Devi (little princess), a 30-year-old Asian elephant raised in captivity at the San Diego Zoo exhibiting “rocking behavior” (animation), a rhythmic and repetitive swaying which is unreported in free ranging wild elephants. Thought to be symptomatic of stress disorders, and probably made worse by a barren environment, rocking behavior may be a precursor to aggressive behavior in captive elephants. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Your Letters Helped Save Zimbabwe Elephants From Chinese Zoos!
Last week we asked you to contact officials of Zimbabwe to stop the export of baby elephants to zoos in China. Give yourselves a pat on the back, because your letters worked! On January 21, the Washington Post reported that five baby elephants who were to be shipped to Chinese zoos have been returned to the wild. According to the report, “state parks and wildlife officials agreed on their release … and the capture of wild animals for zoos or similar habitats, irrespective of location, is expected to be stopped.”
This marks the second time your letters helped stop the transfer of Zimbabwe’s wildlife. In 2010, you convinced Zimbabwe to halt the sale of elephants, giraffes, zebras, and other wildlife to a zoo in North Korea.
While IDA is glad these five elephants will be spared from a life of misery in Chinese zoos, there are reports that at least two other baby elephants are still being held for export, and dozens more could be snatched from the wild to fulfill international “orders” for wild elephants. So it’s unknown whether Zimbabwe, and other countries in Africa, are sincere about ending the capture and export of wild animals for zoos. Stay tuned for updates.
In other news, the city of Topeka has agreed to pay a $45,000 civil penalty to settle a USDA complaint filed against the Topeka Zoo. The complaint included 51 charges including the deaths of numerous animals and failure to provide adequate veterinary care for Tembo and Sunda, the zoo’s two elephants.
To put baby-elephants from their mothers, from their families is such a cruel act! Elephants are very social animals – like us! I cannot understand how they can do this to take babies from their fountain: the family!
They destroy cords of hearts, love and they sew hate & sorror there!
Annamaria
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- ZCTF in bid to block UNWTO over elephant trade (jessie04.wordpress.com)
- Zimbabwe: KEEP WILD ELEPHANTS OUT OF CHINESE ZOOS (spiritandanimal.wordpress.com)
- Zoo-bound elephant calves back in Zimbabwe’s wild (omaha.com)
- Zoo-bound elephant calves back in Zimbabwe’s wild (foxnews.com)
- Zoo-bound elephant calves back in Zimbabwe’s wild (dailystar.com.lb)
- China-bound elephant calves returned to Zimbabwe’s wildlife areas (ctvnews.ca)
- Baby elephants released (thezimbabwean.co.uk)
- Zoo-Bound Elephant Calves Back in Zimbabwe’s Wild (abcnews.go.com)
- ZCTF in bid to block UNWTO over elephant trade (spiritandanimal.wordpress.com)
