Washington Post strong story on Chicago zoo death

It gives information similar to the Chicago Tribune story, noting that of three elephants transferred in 2003 from the San Diego Wild Animal Park to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Peaches was the second to die. This article includes some stinging quotes.

It tells us, "Ray Ryan, a former elephant keeper at the San Diego park who cared for Peaches, Tatima and Wankie there, said he did not think the surviving elephant would live long at the zoo."

He is quoted:
"She's lost all of her family, and I think she'll quickly die of grief. When all three were moved to Chicago [in 2003], I said then they wouldn't last two years. And already two of them are dead."

And it quotes activist Tony Madsen, who has been working to send the zoo's elephants to sanctuaries in warmer climates:

"Zoos in northern climates, like Lincoln Park Zoo, are not suitable to house elephants. It is ethically wrong to keep these intelligent and social animals, the world's largest land mammals, in small enclosures and barns just for human amusement."

Chicago's zoo is talking of sending the remaining elephant, Wankie, not to sanctuary but to another zoo. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association, which accredits the Lincoln Park Zoo, has fought zoos such as the Detroit Zoo and San Francisco Zoo who have chosen to send their elephants to sanctuaries.

The article tells us:
"By coincidence, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, which accredits facilities, is meeting in Florida this week to discuss elephant care. Spokeswoman Jane Ballentine said that the meeting is part of an ongoing review of standards and research, and that it is likely to result in new recommendations on elephant care. Asked about the protests aimed at closing northern elephant exhibits, Ballentine said the association strongly disagrees with the notion that elephants cannot be well cared for in colder climates."

You can read the whole article on line at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24733-2005Jan20.html?nav=rss_nation

It gives us a great opportunity for letters to the Washington Post against keeping wild animals captive for human entertainment.

The Washington Post takes letters at letters [at] washpost.com and advises "Letters must be exclusive to The Washington Post, and must include the writer's home address and home and business telephone numbers."

A great web resource for information on this issue is http://www.savewildelephants.com/

Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. If you forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)