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Top African Elephant Scientist Joins Call
To Send Dallas Zoo Elephant to Sanctuary
International experts cite importance of rehabilitation for troubled elephant
Dallas, Texas - One of the world’s foremost authorities on African elephants, Dr. Joyce Poole, has joined other world-renowned scientists, elephant experts and zoo professionals from around the globe in urging the city of Dallas to send Jenny the elephant to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee instead of the Africam Safari Park, a drive-through tourist attraction in Mexico.
Dr. Poole’s letter to city officials, along with a sign-on letter from a dozen experts, will be released on Wednesday by two signees, former zoo curator Les Schobert and Barbara Anderson, a former elephant keeper in zoos and at The Elephant Sanctuary, at a press conference at Dallas City Hall.
What: Press Conference with Elephant Experts about Dallas Zoo Elephant Jenny
When: Wednesday, August 6, 8:30 am
Where: Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, Main Entrance
“Our experience with elephants leaves us gravely concerned about Jenny’s welfare . . . considering her known history of violent aggression and extreme, aberrant behaviors, including self-injury,” the letter states. “It is troubling that the Dallas Zoo would even consider sending this particular elephant to a drive-through attraction when The Elephant Sanctuary, a facility recognized worldwide for its expertise in the rehabilitation of troubled and ailing elephants, is willing to take Jenny.”
In her letter, Dr. Poole, who has 33 years experience studying the behavior of free-living elephants, wrote: “In my opinion, the behavior of elephants at The Elephant Sanctuary most closely approaches natural behavior because the elephants have space to roam, autonomy over their daily lives and the peace within which to make choices.”
Other signatories include Dr. Keith Lindsay, a conservation biologist who has studied elephants in Kenya for more than 30 years; Dr. Gay Bradshaw, a leading expert on elephant trauma and recovery; David Hancocks, former director of the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Wash., and the Melbourne Zoo in Australia; and Amanda Sandos, a former Dallas Zoo keeper who knows Jenny personally.
ABC’s 20/20 recently featured The Elephant Sanctuary’s rehabilitation program for traumatized elephants. The sanctuary has received elephants from numerous Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos, and Jenny would share 300 acres of natural habitat with three other African elephants. By contrast, the Africam drive-through attraction would maintain Jenny for public display in a facility that currently houses only Asian elephants, a different species, in exhibits under an acre in size.
A copy of the professionals’ letter is available on request.