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Use this form to write to city and zoo officials who were involved with decision to move Chai and Bamboo to the Oklahoma City Zoo as well as donors who support Woodland Park Zoo:

Statement about Woodland Park Zoo’s Decision to Send Bamboo and Chai to Oklahoma City Zoo

Training Crate

Training Crate at WPZ

Woodland Park Zoo announced on Feb. 27th that Bamboo and Chai would be moved to Oklahoma City Zoo. This decision clearly shows that WPZ does not make the elephants’ quality of life or health a priority. Once at OCZ, there will be 7 elephants in a divided-up 3.2 acres—less space per elephant than they have now. Oklahoma City’s climate is much colder and hotter than Seattle’s forcing the elephants to suffer an even longer lock up in a tiny barn.

With this decision Woodland Park Zoo has ignored science, Seattle’s Mayor and City Council, the media and the values of the community in which it resides.

Sending Bamboo and Chai to another Zoo means that these intelligent beings will never have a day in their entire lives to exercise autonomy; free to wander the wooded hills of a sanctuary, free to choose when to bathe or what to eat or being able to wallow in mud, or simply lie down to nap at will. These simple behaviors of “being an elephant” have been denied to them by living on display in zoo captivity.

Woodland Park Zoo has chosen not to learn from its experience with Bamboo: she was sent away to Tacoma’s Pt. Defiance Zoo because she didn’t bond with baby Hansa or Watoto. Once at Pt. Defiance Zoo, she didn’t integrate with their elephants. There is no evidence to believe that it would be any different at OCZ and unrealistic to assume that Bamboo or Chai would become aunties; they haven’t had the experience to acquire these skills.

At a sanctuary, Bamboo and the other elephant(s) have the space to avoid each other if they choose. This is not possible at a zoo and instead the elephants are kept separated in an already absurdly small space—or worse, kept in solitary confinement.

Bamboo and Chai’s lives will go from bad to worse!

Please send the above email which will go to those responsible for this decision at Woodland Park Zoo and Oklahoma City Zoo, some Zoo Board and donors, and Seattle’s City Council and Mayor. Your help is desperately needed to help Bamboo and Chai!