Elephants @ SF Zoo: Congrats To All Who Helped!!

[Guest guest]

FYI

In a step forward for animals, the SF Board of Supervisors voted 10 to 1 to place a conditional ban on bringing elephants back to the SF Zoo. Conditions that must be met include refurbishing run-down enclosures of six species and requirement of Board approval for any future plans to bring elephants back to the Zoo. The ordinance also requires the Zoo to provide at least 15 acres for elephants if they are allowed back at the Zoo.

While 15 acres is too small for elephants ,it is roughly three times larger than biggest elephant enclosure in any US zoo. This is a huge win because the City has shown that they are not comfortable with the SF Zoological Society's (City-paid contractor) management of the animals' well-being.

A BIG THANK YOU -- TO ALL OF YOU WHO ATTENDED MEETINGS and LEAFLETINGS AND CALLED, EMAILED, and FAXED Supervisors! Without your support and involvement this would not have been possible. Every voice counts and makes a big difference.

The Zoo has many problems - so there is much work ahead. But this is a good start.

The following articles about the SF Zoo state that it is one of the best in the nation. If this zoo is one of the best then there must be some pretty awful AZA-accredited zoos. According to a 2000 City Audit of the SF Zoo 75% of it should be rebuilt, yet it is still considered "one of the best in the nation." Go figure.

http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews & storyID=7022409http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2004/12/07/elephants07.DTL

Thank you.

-- end --

[Guest guest]

"In a step forward for animals, the SF Board of Supervisors voted 10 to 1 to place a conditional ban on bringing elephants back to the SF Zoo. <snip>

 

A BIG THANK YOU -- TO ALL OF YOU WHO ATTENDED MEETINGS and LEAFLETINGS AND CALLED, EMAILED, and FAXED Supervisors! Without your support and involvement this would not have been possible. Every voice counts and makes a big difference. "

 

This is a wonderful news for the elephants! And testimony to that inspiring Margaret Mead quote, "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

 

Deniz, thanks for sharing the good news, and for your diligence and for keeping the rest of us updated on how to help. Your updates were timely and informative. I hope the rest of the country follows San Francisco's example!

 

Maybe we should plan a roadtrip to visit the elephants at the PAWS sanctuary .. http://www.pawsweb.org/site/homepage.htm

 

Cheers,

Tammy