Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants

Watoto alone, pacing in Shower Room

Seattle, WA – Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) has been inducted into IDA’s (In Defense of Animal) Hall of shame.  Lack of space, captivity-induced ailments, and the deadly breeding program all add up to suffering for Bamboo, Chai, and Watoto.  This suffering in addition to WPZ’s search for ways to cut costs, begs for the elephants to be released to the 2,700 acre Elephant Sanctuary (TES)— at no cost to Seattle taxpayers or WPZ.

From a humane perspective, elephant experts say WPZ’s less-than-one acre elephant exhibit is inadequate for these migratory giants who are genetically wired to travel great distances.

Seattle’s winters force the elephants indoors for 16 – 17 hours a day.  “Their stall permits them to pace only a few steps in any direction. Outdoors they have less than 1 acre!” says Nancy Pennington, Co-founder of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants (FOWPZE).

WPZ’s  medical records reveal that Watoto, Bamboo and Chai suffer from colic, arthritis, obesity, herpes (which killed Hansa at 6-years- old) and foot infections.  Foot disease is the number one reason zoo elephants are euthanized and Chai has suffered from foot infections for over ten years.

“Particularly heartbreaking is witnessing Bamboo, Chai, and Watoto’s repetitive neurotic behaviors— the effects of long term suffering” says Pennington.

WPZ is planning to artificially inseminate Chai for the 56^th time in the spring.  Any calf born at this herpes-infected Zoo will likely die from the disease just as Hansa did.  WPZ has no infection control in place.   There is no cure for this excruciatingly painful disease that results in an almost certain death in young Asian elephants.

FOWPZE is calling for our elephants to join 15 other elephants at The Elephant Sanctuary; roam hills, forests and meadows; and swim in a 25-acre lake—all in a lush sub-tropical climate.

WPZ needs to make the unselfish and prudent financial decision to let Bamboo, Chai and Watoto heal from the traumas of zoo confinement.

Banner Drop on Aurora Blvd.

Nancy has been doing banner drops with some of our wonderful volunteers since June.  They can be seen on the highway 99 overpass where zoo is located, three mornings a week.

Running concurrently is the same banner for our bus campaign that spans 6 weeks.  Look out for the buses until Oct. 8th.

• We had two demos:  IDA’s International Day for Zoo Elephants and our fourth annual Jungle Party demo.
• We leafleted at the Solstice Parade, Hempfest, and Bumbershoot giving out nearly 5,000 informational pieces.
• We visited the Zoo for the 2 pm keeper talk which yielded the information that Chai was being artificially inseminated for the 56th time – yes, you read that correctly!  Luckily they missed her cycle and hopefully they’ll miss the next one in February.  FYI, baby Hansa died from the same fatal herpes virus that Watoto had in April 2008.  It is unconscionable that the herpes-infected Zoo would risk another calf dying such a horrific death.  So unethical.
• We met with WPZ upper management this week and a range of issues were discussed. Sadly, the elephants aren’t going to the 2,700 acre Elephant Sanctuary without a lot more work on our part.  There is reason for optimism which we’ll share in a future e-mail.

Bus Ad

As you can see, we’ve told the masses on highway 99 that the zoo is too small. Now we need a follow up banner that tells the solution:  Send elephants to Sanctuary.

If you would like to contribute to the cost of a new banner, we’d be so grateful.  Any donations over the cost of the banner will go toward printing costs of informational materials. Please help out by donating here.

New Banner - We need funds!

THANKS!

Last year's Jungle Party demonstration

Your chance to say: Get the elephants out of the Zoo and into the 2,700 acre Elephant Sanctuary!

When: Friday, July 10, 2009, 5:00 – 6:30PM
Where: Woodland Park Zoo NORTH entrance at N 59th and Evanston Ave. N., Seattle, WA

Be heard by hundreds of wealthy, influential zoo donors who will be attending Jungle Party, the Zoo’s largest fund raiser of the year.

Seattle’s Zoo is not suitable for elephants.

Our climate causes them to be locked away in cramped rooms for 17 hours a day for 7 months of the year. When they finally get outdoors, the less-than-one acre yard is inhumane for these giant, migratory animals. Lack of movement results in painful ailments only found in elephants kept in severe confinement.

Jungle Party elephant bandana

Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, invites you to join us as EVERY single donor has to drive right by us! We’ll provide signs and banners and chants asking them NOT to donate to the zoo until the elephants are released to the 2,700 acre Elephant Sanctuary.

WHAT ELSE? A FREE elephant bandana to the first 50 people

Contact info: wpzelephants@yahoo.com

This simple yet powerful video was created in response to the Washington State Bar Association “Justice for All” YouTube video contest.

Please watch this video and rate and/or leave a comment if you have a YouTube account.

The People’s Choice winner will be the video that receives the largest number of views between April 15 and July 1, 2009. Please share this video with your friends and family.

Chai’s foot being soaked. She has suffered with foot infections for at least 10 years.

When: June 20, 2009, 11:00am – 12:00
Where: Woodland Park Zoo – Main (south) Entrance: 750 N. 50th St. (and N. Fremont) Seattle, WA

In Defense of Animals has set an International Day of Action to expose the plight of elephants in zoos all over the world.

Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants is proud to be a part of this. Please join us on June 20th at 11am when we ask Woodland Park Zoo to release Watoto, Bamboo, and Chai from their inhumane confinement to the 2,700 acre Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

Comedian and actress, Lily Tomlin, speaks out on behalf of the Woodland Park Zoo elephants, advocating a move to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. This event was organized by Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants.

Get a FREE elephant lapel pin*

Jungle Party is Woodland Parks Zoo’s largest fund raiser of the year.

Hundreds of wealthy, influential donors will be attending. The elephants need LOTS of us to open the eyes of these donors as well as get the media out which is the best way to spread the message: out of the zoo and into the sanctuary!

Most of the year Chai, Bamboo, and Watoto are locked up in a tiny, barren room for 18 – 20 hours a day! This is especially cruel to these intelligent, migratory animals who are born with bodies that need to move, and who only sleep 4 hours a day.

Please spend a little time after work on Friday and join in asking donors NOT to donate to the zoo until the elephants are freed to the 2,700 acre Elephant Sanctuary. Choose the sign you want:

Elephants locked daily in 18’ X 23’ room
Elephants locked up for 18 – 20 hours a day
Lack of space is inhumane
From Cruel confinement to Humane Sanctuary
Don’t give $$$$ while elephants suffer

WHEN: Friday, July 11, 2008
TIME: 5 PM to 7 – come anytime: stay a little or stay a lot!
WHERE: Woodland Park Zoo NORTH entrance at N59th and Evanston Ave. N.
INFO: www.freewpzelephants.org, 206-595-7770

*The first 50 people to come will get a free elephant lapel pin. We are not asking for donations – just your body – to get the media out!

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

Watoto

May 5, 2008 – Alyne Fortgang, Co-founder of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants (FOWPZE) was told by a zoo employee in management, who name is being withheld for legal purposes, that Watoto, the African elephant housed at WPZ, has herpes and is being treated with huge doses of Famciclovir. Famciclovir is used to treat herpes virus.

Hansa died from herpes on June 8, 2007. Woodland Park Zoo has stated that very little is known about the herpes disease. Dr. Laura Richman, who discovered the herpes strain that killed Hansa is of the world’s leading expert on herpes viruses. “Hansa would have gotten it from another elephant,” Richman said. “Hansa had not left Woodland Park Zoo since she was born, which suggests the virus was passed from one of the zoo’s other elephants, either her mother, Chai, or Watoto or Bamboo.”

Read the full press release

The Elephant-Sized Comedy Gala and Auction was an elephant-sized success! A round of applause for Cathy Sorbo,
a veteran performer with over 25 years experience; fully potty-trained, Seattle P-I Columnist, and Rat City Roller Girls announcer. Now she can add elephants to her resume!

Our headliner: Dwight Slade is an internationally-known stand-up star with 1,341 myspace friends. Hand picked opener for Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. We had to peel people off the floor. He was great!

Special Thanks to:
Julie Mains, Dorothy Pierce, Kat and the entire staff at the Mainstage Comedy and Music Club. A deep curtsy for Galen Hazelhofer who donated her time and talent as our designer for all the event printed matter, t-shirts, and beyond! Lynne Madrigal, owner of Lap of Luxury Professional Cat Care. Heather Nelson Inkblot Screen Printing for our super t-shirts. Joan Delehanty for her delicious goodies. Lynda McCormick for inspirational tips. Academy Press and Liberty Bell Press. Diamond Parking. Michael Crouch – ya gotta have a GREAT numbers guy. Local entertainers Derek Sheen, Lukas Seely, Julie Cascioppo and Michelle Francis. Frank Blau, our event photographer, the Chickalatte girls, and all the volunteers – we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you!

Read the full press release