Franklin Zoo (Closed) Elephant Kills Woman at Franklin Zoo

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I watched the segment when it was on before. Four times during the piece (once in the prologue and three times in the actual report) it was specifically said that if the $1.5 million wasn't raised for the elephant to go overseas "the only other option" was for her to be put down, which is just ridiculous. What happened to the third option of, you know, staying alive in New Zealand?

Also the keeper from Auckland Zoo was saying that even if the money was available now it would take at least a year for her to go because they need to obtain a crate and train her to enter it. Isn't that already what was happening before the incident?
 
I'm really sorry to say this, but that Close Up content? No way.

1. There are other alternatives than America or euthanasia
2. What on earth was Helen doing that they now have to start from scratch?
3. Accident? Are you sure?

No disrespect to Helen and her family meant here; she was an amazing animal welfarist an will be sorely missed.
 
Regarding there being only 2 options, I think what may have been meant was that keeping Mila in New Zealand for the rest of her life would in the long-term cost over $1.5 million, so wouldn't that money rather be spent sending her over to the sanctuary where Mila could be with other elephants?

Once Mila is at the sanctuary (if this happens), wouldn't they [the sanctuary] pay for her food and care?
 
What a heap of self serving rubbish is being bandied about. The figures being plucked out of the air are pure fairy stories. If PAWS want her - let them pay to get her over there. Otherwise, as more rational commentators have observed, why can't she stay in NZ? The figures quoted to sustain her are fiction invented by those with an agenda which has little to do with the elephant's welfare.

This is degenerating into a disgraceful farce.
 
driftaguy said:
Regarding there being only 2 options, I think what may have been meant was that keeping Mila in New Zealand for the rest of her life would in the long-term cost over $1.5 million, so wouldn't that money rather be spent sending her over to the sanctuary where Mila could be with other elephants?
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no, what it means is that Helen wanted to send the elephant to the sanctuary "to be with other elephants" and so to make that happen her sister et al has to rather blatantly pull at peoples' heart-strings with the "only alternative" being death
 
I may be being non-PC here but I do not believe for one second that Helen planned for Mila to leave Franklin. Not on single jot of work was done towards achieving that goal and you know that she effectively dismissed the guys who were engineering Mila's emigration to the US don't you?

Unwittingly, perhaps, her keeping Mila in NZ may be the best option - it is the environment in which this would occur that is critical.
 
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Could it be an option to send a crate used for another elephant to New Zealand for Mila?
Would this be a cheaper option than building a new crate - maybe sent disassembled.
 
Cadders said:
I may be being non-PC here but I do not believe for one second that Helen planned for Mila to leave Franklin. Not on single jot of work was done towards achieving that goal and you know that she effectively dismissed the guys who were engineering Mila's emigration to the US don't you?

Unwittingly, perhaps, her keeping Mila in NZ may be the best option - it is the environment in which this would occur that is critical.
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Only days before her death, she was making plans to fly to America to talk with the sanctuary about Mila being transferred there. She had also been getting Mila used to some of the handling methods they use in the sanctuary, and had been preparing Mila for her journey. A TV documentary called 'The Year of the Elephant' was being made which followed all this, and Mila's journey to the sanctuary. I'm not sure if the doco will still go ahead though.
 
I'm pretty sure this has been covered before but I can't remember the details, so is there anything stopping the elephant going to Australia "to be with other elephants"? -- it would certainly be a lot cheaper than America.
 
Chlidonias said:
I'm pretty sure this has been covered before but I can't remember the details, so is there anything stopping the elephant going to Australia "to be with other elephants"? -- it would certainly be a lot cheaper than America.
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Totally - or maybe moving the Aussie African to NZ?
 
driftaguy said:
Only days before her death, she was making plans to fly to America to talk with the sanctuary about Mila being transferred there. She had also been getting Mila used to some of the handling methods they use in the sanctuary, and had been preparing Mila for her journey. A TV documentary called 'The Year of the Elephant' was being made which followed all this, and Mila's journey to the sanctuary. I'm not sure if the doco will still go ahead though.
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The quotes were that the elephant was being crate trained. No crate existed.

This whole saga has been built on untruths, half truths and downright deception.

The "sending her to a sanctuary to be with other elephants" is yet another money grubbing fantasy.

The whole reason why Jumbo ever came to NZ in the first place was because she did not get on with other elephants.

The Franklin Zoo elephant facility has been purpose built to house this elephant permanently. It is an excellent facility. Jumbo could spend the rest of her days in it very contentedly.
 
driftaguy said:
Only days before her death, she was making plans to fly to America to talk with the sanctuary about Mila being transferred there. She had also been getting Mila used to some of the handling methods they use in the sanctuary, and had been preparing Mila for her journey. A TV documentary called 'The Year of the Elephant' was being made which followed all this, and Mila's journey to the sanctuary. I'm not sure if the doco will still go ahead though.
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Not convinced at all. Had the protocols developed by Peter Stroud and Laurie Pond been followed (instead of dismissing both of them, and elephant keeper Bruce Ireland) Mila would have been in the US over a year ago. Again I reiterate, not a go at Helen, just an observation of the facts.
 
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Chlidonias said:
I'm pretty sure this has been covered before but I can't remember the details, so is there anything stopping the elephant going to Australia "to be with other elephants"? -- it would certainly be a lot cheaper than America.
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There is no IRA for African elephants to enter Australia.

If there had been one, Jumbo would not still be in NZ and this thread wouldn't be 12 pages long.
 
Steve Robinson said:
The quotes were that the elephant was being crate trained. No crate existed.

This whole saga has been built on untruths, half truths and downright deception.

The "sending her to a sanctuary to be with other elephants" is yet another money grubbing fantasy.

The whole reason why Jumbo ever came to NZ in the first place was because she did not get on with other elephants.

The Franklin Zoo elephant facility has been purpose built to house this elephant permanently. It is an excellent facility. Jumbo could spend the rest of her days in it very contentedly.
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It is just such a shame that protected contact protocols were not followed. But there is no reason whatsoever for Jumbo to be euthed, especially not on the grounds that she can't go abroad.
 
Cadders said:
....... moving the Aussie African to NZ?
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That might be worth investigating. I don't doubt that the Taronga Conservation Society could find some little Asians to take Cuddles' place if she were to emigrate. Not sure that NZ has an IHS in place for Africans though.
 
Steve Robinson said:
That might be worth investigating. I don't doubt that the Taronga Conservation Society could find some little Asians to take Cuddles' place if she were to emigrate. Not sure that NZ has an IHS in place for Africans though.
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Last heard of MAF were completing an emergency IHS for AZ to import eles - not sure if it included Africans, but if they were from Aussie...?
 
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