

Sunday's rally? People who scoff at elephant huggers may be secretly

clipping pit bulls' ears and drowning kittens.As Dr. Seuss's Horton said, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant: an elephant's faithful one hundred percent!" We should return the favor and help give Jenny not a Mexican Standoff, but a Tennessee Waltz.Margaret

Morin said, "Many people need to attend this event to show that Dallas

cares about Jenny, and to influence the city and zoo to do the right

thing for her. Jenny needs every caring person to come to this

peaceful, family-friendly event. What: Save Jenny Rally and Press ConferenceWhen: Sunday, July 27 from 1-2 p.m.Where: Dallas Zoo, on the lawn at the front entrance by the giraffe statue.Park in the front exterior lot.E-mail Margaret Morin dogs_good or call her at (972) 578-0370 for more information.Other Web sites: Concerned Citizens for JennyHelp Elephants

 

 

Courtesy Angela Hunt

Two elephants, on less than an acre, at Mexico's Africam drive-through safari park. Look very closely to see the wire fence.

 

 

 

Courtesy Angela Hunt

See any elephants in this photograph? No? That's because Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary spreads across 2,700 acres.