Fw: Tell Philly Zoo Director Dewan: Scrap Plans to Breed Elephants, Send Them To Sanctuary Instead!

March 8, 2008

Tell Philly Zoo Director Dewan: Scrap Plans to Breed Elephants, Send Them To Sanctuary Instead!

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Tell Philly Zoo Director Dewan: Scrap Plans to Breed Elephants, Send Them To Sanctuary Instead!

Last week, the Philadelphia Inquirer published an excellent Op-Ed by attorney and elephant advocate Marianne Bessey highlighting the absurdity of claims that breeding elephants in zoos is essential to conservation, especially in light of South Africa's plans to cull elephants whose population has grown in number in the space-restricted Kruger National Park.

Bessey's message is especially relevant to the Philadelphia Zoo, which is scheduled to ship three African elephants to a breeding facility in central Pennsylvania in the next few months.

Last month, Philadelphia Zoo director Vik Dewan confirmed plans to breed the two youngest elephants, Kallie and Bette, even though they are both 25 years old -- a risky age for first-time elephant pregnancies. Dewan also spoke of plans to keep elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo in the future and estimated costs of an expanded exhibit at $27 million.

There is no validity to zoo industry claims that breeding elephants in captivity is essential to conservation, particularly when a range country is about to kill elephants because they have bred so prolifically in the national park where they are confined to a restricted range. For the money spent to house three elephants in a multi-million dollar enclosure in captivity, the Philadelphia Zoo could help hundreds of elephants in their native Africa. This can be done by supporting habitat restoration and protection, the creation of trans-national elephant corridors, anti-poaching patrols, and other real conservation efforts.

The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is home to 12 elephants formerly held in zoos and circuses, and has offered to take all three elephants from the Philadelphia Zoo at no charge. Zoo Director Dewan has refused the offer, claiming that Kallie and Bette need to breed for the good of their species, and that 52-year-old Petal could not survive the trip to California. However, the zoo claims Petal is in excellent health, so she should have no problem flying to PAWS via aircraft, just as the elephant Maggie from Alaska was flown last fall.

Please Take Action to urge Zoo Director Dewan to halt plans to breed Kallie and Bette.

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In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA's efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi and Cameroon, Africa.

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