RUBY THE ELEPHANT COULD HAVE WORSE PROBLEMS THAN BEING
ALONE
Elephant Trainer with Tarnished Past Brought to Knoxville Zoo to "Assist"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
CONTACT: Jane Garrison 843-343-8887
Knoxville, TN the elephant (who was torn from her
companion of 16 years at the Los Angeles Zoo and sent to the Knoxville Zoo
where she has been isolated from the other elephants), a trainer with a
history of using corporal punishment has been brought to the zoo to
"assist" with the long overdue integration process.
The elephant trainer, Alan Roocroft, became known to the
public and the animal protection community more than 10 years ago when he
used harsh "discipline" on an African elephant named Dunda at the San
Diego Wild Animal Park. Keepers conceded they "chained Dunda by all 4
legs, pulled her to the ground and struck her head with ax handles." This
beating went on for an extended period of time. Roocroft appears to
support such abusive behavior toward elephants as cited in his book
Managing Elephants. Roocroft states, "When corporal punishment is
administered to an elephant, it has to be fairly forceful 'one might need
to strike the elephant' a solid blow with a fairly heavy implement. The
handling of problem elephants requires a
well-drilled team - a crew of at least eight, preferably ten, in order to
insure sufficient 'muscle'."
Jane Garrison, a well respected Elephant Specialist
states, "I fear now more than ever for Ruby�s physical and emotional
well-being and urge the zoo to sever all ties with Alan Roocroft
immediately. Ruby is not the problem - she is the victim of a bad decision
by the Los Angeles Zoo. It is time that the Knoxville and Los Angeles Zoos
admit that transferring Ruby was a mistake and allow Ruby to retire to The
Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee where she can roam thousands of acres with
other retired elephants."
Background: Ruby the elephant was transferred to the
Knoxville Zoo from the Los Angeles Zoo May 2003 despite protests from the
public that it was cruel to separate Ruby from her long time companion
Gita. A taxpayer lawsuit followed and is still pending.
For more info about the lawsuit and Ruby, visit Save Ruby,
http://www.SaveRuby.org.
For more info about The Elephant Sanctuary, visit
http://www.Elephants.com
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There is no justification for employing someone like Alan Roocroft.
Please write to the contacts below and tell them it is
obviously time for the L.A. and Knoxville zoos to finally admit that
Ruby's integration has failed. They must not try to beat her into
compliance. At this point, for the sake of Ruby's physical and mental
well-being, she must be moved out of the Knoxville Zoo. After 40 years of
public service, Ruby deserves to be retired to The Elephant Sanctuary,
about a four-hour drive from the Knoxville Zoo.
For more information on Ruby, please visit
http://www.saveruby.org
PLEASE WRITE TO:
Jim Vlna, Director
Knoxville Zoo
3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive
Knoxville, Tennessee 37914
Phone: (865) 637-5331
Fax: (865) 637-1943
Email: [email protected]
Knoxville News - Letters to the Editor
[email protected]
John Lewis, Director
Los Angeles Zoo
5333 Zoo Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027-1498
Phone: (323) 644-4200
Fax: (323) 662-9786
Email: [email protected]
Mayor James Hahn
200 North Spring Street, Room 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 978-0600
Fax: (213) 978-0656
E-mail: [email protected] or
[email protected]
Go on to Four Feet In
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