Elephant-Sized News: With Bamboo and Chai in San Diego, We Have Another Chance to SAVE them!
Litigation - Article Series: from All-Creatures.org Articles Archive

FROM

Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants
May 2015

This may be the best chance we’ll ever have—not only for Chai and Bamboo—but to help elephants nationwide based on the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Elephant Justice Project (EJP), an ally of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, has succeeded in getting a partial ruling in the federal law suit against Woodland Park Zoo. The Honorable Judge Coughenour stated that EJP will likely win on the merits of its case! Now EJP is requesting an injunction to keep Bamboo and Chai in California so their next move will be to PAWS sanctuary! Then we believe that the judge is poised to establish an important precedent!

Strong litigation opportunities like this don’t come often!

We need your help with funding this ground breaking effort. EJP has a highly respected judge who is sympathetic and will hopefully reach the merits of this case.

Please donate Tuesday, May 5th during Seattle Foundation’s one-day GiveBIG. Your donation will go farther because it is matched!

This may be the best chance we’ll ever have—not only for Chai & Bamboo—but to help elephants nationwide based on the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Judge Coughenour indicated that if the sanctuary was ready to receive Seattle’s elephants, he might well have ordered that they be retired to a sanctuary. Now we have a declaration stating that PAWS will commit to providing lifetime sanctuary for Bamboo and Chai in a wooded habitat in an elephant-friendly climate.

The court also expressed deep concerns for the elephants’ well-being over the deaths of other elephants at the hands of zoos, and over zoo industry experts who defend inhumane treatment of elephants. Now we have the reckless move of Bamboo and Chai out of Seattle despite hazardous weather forecasts. This endangered their lives and caused them to be rerouted to San Diego.

Most legal cases trying to enforce the ESA fail because the plaintiff lacks standing to bring the case. Here, EJP’s standing is so strong it has gone unchallenged. With clear standing, our case might be one of the very first that can expose the private dealings of zoos and amusement parks with endangered species.

EJP’s lawyers are working hard putting together the expert testimony that the judge needs to do the right thing.

We need your help to fund this critical legal battle for sanctuary!

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