Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants

The forward thinking city of San Francisco is considering legislation that would effectively turn the San Francisco Zoo into a rescue facility.

The San Francisco Zoo would transform to a center that primarily houses rescued domestic and exotic animals and those confiscated by law enforcement under legislation proposed at City Hall Tuesday by Supervisor Chris Daly.

The legislation would create a city policy that states that future acquisitions of animals occur from rescues or confiscations. The legislation also would create an advisory committee to monitor the welfare of animals at the zoo.

Read the full story in the San Francisco Chronicle.

2 excellent letters appeared in the Seattle Times in response to its article, “Elephant’s pregnancy raises health concerns”.

Check out both letters in the Seattle Times.

Chai, the Woodland Park Zoo’s 29-year-old female Asian elephant, appears to be pregnant for the first time since losing her 6-year-old daughter, Hansa, to a fatal strain of elephant herpes last year.

But rather than being a joyous occasion, Chai’s apparent pregnancy has renewed concerns among animal-rights groups about the risks of elephant herpes and the ongoing mystery of how Hansa, a zoo celebrity, contracted it.

Read the full story in the Seattle Times

The Seattle P-I editorial board wrote a short but thought provoking article about the real state of elephant care in today’s zoos.

Most zoos, including Seattle’s, are dismissive of calls for elephants to be in spacious sanctuaries. Most critics would be happy to think the elephants are enjoying themselves in conditions that might lead to remarkably long lives. Somewhere there must be a watering hole where dedicated professionals and caring activists can meet.

Read the P-I editorial here

The Seattle P-I reports on a memorial protest by elephant activists, commemorating the death of 6-year-old elephant, Hansa one year ago.  Hansa died of herpes, a disease that is commonly transmitted between elephants.  To impregnate Chai with Hansa, she was sent to Dickerson Park Zoo, a zoo which is known to be infected with the herpes virus.  The zoo is now attempting to artificially inseminate Chai, again with semen from a herpes-infected zoo.

Read the full story:
Protest marks year since baby elephant’s death