Franklin Zoo (Closed) Mila the Elephant's Future

zooboy28

zooboy28

Well-Known Member
I haven't heard anything recently about plans for Mila's future, although today, almost one year after her death, the coroner's report into Dr Helen Schofield's death was released. Summary of information available so far is available here: http://www.zoochat.com/17/elephant-kills-woman-franklin-zoo-269075/, and also here: http://www.zoochat.com/17/closure-animal-transfers-298445/

Story here: 'Gentle' death of elephant handler Dr Helen Schofield... | Stuff.co.nz

Note that the article gets the date wrong by a year, it should say 2012 not 2011.

An elephant that killed her handler two years ago in a South Auckland zoo was being gentle even toward the end, a Coroner's report reveals.

Coroner Sarn Herdson's findings into the death of Dr Helen Schofield who was killed by the African elephant Mila at the Franklin Zoo on Anzac Day 2011 were released today, and included the moving evidence of an eyewitness, identified as Mr Jensson

"The elephant held her with her trunk pulling her right leg trousers back into the enclosure," he told the court.

"The elephant slowly put her truck around her mid section and shaked her (sic) a little to get her trunk around. It was all very gentle."

During the whole time Dr Schofield was saying "Mila let me down, Mila be good'."

Mila was a 39-year-old elephant, weighing 3.7 tonnes and 3.4 metres tall.

She had been at the Tuakau zoo for two and a half years but before that had spent around 30 years of her life with the Whirling circus touring New Zealand.

Coroner Herdson said the evidence she heard showed that those who worked with Mila considered that she had transitioned into the zoo land was becoming accustomed to her new habitat and keepers.

On the day of the death Dr Schofield had been outside the elephant enclosure with around six or seven visitors nearby.

The enclosure was had an electric fence with bollards and chain wire and could be accessed by Dr Schofield through a gap at one end.

Witnesses said Dr Schofield was explaining the elephant to people as Mila was inside the enclosure throwing sand around with her trunk.

At one point Dr Schofield went into the enclosure to give Mila some food and then came out.

"It was at that point that Mila was seen to move suddenly," the coroner said.

The witness Mr Jensson said the elephant jumped as if it was spooked.

"It jumped like one metre sideways. I didn't hear or see anything that would have caused that."

Dr Schofield's sister Jennifer Chung told the coroner it was possible that Mila's truck hit the electric fence.

"She is aware of the fence and knows it is electrified. She had occasional shocks before.

"I asked Helen what's happened and she said that Mila was shocked by the fence."

At that point Dr Schofield told people she would calm Mila with some fruit.

She held out fruit and at one point Mila put her head down and Dr Schofield examined something.

Mr Jensson described Mila moving towards Dr Schofield at an increasing speed and Dr Schofield backed up and then turned shortly before the open gate area at which point she fell.

He described the elephant putting her trunk around Dr Schofield and being very gentle.

"When she was picked up, she called for the elephant to put her down and tapped her on the head," Mr Jensson said.

"The elephant went down on her knees and pushed her head and trunk down into the bank. She moved her head from side to side as she did this."

It was a rocking motion with Dr Schofield inside the trunk.

"She was saying for the elephant to let her go."

The witness said the elephant did and Dr Schofield was moving and talking.

"The elephant than backed away before coming back up to her and was rubbing the end of her trunk over her. That was the last time we saw her move."

Mr Jensson said the elephant came back twice and did the same thing.

"It looked like the elephant was protecting her. She was still angry and there was no way that anyone could get close."

Another witness identified as a Ms McNair said she saw a motionless Dr Schofield on the ground.

"The elephant was still close ... and looked like it was sniffing her. I really think the elephant did not mean to hurt her."

Jennifer Chung said Mila did not seem angry but was instead frightened.

Forensic pathologist Dr June Vuletic found the cause of death due to multiple injuries in her chest and abdomen.

Coroner Herdson said she found it probably Mila did receive an electric shock that caused her to jump.

"I accept the proposition that Dr Schofield's actions in going into the enclosure to calm Mila were born out of concern for the elephant, but that her judgement about the level of risk and exposure to serious harm was probably impaired due to her likely fatigue from working long hours over a period of many months."

The coroner said she reviewed the Labour Department's report on work place safety at the zoo and concluded she did not need to make any recommendations.

"It is apparent that there were existing, satisfactory protocols and established management guidelines that were not observed on the day of Dr Schofield's death."

The factors behind Dr Schofield's death were listed as fatigue on her part, agitation of Mila due to electric shock and Dr Schofield slipping while existing the enclosure.
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I just saw that article and was pondering whether to post it or not, considering the way the last thread about it turned out.
 
Mila shouldw be leaving in a few months time to a sanctuary in America as I was told by my friend who use to work there
 
MILA UPDATE
Thank you to everyone regarding your queries about Mila. Franklin Zoo has taken great care of Mila who came to us less than four years ago when she was retired from the circus. In the years since she has arrived, Mila has undergone extensive rehabilitation where she has learned to make her own choices, built confidence, and develop stronger muscles and increased fitness. Mila has been a lone elephant since she was four years old and sold to a circus for New Zealand timber.

Franklin Zoo was asked to take Mila, because no other facility in Australasia would, and secure her future with other elephants. Since Mila’s arrival in late 2009, Franklin Zoo and its supporters are the only ones to fund the care and rehabilitation of Mila. The people of the Franklin District are tireless in their endeavours to care for Mila bringing her fresh browse every day, hay, tyres and toys to play with and donating work to improve her enclosure and her daily life. Thanks to all the wonderful trustees, volunteers, staff and supporters (including many companies) who have contributed so much time, energy, and expertise to assist us in providing Mila with an environment that can provide everything she needs, except the company of other elephants.

There are no other African elephants in New Zealand, so Franklin Zoo Charitable Trust enlisted the assistance of an elephant specialist in order to determine the best possible future for Mila. Mila will be traveling to the US in order to live with other elephants.

Erin Ivory has worked with Mila since December of 2012. In that time, she has built a strong relationship with Mila based on trust established using solely positive reinforcement techniques. Mila has learned to voluntarily participate in her own health care, as well as behaviours necessary for her big move to the US. Erin has also trained 3 other carers how to work with Mila. This is the first time in Mila’s life she has a team of 4 dedicated individuals keeping her busy and caring for her 14 hours every single day, 7 days a week. Mila is extremely fit and mentally she is doing very well.

We have been so thankful for all of the support given to us from Auckland Zoo, Zoological & Aquarium Association of Australasia, and MPI to achieve the successful rehoming of all our animals.

Franklin Zoo Charitable Trust is the only organisation to fund Mila’s care. We have received no financial assistance from RNZSPCA or SAFE in order to care for Mila and provide for her future, which includes a plane ride to the US. This funding has come solely from Franklin Zoo Charitable Trust, supported by the people of NZ donating their hard earned money to ensure her best care and future.

We at Franklin Zoo take our responsibility to Mila very seriously and work tirelessly to ensure she has everything she needs while we are waiting for her import permit into America.
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Source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Franklin-Zoo-and-Wildlife-Sanctuary/348396615592
 
hmm, a rather different take. This article from five days ago:
Life in isolation for killer elephant - National - NZ Herald News
A killer elephant remains alone at a closed zoo where the owners are refusing offers of help.

Mila the African elephant, a former circus performer, killed her keeper, Helen Schofield, in April 2012.

She was taken to Franklin Zoo almost four years ago to be prepared for moving to a sanctuary in the US.

This week, zoo spokeswoman Jenny Chung refused to discuss the elephant.

Concerned groups that have worked with Mila - including the SPCA, Save Animals From Exploitation and Auckland Zoo - know of no plans to get her to a better life. Her former owner at Whirling Brothers Circus, Tony Ratcliffe, is also shut out.

The zoo, about 40 minutes south of Auckland, is closed and all its other animals have been rehoused.

Chung told the Herald on Sunday that there was "nothing more to tell anybody yet. Maybe in a couple of months we'll have more to tell you. It's a very long process. Permitting takes nine months."

The Ministry of Primary Industries must issue an export permit for Mila to leave the country. Spokesman Chris Mawson said the ministry was working with the zoo but had not confirmed a date for her transport.

SPCA executive director Bob Kerridge said the organisation wanted to help, especially after Schofield's death, but its offers hadn't been accepted.

"I would have thought that by now they would have raised the funds or made the arrangements to send her to a sanctuary."

Save Animals from Exploitation executive director Hans Kriek said he was "dying to know" what was happening, but he had no concerns about Mila's care.

Kriek said Safe was the driving force in getting her out of the circus and Schofield had spent a phenomenal amount of time bonding with Mila and improving her life.

"We are concerned that Mila's relocation to the US seems to be constantly delayed. I hope they can overcome whatever barriers they perceive to be in their way and that she goes as soon as possible because she's not getting any younger."

He said the zoo should communicate more, because people were worried about Mila.

Auckland Zoo has supported Franklin Zoo but has no role there now.

Spokeswoman Kate Orgias said Mila would not be a suitable companion animal for Indian elephant Burma because African elephants carried a strain of herpes which could kill Indian elephants.

Tony Ratcliffe said he was getting no answers from Franklin Zoo.

"They won't tell me where she's going, if she's going. They've closed the doors on people and they won't let people see her."
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Everyone seems to be more keen on coming up with excuses to keep the elephant where it is.
I presume the elephant herpes given as the reason an African Elephant can't be housed with an Indian refers to endotheliotropic herpesvirus, which in African elephants is usually benign, while a strain can prove fatal to Indian elephants. However Indian elephants can also be carriers of the disease without being affected by it, and pass it on to other indian elephants which can die.
The African elephant has had no contact with other elephants for most of it's life I believe and therefore would be unikely to be infacted with this strain. Older elephants showing no signs of the disease are unlikely to be infacted, but its a simple matter to test for the disease and many zoos have been doing so for quite a few years to avoid transmitting the strain.

As for the comment that the permit procedure takes nine months, I'm sure the plans to move it to the US have been going on far longer than that.
 
zofan said:
Everyone seems to be more keen on coming up with excuses to keep the elephant where it is.
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the only people who seem to be making excuses to keep the elephant where it is are the people at Franklin. Everyone else seems instead to be very keen on knowing exactly why nothing has been done!!
 
Chlidonias said:
the only people who seem to be making excuses to keep the elephant where it is are the people at Franklin. Everyone else seems instead to be very keen on knowing exactly why nothing has been done!!
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My mistake, on re reading I see it was the Auckland Zoo spokesperson who gave herpes as a reason, I assumed it was Franklin who were using it as an excuse to not move the elephant to Auckland.
So herpes isn't a reason unless the African elephant has been checked and has been proven to be a carrier, in which event no zoo or sanctuary in the world would accept her.

Im amazed to see this is still ongoing, I honesltly thought it would have been solved way back.
I recall well over a year ago it being said the elephant needed special training to travel in the crate for transport, which seemed strange since she spent most of her life being transported around the country in a box on wheels.

Obviously if there has been a delay its because the people in charge want it to be delayed.
 
zofan said:
My mistake, on re reading I see it was the Auckland Zoo spokesperson who gave herpes as a reason, I assumed it was Franklin who were using it as an excuse to not move the elephant to Auckland.
So herpes isn't a reason unless the African elephant has been checked and has been proven to be a carrier, in which event no zoo or sanctuary in the world would accept her.
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Auckland plans on breeding elephants upon the arrival of two young Sri Lankan cows (should that work out). EEHV is typically deadly to Asian elephant calves, rather than African. And as Mila is supposedly going to the geriatric herd at PAWS it will not be a issue regardless.
 
Thanks for that from the US, maybe there will be some progress. I'd heard she was off to the US a long time ago, it was pretty much front page news here for a long time before being taken over by some other event such as Justin Beiber saying a rude word to a reporter or similar.
So with it being out of the media attention for so long I and I presume others figured it had been done and dusted.
The delay and the excuses given for the delay are hard to believe though.
 
Personally I feel PAWS will focus on Mila when they finnish their current project which has been over two years in the making in bringing in three females from the Toronto Zoo which should take place after thanksgiving (late November). Not that the Franklin Zoo authorities aren't equally to blame.
 
There are a lot of opinions and accusations flying around regarding the motives of the Franklin Zoo... have any of you ever contacted the Zoo to see what's happening? Have you asked about Mila? Do you know anyone at Franklin Zoo? What you are saying are pretty harsh criticisms if you have never met anyone there caring for Mila.

Have any of you ever offered to help? If you have what kind of help? Telling them what they should be doing and where she should go is the opposite of help.

I am guessing based on the history of the zoo and the kind of facility it was the people there are just doing their best to take care of the animals and make sure they are safe. The animals at that zoo were not flash. They were all zoo or circus rejects. People that take in those kinds of animals tend to not be money grubbing and animal users.

If they aren't constantly in the media it is probably because they are too busy taking care of the animals. If they were out there in the media more you would probably complain that they were using her to get famous.

I feel bad for the people at Franklin Zoo. No matter what they do people like you are going to hammer them. They can't win.

If you have not donated to Mila's care or her transport you do not deserve or have the right to know or comment on what they are doing. YOU have not helped Mila.
 
Good points you bring up. But if I can address some of them.
I agree the people who ran Franklin Zoo were hard working animal lovers who took in ex circus animals and strived to give them a good home. I know all of their lions (now deceased) were ex circus lions.
However the main person in the zoo during this time was Dr Schofield, so the people who run it now are not the same ones who took in the circus animals. The present people have been closing the zoo down, getting rid of the animals, and meanwhile asking for funding to pay for the transport of the elephant.

As for offering help, I have personally done so both by email and phone. I had a return email telling me how to donate money to the cause, and the lady who spoke to me on the phone told me they didn't need any volunteers or helpers and advised me to look at their website for donation options.
I did ask her what the plans were, but she said she couldn't comment.
As for what sort of assistence I offered, I could have donated haylage, hay and some crops and transported them for free, and having been involved in air freighting horses overseas I have some experience in that field too.
However I was told that was all under control and they had no need of help in those areas.
This was some time ago, which is why I am a bit surprised to see the elephant is still in NZ and needing almost round the clock care.
 
I donated to Franklin Zoo when Mila first went there, and again when Dr Schofield was killed. My understanding was that Mila was going to be moved to a sanctuary in the United States as quickly as possible - that in fact Dr Schofield had already made arrangements. However, it doesn't seem as if any progress has been made. I rang the zoo many months ago and was referred to the website if I wanted to make a donation, but I would have expected something more if there is any intention of moving Mila. Some kind of fundraising campaign to say the least. PRT, if you know the people at Franklin Zoo, and I get the impression you do, then perhaps you could ask what's happening?

I'm concerned about how my money has been used to be honest. I gave in good faith and wonder if I've been taken for a ride.
 
Permits have been filed to import her into the U.S. Its just a process that takes a long time.
 
Mila the elephant US bound

Mila, the elephant that crushed keeper Helen Schofield at an Auckland zoo, is expected to be heading for the United States soon.

After being a lone elephant for most of her life, 40-year-old Mila is being relocated to a facility where she can integrate with other animals, Woman's Day reported.

People from around New Zealand had donated money for the relocation, but the main sponsors were a few individuals who wanted to remain anonymous.

"It costs $1.2 million for the transportation, with the plane costing $800,000 alone," Schofield's sister, Jenny Chung, told the magazine.

Mila spent 33 years touring with a circus before being taken to Franklin Zoo by vet Schofield in 2009.

For the past year international elephant expert Erin Ivory - the surname she was born with - has been working with Mila to prepare the animal for the journey.

"Mila is a very smart elephant and a quick learner. In the first six months, she learnt over 18 different behaviours.

''Most of the behaviours are necessary for her transport and health needs, but others are simply for fun and mental stimulation," Ivory told Woman's Day.

Mila will soon make the journey on a specially chartered plane, along with the team from Franklin and an international animal transportation specialist. She will have three months in quarantine before moving to her new home.

Franklin Zoo closed to the public after Schofield's death in April 2012, while staff and volunteers tried to find homes for the animals.

Chung said that had now been done, with 420 animals and birds saved from being euthanised. Mila is the last to go.
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Source: Mila the Elephant US Bound - national | Stuff.co.nz
 
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