Tinkerbelle Leaves SF Zoo and Arrives at Sanctuary!

November 29, 2004

Time For Thanksgiving!

A BIG thank you to all of you who helped make this possible.

Please see action alert at the bottom of this email ... We are now working to ensure other elephants are not brought back to the SF Zoo .. your call, email and fax can make the difference to protect other elephants!

After spending 37 years in a small, cramped, unhealthy enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo Tinkerbelle, the surviving 38-year-old Asian elephant, has arrived at the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary on Sunday November 28.

After nearly 9 months of hard work to force the SF Zoo to do the right thing - the Zoo has finally transferred Tinkerbelle to the sanctuary where she will have access to space that elephants need to stay healthy. Tinkerbelle is in very fragile condition due to the severe arthritis and foot and joint problems she developed at the SF Zoo. We hope this move was not too late!

Earlier this year two elephants, Calle and Maybelle, prematurely died at the SF Zoo due to captivity-induced health problems. Now that Tinkerbelle has moved - Lulu is the last elephant at the Zoo. She is scheduled to be moved to PAWS in the next 2 weeks.

Below is an action alert -- we really need your help to make sure that elephants are NEVER brought back to the SF Zoo.

Thank you again!!!!

Deniz

ACTION ALERT: PLEASE CONTACT SF BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Calls, emails and letters to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (contact info and talking points below) are needed to secure passage of an important ordinance to help elephants in San Francisco!

Board President Matt Gonzalez has introduced the following ordinance: -- Ordinance 041461 to “prohibit the keeping of elephants at the San Francisco Zoo by any City department or contractor." The ordinance is a response to the premature deaths of two of four elephants at the San Francisco Zoo this year. It is an acknowledgment of the fact that an urban zoo like San Francisco does not have the space or resources (or climate, considering the intense fog that is there almost year round) to meet the physical and social needs of elephants. This is the same position Detroit Zoo director Ron Kagan took earlier this year when he decided to close his zoo's elephant exhibit and send the elephants to a sanctuary. The ordinance will be considered by the full Board of Supervisors on December 7. Please call and email or fax the Supervisors today to support this important

measure.

IF YOU LIVE IN SF BAY AREA: Your presence is needed at the December 7th (Tuesday) meeting at 2p at SF City Hall.

For more information visit www.savesfzooelephants.com or call 650.654.9955.

Contact information

Gavin.newsom, Matt.Gonzalez, Jake.McGoldrick, Michela.Alioto-Pier, Aaron.Peskin, Fiona.Ma, Chris.Daly, Sean.Elsbernd, Bevan.Dufty, Tom.Ammiano, Sophie.Maxwell, Gerardo.Sandoval, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Gavin.newsomTel: 415-554-6141, fax 554-6160 Matt Gonzalez - District 5, Board President, Matt.GonzalezTel: 415-554-7630, fax not needed Jake McGoldrick - District 1, Jake.McGoldrickTel: 415-554-7410, fax 415-554-7415

Michela Alioto-Pier - District 2, Michela.Alioto-PierTel: 415-554-7752, fax 415-554-7843Aaron Peskin - District 3, Aaron.PeskinTel: 415-554-7450, fax 415-554-7454

Fiona Ma - District 4, Fiona.MaTel: 415-554-7460, fax 415- 554-7432Chris Daly - District 6, Chris.DalyTel: 415-554-7970, fax 415-554-7974Sean Elsbernd - District 7, Sean.ElsberndTel: 415-554-6516, fax: 554-6546

Bevan Dufty - District 8, Bevan.DuftyTel: 415-554-6968, fax: 554-6909

Tom Ammiano - District 9, Tom.AmmianoTel: 415-554-5144, fax 415-554-6255Sophie Maxwell - District 10, Sophie.MaxwellTel: 415-554-7670, fax 415-554-7674Gerardo Sandoval - District 11, Gerardo.SandovalTel: 415-554-6975, fax 415-554-6979You can write the Supervisors at the following address:City Hall1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244San Francisco, CA 94102

Thank you.