If You Care for Elephants: Tell Malaysian Prime Minister Razak to Free the Abused Baby Elephants, Paloh and Jeli

You can read more about this sad case and act at http://www.change.org/petitions/malaysian-prime-minister-razak-free-paloh-and-jeli-the-baby-elephants-and-send-them-to-a-sanctuary?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=own_wall

An excellent Facebook page has also been created to help educate on this matter. Visit it at http://www.facebook.com/SavePalohthebabyElephant

In summary:

"Please help babies Paloh and Jeli..they are being held at the Johor Zoo in Malaysia..they are kept in a barren exhibit without toys, access to clean water for drinking and playing,proper diet and only each other for company..There is nothing to stimulate them..Please help them get moved to a sanctuary where they can receive the proper diet, care and stimulation they so desperately need as well as the companionship of adult elephants .please help Paloh and Jeli get to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary{NECC}within the next 7 days..thank you"

Cruel South Africa Revises 1994 Ban and will Allow the Killing of Elephants

What more can I say but how absolutely ridiculous, callous and plain stupid. Killing elephants for the flawed decisions of human encroachment on native elephant lands is just tragic.

As stated below, the only thing now to do is to boycott South Africa. Anyone who thinks they'll find a legitimate eco vacation in South Africa had better reassess that thought. Killing elephants proves that the government of South Africa cares nothing about wildlife.

Article:

South Africa to allow elephant killing

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080225/
ap_on_re_af/south_africa_elephants

Mon Feb 25, 7:01 AM ET

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa said it will allow elephants to be killed to control their population, reversing a 1994 ban and immediately drawing criticism from animal rights activists.

In a government statement given to reporters Monday, killing elephants is described as one way of managing growing populations.

The government in 1994 banned culling the elephant population, but since then, the number of the giant beasts in the country has ballooned from 8,000 to more than 20,000. The new policy becomes official Friday.

Animal rights defenders threatened to call for tourist boycotts and protests and to take legal action against the measure.

Cast Your Vote for IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants in 2007 List: Take Part in Raising Awareness to the Plight of Captive Elephants in Zoos

What an innovative way to tackle this important issue. I encourage all to at least visit the page. You’ll quickly be able to see just how many zoos are listed. This gives you a good idea on how many places have had incidents that have either killed or harmed an elephant. Unfortunately, the list is long.

Article:

Cast Your Vote for IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants in 2007 List

http://www.helpelephantsinzoos.com/10_worst_2007b.php

For the last few years, IDA has released its annual list of the Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants to draw attention to the appalling treatment of Earth's largest mammal in captivity and pressure zoos to provide the space and natural conditions elephants need or stop keeping elephants altogether.

The media has enthusiastically reported on our lists, bringing more scrutiny to the zoos that were singled out as being particularly sad and sorry places for pachyderms.

As the controversy surrounding elephants in zoos rages on, the 2007 list is sure to grab people's attention once again, and we need you to tell us which zoos are most deserving of this undesirable publicity.

This year, we are letting you—the people decide which zoos make the ignoble list. Cast your vote below and click on the zoo names for information to help you decide. The "losers" will be announced in 2008.

Cast your vote here: http://www.helpelephantsinzoos.com/10_worst_2007b.php

Three Former Circus Employees Join Federal Lawsuit Against Ringling Brothers And Barnum & Bailey Circus Under The Endangered Species Act

Once again, this suit “…alleges that Ringling Bros. mistreats and abuses the Asian elephants it uses in shows all across the country.”

An excellent move.

For more on the cruel truth behind the cruelty of the circus see http://www.circuses.com/

Article:


Elephants Beaten with Bull Hooks in the Name of Entertainment
Posted by: Liz in Animal Rights, Peace

http://willienelsonpri.com/peace/365/elephants-
beaten-with-bull-hooks-in-the-name-of-entertainment.html

Former Ringling Brothers Employees Bolster Federal Lawsuit Against Circus

Washington, D.C. (Aug. 29, 2007) – The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and others seek permission for three former circus employees to join in their federal lawsuit against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus under the Endangered Species Act. The suit alleges that Ringling Bros. mistreats and abuses the Asian elephants it uses in shows all across the country.

Former Ringling Bros. employees Archele Hundley, Margaret Tom and Robert Tom Jr. witnessed elephant cruelty before leaving the circus last summer. Their observations reaffirm evidence previously described by existing plaintiff and former Ringling Bros. employee Tom Rider, which includes the routine striking of elephants with bull hooks, and chaining of the animals for long periods of time.

Hundley, who quit the circus because she found the mistreatment of the animals too upsetting, recalled an incident where notorious animal trainer, Sacha Houcke used a bull hook in an attempt to force an elephant named Baby to lie down.

After smacking her with the bull hook repeatedly with no success, Houcke inserted the bull hook into Baby’s ear canal, and while holding the bull hook’s handle with both hands, he pulled down on Baby’s ear with all of his weight, causing her to bleed profusely and squeal in pain.

In describing an episode that happened earlier this year when an elephant named Asia defecated on one of the dancers during her routine, Margaret Tom stated that she “witnessed two guys beat Asia the minute she left the stage, hitting her at least 10 times with bull hooks, making her scream.”

Margaret Tom’s husband, Robert Tom Jr., reported that elephants are hit with bull hooks daily. He described an elephant who bled from the back and screamed in pain from a beating that lasted approximately 30 minutes. The trainer exerted so much energy that “he would periodically sit in a chair to take a break, then return to the elephant and start hooking again.”

“These witnesses reinforce what we know Ringling Bros. is anxious to hide,” said Tracy Silverman, General Counsel for AWI. “We are pleased that these former employees have come forward to reveal what goes on behind the scenes of the big tent, and we are eager to present this evidence in court.”

The Washington, D.C. law firm Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal is representing AWI and its co-plaintiffs, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Fund for Animals, the Animal Protection Institute and another former Ringling employee, Tom Rider.

Trial is expected to commence sometime next year.

Contact: Tracy Silverman, Esq.: (703) 836-4300/tracy@awionline.org

The Animal Welfare Institute has worked for over 56 years to reduce the unnecessary pain and suffering inflicted on animals by humans.

Three Animal Rights Groups Protest Abusive Treatment of Elephants by the Ringling Brothers And Barnum and Bailey Circus

Good to see the groups still raising awareness to the abuse suffered by elephants in circuses.

For more detailed information on the abuse of elephants in circuses see http://www.idausa.org/facts/circusfacts.html

Article:

Animal Rights Groups To Protest Treatment Of Circus Elephants

http://www.10news.com/news/13848316/detail.html

SAN DIEGO -- At least three animal rights groups will protest what they call abusive treatment of elephants by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus Wednesday outside its opening night performance at the San Diego Sports Arena.

"These people treat them like the devil would," Florence Lambert of the Elephant Alliance said. "They've been abused."

Circus officials have long denied allegations of mistreatment, claiming it exceeds all federal animal welfare standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act.

Lambert went to the circus' annual walk from the train to the Sports Arena Tuesday, checking on the condition of the elephants, but said she was forced to remain in her car because employees know her as the woman who unmasked them.

"Fourteen years ago, I took a lot of photos that were incriminating. They (circus employees) shout at me," she said.

Lambert said she watched from her car, making sure the elephants were all right, and to see if she could report any violations to Animal Control.

"They (circus employees) were shouting and punching them with the bull hook," Lambert said. "But they weren't using the hooks to break the skin."

Although Lambert was a witness to the walk where she said the animals "looked so sad and just so abused," Animal Control was parked nearby, and she said the trainers were doing nothing illegal.

Other animal advocates will be in attendance tomorrow to protest elephant training practices among other issues.

The San Diego Animal Advocates said they will pass out fliers in English and Spanish on Wednesday, as well as have banners in both languages, the group's Jane Cartmill said.

During the protest, a person dressed inside a flat screen television suit will be displaying videos of what Cartmill calls elephant training.

Circus official Andy Perez said Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey encourages the public to see the elephants and other animals for themselves.

"We don't have bad trainers," he said.

The circus has trainers available 90 minutes before the show. The audience can see trainers and the animals at that time, Perez said. The circus is especially proud of its Asian elephant breeding program, Perez said.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus operates a 200-acre facility in Florida where the elephants can retire, breed and become a part of a research project to ensure their species' survival, Perez said.

Cartmill said her group will be protesting the circus for false statements of breeding elephants for conservation purposes.

"Captivity equals conservation is absurd," Cartmill said. "They should buy habitat in Asia where the elephants belong. Breeding them in a U.S. environment is not conservation."

In Defense of Animals Threatens to Sue California City if Elephants go to Six Flags through Sale of Discovery Kingdom

Sad that we need to discuss living beings as part of a sale, but that’s the way it is.

Article:

Animal rights group wants elephants to go to sanctuary

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_6488556

By J.M. BROWN/Times-Herald staff writer
Article Launched: 07/28/2007 08:58:15 AM PDT

A day before the city's sale of Discovery Kingdom to Six Flags, animal rights advocates will try to convince city officials not to sell four elephants they allege have suffered inhumane treatment at the theme park.

Because terms of the sale agreement were inked years ago, City Manager Joe Tanner said he is "skeptical" he can remove the elephants from the deal, which is set to be finalized Tuesday. But, on Monday, "we plan to listen to what they have to say, and if our attorney agrees, maybe we'll do something," Tanner said.

In Defense of Animals has threatened to file a federal lawsuit against the city, accusing it of violating the Endangered Species Act by allowing the alleged mistreatment of two Asian elephants. IDA has demanded the elephants - along with two African elephants also living at the park - be transferred to a sanctuary.

Six Flags will oppose taking the elephants out of the sale agreement, but the company's legal officials are still reviewing its options, spokeswoman Nancy Chan said. Park officials have long claimed the elephants are well taken care of and actually benefit from captivity through conservation of the species.

But IDA claims that recently obtained medical records show the pachyderms have
numerous health problems associated with confinement and could die if subjected to breeding programs that have caused previous elephant deaths at the park. IDA also said the animals suffer when performing entertainment tasks, such as riding and tug of war.

Chan said IDA has misinterpreted the medical reports with its own "spin."

"It basically comes down to, unfortunately, their word against ours," Chan said. "We are the ones that care for the elephants and we know exactly what is going on."

Suzanne Roy, program director for IDA, said the purchase agreement has several loopholes that could allow the city to retain the elephants before the sale is final, then send the animals to a rehabilitation facility.

Roy said lawyers working with IDA say the city could remove the elephants from the deal as a potential claim against the sale or could argue that the "city's property interest in the elephants has been called into question and the city cannot deliver clear title to the elephants until the issue is resolved."

In June, Six Flags announced it would exercise its option to buy the city's $55 million interest in the 135-acre park, which has been operated through a joint revenue sharing agreement since it moved from Redwood City in the mid 1980s. Vallejo will still receive a fee for hosting the park formerly known as Marine World.

Although IDA has long argued that using elephants for entertainment purposes is inhumane, Roy said the timing of the sale - plus medical evidence only recently made available through public records requests - made now the time to act.

The IDA claims that the alleged mistreatment of the animals constitutes an "illegal take" of an endangered species.

"We hope that we wouldn't have to resort to litigation," Roy said. "We will present the city with enough compelling evidence that (a sanctuary) will be a much better situation for the elephants, and the city has responsibility to do right by them."

IDA has found a sympathetic ear in Councilwoman Stephanie Gomes, who visited the elephants last weekend in response to recent concerns from citizens about their treatment.

While she said she felt the elephants were well fed and taken care of, Gomes said she did not believe "elephants belong in small enclosures with roller coasters all around them and children sitting on their backs, playing tug of war was an appropriate use."

But, Gomes said, "the sale has already been concluded, so it doesn't matter what I think. Our hands have been tied."

IDA was successful at encouraging zoos in San Francisco and Los Angeles to move elephants to sanctuaries without invoking the Endangered Species Act, Roy said. "We're hoping (Vallejo) will realize its responsibility to these elephants," she added.

IDA has to wait 60 days from the date of its July 25 letter to the city before filing legal action using the Endangered Species Act. The law can only be used to seize the Asian elephants at Discovery Kingdom - Liz and Taj - because its African elephants - Malaika and Tava - are listed as a "threatened species."

Bill in Connecticut that Attempts to Stop Abuse to Elephants Moves Forward: Bills Makes it a Crime to Use Any Device on an Elephant that Lead to Harm

Incredible legislation. We will keep you up to date on it’s progression. As mentioned below, the bill “makes it a crime to use any device on an elephant that may be expected to harm it, such as electric prods or long hooked devices called bullhooks. It also creates a crime for people to possess such an implement or device.”

For more on the health issues caused by putting large animals like elephants in zoos see http://www.helpelephants.com/


Article:

Elephant protection bill moves forward

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=6415341&nav=3YeX

Posted Apr. 23, 2007
8:20 PM

(Hartford-AP) _ A bill aimed at protecting circus elephants from abuse is continuing to lumber through the legislature.

The Judiciary Committee Monday approved legislation that makes it a crime to use any device on an elephant that may be expected to harm it, such as electric prods or long hooked devices called bullhooks. It also creates a crime for people to possess such an implement or device.

But opponents said Connecticut already has strong animal cruelty laws on the books, and argued that the bill is written too vaguely.

Also on Monday, the committee unanimously passed a bill against Internet hunting. The measure bans anyone from operating, providing, selling or using any computer software or service in the state that allows someone to hunt a live animal or bird by remote control.