sign the petition about the death of Tatima at Chicago's zoo

[Guest guest]

Dear Animal Friend,

The sudden death of Tatima, an elephant at Chicago's Lincoln Park

Zoo, has shocked and saddened the animal protection community. For

months, activists in the Chicago area have been urging the zoo to

retire its three elephants. With the onset of cold weather, the

situation became even more dire. We can only hope that this tragedy

will serve as a wake up call and provide further proof of what

animal advocates have been saying for years: animals in captivity

suffer, and often die before their time.

Whether you gather signatures to get elephants transferred from the

local zoo to a sanctuary

 

1. Lincoln Park Zoo Elephant Dies

Elephant advocates are calling for the transfer of two surviving

elephants at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo to sanctuaries in the wake

of Tatima's untimely death at age 34. IDA issued statements that

Tatima's death highlights the health problems and shortened lifespan

that zoos inflict on elephants. IDA's statements implicate the San

Diego Zoo in Tatima's death, as well as the declining health of the

two remaining elephants, Peaches and Wankie. In April 2002, the San

Diego Zoo dumped the three ailing elephants at the Chicago Zoo to

make room for younger, wild-caught elephants from Africa.

" The shocking betrayal of these elephants by the San Diego Zoo has

ended in tragedy, " said IDA president Elliot Katz, a

veterinarian. " Instead of living up to its moral obligation to

provide care to the elephants in their old age, the San Diego Zoo

exiled them to cold, windy Chicago, where their health further

declined. The Zoo must now do the right thing and send Peaches and

Wankie to an elephant sanctuary where they will have space and

climate more conducive to good health. "

Research and the spate of recent elephant deaths continue to

document that elephants confined in zoos only live out about half

their natural lifespan. Whereas the average age at death for captive

elephants is 34 years, a natural lifespan for wild elephants is 60

to 70 years. Recently, a zoo-industry trade group (American Zoo and

Aquarium Association) promoted a misleading report on captive

elephant lifespan that excluded all infant mortality, among other

relevant factors. However, independent data continue to show that

elephants in captivity die prematurely. Prior to early death,

elephants suffer from a range of captivity-induced health problems,

including painful joint and foot disease, digestive disorders, and

tuberculosis, a disease that humans passed on to elephants.

IDA was part of a coalition that filed two federal lawsuits to stop

the San Diego Zoo from importing the wild African elephants, and we

have been a vocal opponent of the transfer of the three elephants to

Chicago. Earlier this year, IDA successfully convinced the San

Francisco Zoo to transfer its two surviving elephants to the

Performing Animal Welfare Society Sanctuary in California. Click

here to read the article that appeared in the San Diego Union-

Tribune.

 

1. Please sign the petition available at the link below to send

Peaches and Wankie to a sanctuary. The petition will be forwarded to

the Lincoln Park Zoo Director, the members of the zoo board, and the

Mayor of Chicago.

2. http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?msm2123

 

 

 

2. Write a letter to the director of the Lincoln Park Zoo urging him

to retire the elephants.

Send letters to:

Kevin Bell, Director

Lincoln Park Zoo

2001 N. Clark St.

Chicago, IL 60614-4757

Fax: 312-742-2336

E-mail: kbell

3. Write to Chicago Mayor Daley, asking him to use his influence to

urge the Lincoln Park Zoo to retire its elephants.

Send letters to:

The Honorable Richard M. Daley

Mayor of Chicago

Office of the Mayor

121 N. LaSalle, Rm. 507

Chicago, IL 60602

312-744-3300

Fax: 312-744-8045

To get involved in Chicago campaigns to help Peaches and Wankie,

contact Tony Madsen at tonymadsen or call him at

(312) 927-3801.