Please Read: Dallas Zoo Moves in 4 More Elephants. Please Act today! Cross Post Widely, Please!

March 8, 2010

Please express your opinion today regarding the 3/6/10 Dallas Morning News article "New elephants coming two by two to Dallas Zoo" by writing to a letter to the editor: http://www.dallasnews.com/cgi-bin/lettertoed.cgi

Also, phone and comment to KERA, who also reported on this story: http://www.kera.org/about/contact/index.php

Dallas Observer Editor has always been fair to Jenny in the past, so just send the same comments to the DO LTE:

http://www.dallasobserver.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters

Saturday, "New elephants coming two by two to Dallas Zoo" (also leave a comment):

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/030610dnmetelephants.3990cbd.html

CROSS POST WIDELY, PLEASE!

BACKGROUND:

Last week, I spoke with a DMN reporter (David Flick), about the Dallas Zoo's plan to move FOUR additional elephants into the yet to be completed 3.75 African Savannah elephant exhibit (emphasis on exhibit, not habitat). I explained to him that the entire Savannah is 6 acres and only 3.75 is being allocated to elephants. Further, 3.75 acres is less than 1/2 acre for each elephant, which is far too small for six elephants to remain healthy. It is a great psychological stressor for elephants to be thrown together with strange elephants, when in nature, they live with their mothers and related females.

PTSD: If this wasn't bad enough, we know poor Jenny has untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so this will be one more major stress on her. As such, Jenny is likely to be drugged to subdue her behavior, just as the zoo has done in the past. As you know, we advocate for her (and other elephants) to be immediately transferred to The Elephant Sanctuary, where she will get the care she so desperately needs.

Now that the Dallas Zoo is privatized, we can no longer obtain Jenny's medical records under the US Freedom of Information Act, so the Zoo can do pretty much as it pleases (and it will).

Real and Financial Cost of Zoos: Responsible Zoos are shutting down their elephant exhibits, as science and practical experience has proven that these self-aware and sensitive beings cannot be mentally and physically healthy in zoos. Conservation is no excuse either. The nation of Kenya cares for tens of thousands of elephants in the protected wild for an annual budget of $20 million. Taking care of a single elephant in a zoo can cost $250,000 and that elephant will NEVER be completely healthy.

Plus, why is the City of Dallas giving the Dallas Zoological Society $13 million dollars a year to manage a poorly run zoo (where many animals have prematurely died) when it is limiting services to libraries, parks, fire and police, not to mention roads and important infrastructure?

The above is a summary of the points I made to Mr. Flick after complimenting him on his writing skills. I just didn't know that his abilities extended only to writing fiction. The DMN has bought the Dallas Zoo's story hook, line and sinker, and it is up to us to point this out so that uninformed readers know the truth.

Please do not let this pass without your giving voice to the voiceless. The Dallas Zoo counts on animal advocates giving up on these elephants and we MUST not.

"All that it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."

Thank you.

Margaret Morin