Seattle P-I: Changes needed for Woodland Park Zoo elephants, task force says
seattlepi.com reports on the Zoo’s Elephant Task Force report. Notably, the article includes a response from Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephant‘s cofounder, Alyne Fortgang:
The majority report was to be expected by the fact that the Zoo Board handpicked the Task Force members and the health panel advising the Task Force was handpicked by a Zoo Board member and author of an op-ed which stated (incorrectly) that the elephants don’t have foot problems and that they should stay at the zoo. Further stacking the cards against the elephants is that the Task Force did not invite a single one of the 14 elephant experts we recommended – including the two founders of The Elephant Sanctuary in TN, Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick and Dr. Joyce Poole. The elephants didn’t stand a chance.
The president of the Zoo Board was at the meeting and said that the Board would strategize and come up with a plan in early 2014. I’m not hopeful that Bamboo, Chai and Watoto will get much of an improvement in their quality of life. The plan will likely be for them to die at WPZ without ever enjoying the hills, meadows, lakes and companionship of other elephants that could be theirs at a sanctuary; a sad commentary on our humanity.
Read the full article on seattlepi.com
Read the Task Force’s Final Report
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