Detroit Zoo Told It Can't Send Elephants to Sanctuary
On May 20, a story on the front page of the Detroit Free Press reported
the wonderful news that Detroit Zoo was to become the first zoo to
voluntarily release its elephants to a sanctuary for ethical reasons.
However, the September 3 edition of the Free Press reported, "Zoo told it
can't send elephants to sanctuary."
The article reports that a committee of the American Zoo and Aquarium
Association has decided that the elephants at the Zoo, Winky and Wanda,
must now be sent to the Columbus Zoo in Ohio instead. Click here to read
the article:
http://www.freep.com/news/metro/zoo3e_20040903.htm
.
What You Can Do
1. Contact Ron Kagan, director of the Detroit Zoo and thank him for his
compassionate, ethical decision to retire the elephants. Let him know that
the entire humane community stands behind his
decision.
Ron Kagan, Director
Detroit Zoological Institute
8450 W. Ten Mile Rd.
Royal Oak, MI 48068-0039
Tel.: (248) 398-0900
Fax: (248) 398-0504
Online comment form:
http://www.detroitzoo.org/critters2.html
2. Contact the AZA and urge them to allow the Detroit Zoo to retire the
elephants without losing its accreditation:
Syd Butler, LL.B.
Executive Director
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association
8403 Colesville Rd., Ste. 710
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3314
Tel.: (301) 562-0777
Fax: (301) 562-0888
E-mail:
Sbutler@aza.org