DMN Anti-Zoo LTE Published 3/10/10. Don't Give up on Jenny/other elephants! Cross Post Please

March 11, 2010

If you have not yet written to the Dallas Morning News regarding the pro-zoo article published Saturday, March 6, please do so today. Please don't allow Jenny and the other innocent elephants abused by the Dallas Zoo to go without protest from compassionate and thoughtful people. See details on 3/6/10 DMN article, which follow 3/10/10 DMN LTE. Thank you. Margaret Morin

3/10/10 DMN LTE Published Against Zoo:

Why do we need a zoo?

5:23 PM Tue, Mar 09, 2010 | Permalink Letter to the Editor E-mail | Suggest a blog topic

Re: "Blame it on curiosity -- Open pen was too much for gorilla to ignore, but response was by the book; previous incidents have spurred multiple changes," Sunday news story.

Dallas really shouldn't have a zoo, regardless of who's running it -- the public or private sector. Four gorilla escapes in 11 years -- while all the rest of the zoos in the world had a combined total of 12 escapes for the same period.

Couple that with the recent fiasco involving whether we should ship our last elephant off to Mexico or increase the size of our elephant habitat, and I'm not convinced that the zoo has the ability or resources to commit to the stewardship needed to properly care for the animals.

If it's good enough to drive to Tarrant County to watch the Cowboys and Rangers play, it ought to be good enough to drive to Tarrant County to see one of the most comprehensive collections of animals housed in one of the finest zoo facilities in the world -- the Fort Worth Zoo.

Gary Noe, Dallas

Comments (1) Leave comment | TrackBack (0) | E-mail entryThe entry "Why do we need a zoo?" is tagged: Dallas

--- On Tue, 3/9/10, Margaret Morin <dogs_good wrote:

ADDENDUM: Please do not give up on Jenny (and Gypsy and other elephants incarcerated by Zoos), as that is exactly what the Dallas Zoo counts on. I realize that some people feel that this should have been resolved long ago (and I agree with you), and so they have moved on. But, this is ALWAYS a primary reasons why animal advocates loose our battles to help animals so much of the time.

Compassionate people must show the Zoo that they will not win. If we give up, not only will Jenny loose, but other animal abusers will take note that all it takes it enough time and we will simply go away. Please show the animal abusers that our character and perseverance is better than they suppose by taking just five minutes to write today!

If you have not yet written a LTE for Jenny, who remains seriously ill with PTSD, please take five minutes to do so today (see below). Jenny is a self-aware and senstive being who has been a prisoner of the cruel and self-serving Dallas Zoo and Association of Zoo's and Aquariums for 23 years and unless we continue to speak for her, she will die in misery in prison. Thank you. Margaret

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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