Franklin Zoo (Closed) Elephant Kills Woman at Franklin Zoo

[chip]

Well it needs someone who knows, to decide........

WHAT IS BEST FOR THE ELEPHANT?

 

[Monty]

Well it needs someone who knows, to decide........

WHAT IS BEST FOR THE ELEPHANT?

I am no expert, but have been reading all the posts from those in the know.
It seems sensible to leave her in a purpose built facility in NZ. It is a new facility and the elephant would be used to it now. Why keep stressing it to move it around the world. Keep it where it is, in protected contact.

Those groups after money sound like they are ransoming it.
"Pay us $1,500,000 within a week or the elephant gets it."

 

[Chlidonias]

Can any of you Kiwis please find out who actually owns this elephant, and what the MAF direction truly is??

As far as I can make out the SPCA still owns her, unless that organisation gave her to Franklin??? From all the media reports lately they make it sound like Franklin does???

Steve, I just found this article from April. It seems likely the zoo does indeed now own her:
Radio New Zealand : News : National : Elephant's fate yet to be decided

Authorities are trying to determine who should have the final say over the fate of an elephant that killed its zookeeper.

Helen Schofield was crushed by the former circus elephant Jumbo, later renamed Mila, at the Franklin Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary in Tuakau on Wednesday.

Dr Schofield had been trying to calm the female African elephant after it became agitated.

Emergency services were called about 4.30pm after the elephant lifted Dr Schofield in its trunk and crushed her by mistake, police said. She died about 30 minutes later, despite the efforts of medical staff.

Auckland Zoo has taken over the temporary running of Franklin Zoo on Thursday and says the elephant is eating, drinking and sleeping as normal.

Legally, the Franklin Zoo owns Mila. But because she is an elephant, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), animal welfare organisation the SPCA and other authorities can overrule any decision that is made regarding her fate.

MAF officials have met with Franklin Zoo staff. The ministry says it will take appropriate statutory actions to ensure the welfare and containment of the animals.

SPCA president Bob Kerridge says overseas experts are being consulted over the coming days about what should happen to Mila.

Peter Stroud, a freelance specialist in captive elephant welfare, helped set up the enclosure at Franklin Zoo. He says he was shocked when he heard that Dr Schofield had been killed.

Mr Stroud says there are safety procedures that mean the keeper and the elephant should have been seperated by a protective screen.

 

[Chlidonias]

In the meantime, I would be grateful if any of you can establish just exactly what this MAF or MPI deadline is truly all about.

well it seems the "MPI deadline" is nothing to do with MPI saying the elephant had to be put down in a week (because frankly that's just stupid, as we are all aware) but more to do with, as Monty put it, ransoming. Note the bolded part of this article from yesterday:
Franklin Zoo Elephant Faces death If Funding Falls... | Stuff.co.nz

An elephant that killed its keeper may have only a week to live with a fundraising deadline announced to save her life.

The Franklin Zoo Charitable Trust needs to raise $1.45 million by Sunday to secure Mila's care or she may be put down.

Jenny Chung, whose sister Dr Helen Schofield was killed by Mila in April, said the trust hasn't been able to raise "nearly enough".

She said the Ministry of Primary Industries had a legislative requirement for the trust to have an accredited zoo manager and elephant programme manager on staff in order for it to remain open.

The deadline was a self-imposed "call to action", Chung said. When it passes the trust will reassess their plans and decide the fate of their animals.

The animals at Franklin Zoo are being cared for by keepers from Auckland and Hamilton zoos and there isn't enough money to continue caring for Mila, she said.

"All of these places can't keep supporting Mila, so they've said that we need to raise the money by June 10."

It sounds like the MPI is only requiring (as is the law) the zoo to have an official operator (again a comparison could be made to recent events at Zion, where MaF stepped in to run the park between operators), and Jenny Chung is the one saying the elephant will be put down if there's not enough money raised within a week (and misleadingly saying this is because of MPI stipulations). It should be acknowledged that it may be the media misrepresenting what she is saying, as they are wont to do.

At least that's my take on the situation now, but this whole saga is starting to be a read-between-the-lines affair!

 

[Steve Robinson]

Steve, I just found this article from April. It seems likely the zoo does indeed now own her:
Radio New Zealand : News : National : Elephant's fate yet to be decided

Thank you Chlidonias.

The Trust's lawyers will neither confirm nor deny ownership so I guess that is the best that we have to go on.

 

[Steve Robinson]

well it seems the "MPI deadline" is nothing to do with MPI saying the elephant had to be put down in a week (because frankly that's just stupid, as we are all aware) but more to do with, as Monty put it, ransoming. Note the bolded part of this article from yesterday:
Franklin Zoo Elephant Faces death If Funding Falls... | Stuff.co.nz


It sounds like the MPI is only requiring (as is the law) the zoo to have an official operator (again a comparison could be made to recent events at Zion, where MaF stepped in to run the park between operators), and Jenny Chung is the one saying the elephant will be put down if there's not enough money raised within a week (and misleadingly saying this is because of MPI stipulations). It should be acknowledged that it may be the media misrepresenting what she is saying, as they are wont to do.

At least that's my take on the situation now, but this whole saga is starting to be a read-between-the-lines affair!

Thanks again Chlidonias. The wording in that quote is significantly different to the wording in post #213 on this thread.

What a grubby little affair this whole issue has become.

I now think that we can be reasonably certain that Jumbo will not be put down.

There are other moves being made behind the scenes that could yet result in a good outcome for her.

I believe that TV3 will be looking at the PAWS outfit - maybe tonight.

 

[Chlidonias]

I believe that TV3 will be looking at the PAWS outfit - maybe tonight.

yes, Campbell Live tonight 7pm local time. I'll put up the link when it goes on the website (which is usually half an hour to an hour or so after it airs)

 

[Chlidonias]

hmm, OK so it was just on and was basically ten minutes of showing elephants toddling round at the PAWS sanctuary. I don't know anything about PAWS, so I'll just say that the Campbell Live piece made it look really nice, a lovely place for elephants to live out their days.

It ended with John Campbell saying something like "we were surprised how much Franklin is claiming it will cost" (i.e. 1.5 million) and I got ready for some deep expose and.... nothing! He just repeated what Franklin had already said in the media.

I'll post the link when it comes up on their site.

 

[felix]

a lot of money to crate train an animal that has lived its whole life in a crate

P.S. I am looking for a job

 

[Chlidonias]

interestingly enough, this article from today has some other figures in it, and some strikingly contrasting comments from Jenny Chung to those she was previously giving...
$1.4 million to save Franklin Zoo elephant - Story - Environment/Sci - 3 News

The sister of a Franklin zoo keeper crushed to death by an elephant is helping to raise $1.4 million to save the animal's life.

Franklin Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary operator Dr Helen Schofield, 42, was killed by three-tonne Mila when she tried to comfort the ex-circus elephant on April 25.

Dr Schofield had just finished preparing Mila to adapt to living in an overseas sanctuary and was about to start raising funds for the transfer when she died.

Now her sister Jenny Chung, who is a trustee and administrator for the zoo, is continuing her sister's dream.

"We're not going to give up," she told NZ Newswire.

"Helen wouldn't have wanted us to give up and her dream for Mila was to see her with other elephants."

But without Dr Schofield the cost of carrying this out has sky rocketed to $1.4m. Costs include hiring a new zoo operator, a number of other staff and transfer costs.

Dr Schofield volunteered most of her time at the zoo where she worked for six and a half years, Ms Chung said.

"She did it for love," she said.

"She has always been that selfless person. She took joy in caring for Mila and she found it a privilege."

The Franklin Zoo Charitable Trust needed $800,000 by Monday to avoid putting Mila down, Ms Chung said.

However, in just four days $20,000 has been raised and as more funds come in this date could be pushed back.

Mila's new home will be chosen once a new zoo operator is hired. The move is planned for June next year.

No other zoo in New Zealand had the facilities to host Mila and the Franklin zoo had few funds left to continue looking after her, Ms Chung said.

The zoo, which has over 420 animals, closed after Dr Schofield's death. Funds raised for Mila will also contribute to reopening the zoo.

Mila and the other animals are being cared for by a team of zoo keepers including staff from zoos in Auckland and Hamilton.

 

[Chlidonias]

sorry I almost forgot to give y'all the link to the Campbell Live video:
Clock ticking for Mila - Campbell Live - Video - 3 News

 

[Steve Robinson]

Wow - the US dollar is certainly in free fall! Apparently it costs USD200,000 each year to keep each elephant at PAWS. They must have the same accountant as does FZ.

However, the good news is that, once you lot have raised the NZDs to get her over there, PAWS will not charge y'all to keep her there.

Is there no law anywhere in the world to stop people using animals as drawcards [ie: suckerbait] in these giant begging games?

 

[chip]

Wow - the US dollar is certainly in free fall! Apparently it costs USD200,000 each year to keep each elephant at PAWS. They must have the same accountant as does FZ.

However, the good news is that, once you lot have raised the NZDs to get her over there, PAWS will not charge y'all to keep her there.

Is there no law anywhere in the world to stop people using animals as drawcards in these giant begging games?

he he he

 

[Chlidonias]

I was just re-reading the whole thread to keep up to speed, and I came across this post by Jarkari from 30 April:

PAWS has started fundraising to bring over this "killer elephant"

what has happened about that (or conversely, where did Jarkari get the information)? I didn't see anything about it on the PAWS website yesterday when I was looking at it.


Additionally, with regards to the $1.5 million being "required", there was this from Cadders (01 May) on the budget for the move and the year up the move which he set out back when the elephant first went to Franklin:

The budgeting included two full-time keepers + one half, (about eight dollars fifty cents...) and ele feed for up to 1 year, vet input, meds, lab fees, consultant fees, admin re MAF and USDAW requirements, crate, insurance, land transport in NZ, flight, land transport US, any layerage fees, sundries, contingency fund etc. That little lot came to a lot over $100K.. I'll see if I can find the project management plan with budgetary plan and commentary that I did.

and Jarkari's comment that it costs c.$80,000 a year per elephant including keeper wages at a government-run zoo and Steve's comment that it can be much less at private zoos....
which of course is now followed by the figures given by Franklin Zoo (in Zooboy28's post #213 yesterday):

-Care for Mila at Franklin Zoo for 12 months to prepare her for the move: $570,000
-Moving Mila to her new home: $580,000
-Caring for all the other animals at Franklin Zoo & Wildlife Sanctuary for the next 12 months:$300,000
-Total Fund Raising Required: $1,450,000

It would be extremely interesting to see a break-down of Franklin Zoo's figures, especially that initial one of $570,000, to show exactly where all that money would be going. Surely there must be a legal requirement if they are a Trust and are trying to raise this money through donations that they have to disclose this information?

 

[Jarkari]

PAWS Looking for Donations to Accept Killer Elephant - KTXL

 

[Chlidonias]

thanks Jarkari. I can't find anything anywhere else beyond that article though. On their site there doesn't appear to be any place where you can see how much is being/has been raised/donated for anything at all.

 

[Jarkari]

I have found a few income and expenditure statements just through google searches and one was posted on a facebook page ive liked which stated huge income this year ($3,000,000 or so profit) but as it was posted by an organisation that is anti PAWS i'm not sure of its accuracy.

Google performing animal welfare society income and expenditure and you will find some detailed info. i did post a link but the link also told the rest of the world all about my phone and service provider.

 

[Steve Robinson]

P.S. I am looking for a job

So is the #2 Jumbo trainer that we mentioned earlier!!!

 

[felix]

So is the #2 Jumbo trainer that we mentioned earlier!!!

the recession has hit us all pretty hard over here
and he would be better qualified when it comes to that elephant

 

[Tembo]

PAWS financials

I have found a few income and expenditure statements just through google searches and one was posted on a facebook page ive liked which stated huge income this year ($3,000,000 or so profit) but as it was posted by an organisation that is anti PAWS i'm not sure of its accuracy.

That 3,000,0000 is publicly reported on the PAWS website: Performing Animal Welfare Society -- PAWS

Just add the donations, grants & bequests together. There's also link to a pdf file to see the audited financial statements.

As for the money to ship Mila to the U.S., as soon as PAWS gets confirmation that FZ will give them Mila, Bob Barker will step in to pay that bill. Neither PAWS or FZ will have to pay a dime in transport costs. PAWS has never had to pay anything to transport any of its elephants thanks to Barker.

As for donations already received for either Mila or the Toronto 3 its doubtful any of it would be refunded unless the donor specifically made it a condition that it be put in trust for the transport costs.