San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo acquires two new elephants

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San Diego Zoo acquires two new elephants

San Diego Zoo acquires two new elephants

Two elephants seized from private owner in Texas by federal officials.

By Staff, City News Service

Saturday, August 22, 2009

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego Zoo has taken in two female elephants
after federal officials seized them from a private owner in Texas, a
spokesperson said today.

Zoo spokesperson Christina Simmons said Jewel and Tina, are not expected
to be available for public viewing for the next few weeks, then will join the
existing herd of seven other elephants in the newly created, state-of-the art Prebys Elephant Care Center.

Simmons said Jewel and Tina were removed Thursday from the care of a
private owner in Texas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The name of the private owner was not immediately
known.

The inspection service, which enforces the federal Animal Welfare Act,
chose the San Diego Zoo because it can provide the elephants with the care that best matches their particular needs, she said.
 
The thing is though, the person from whom they seized Jewel and Tina (I believe it was Wilbur Davenport?) still has one elephant that I read some place else (the Ele Encyc, I believe) that they're letting him keep, which I find ridiculous.

If you're going to seize animals, seize them all, especially sociable ones like elephants, because they've now condemned one to live alone :(
 
I agree.

Davenport also agreed to pay a $3,000 fine. In exchange, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dropped complaints against him for failing to have proper purchasing permits for Jewel and Tina. Davenport said he bought the animals for $150,000 from a retiring elephant trainer in Florida in 2006.

Both elephants were deemed to be dangerously underweight, and U.S. Agriculture Department inspectors had filed documents to seize Jewel because of chronic weight loss and allegations of inadequate care.
 
I find it odd that the USDA/APHIS would seize and transport two sickly elephants to a zoo. And the only photo that I've seen of Tina and Jewel in their new home is a barn... on CONCRETE!


PLUS... someone mentioned that one of these two seized eles has a postive mTB test.

I'm confused. I'm hoping this is an intermediate step on their way to a permanent residency at P.A.W.S (sanctuary).
 
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bigfanx said:
I find it odd that the USDA/APHIS would seize and transport two sickly elephants to a zoo. And the only photo that I've seen of Tina and Jewel in their new home is a barn... on CONCRETE!


PLUS... someone mentioned that one of these two seized eles has a postive mTB test.

I'm confused. I'm hoping this is an intermediate step on their way to a permanent residency at P.A.W.S (sanctuary).
Click to expand...

I think the USDA/APHIS has done a poor job IMHO. All three elephants should had been seized, not just two, and the fine their owner recieved is far too small.

Not sure about the mTB test (f that is true) - all I can say is that San Diego doesn't seem to be a breeding herd, so if the other elephants are infected, then yes, it will be tragic and probably avoidable, but the Asian elephant breeding wouldn't be hit hard by the loss of breeding individuals.

As for where Tina and Jewel are - San Diego opened a state-of-the-art new elephant enclosure this year (I think), so as long as there is plenty of space for two elephants, I can't see why they can't retire at the zoo. It's probably better from where they came, although they may yet move on to a sanctuary, but I doubt it. I think they would've been transported straight to it rather than keep in a zoo and then sent on.
 
PAWS could possibly be a good option for them (as they are past breeding age), but San Diego is also a very good option (Its liekly they have artrithis, so the big, deep pool as SDZ would help with that)

I also find it stange how they only seized the two? Now that poor elephant lives alone!

Maybe it will arrive later, who knows?
 
Considering most of the current seven elephants at SD are geriatric, I think it's fine if they stay there. I heard that when SD was building EO they had always planned to build a geriatric herd of elephants, not a breeding herd.

And, not bashing PAWS, but in this case I would trust zoo officials with these particular elephants than the people at PAWS.
 
CritterBlog said:
Just to let you know ColumbusZoo, San Diego used the PAWS trailer to transport these ladies.
Click to expand...

Just because they used their trailer doesn't mean they have any affiliation with PAWS or that Jewel and Tina are going to end up there. Zoos use and borrow transportation equipment all the time and most of the time they hire a transportation company. How many zoos have elephant trailers that you know of? Very few zoos maintain their own transportation equipment.
 
Concern for Queenie

I have great concern for the third elephant that lived with these 2 elephants. Her name is Boo/Queenie and in the video I saw she was shaking back and forth after these 2 elephants were removed indicating psychological stress. I have sent an email to the owner asking him to please let her go and live with her other companions as a humane gesture. Please send an email with your request to Willie Davenport asking him to please allow this third elephant to be moved to the San Diego zoo to be with her family.


This is his email address. MaximusTonsofFun@aol.com
or you can find more information to contact Willie Davenport here
PolkCountyToday.com
 
Does anyone know the origins of these elephants? I'm assuming they're not captive born but how did they get into the hands of this Texan?
 
The point I was trying to make Columbus is there is a spirit of cooperation. I grow a little weary of the attitude towards The Elephant Sanctuary and PAWS on this site.

An being one of the few females here I need all my strength to dodge all the flying testosterone on this site :)
 
He purchased them from the retiring owner of the Clyde Beatty Circus in 2006. The Purchase was illegal under USFW policies and that is what they used to confiscate them and send them to the SDZ.
 
CritterBlog said:
The point I was trying to make Columbus is there is a spirit of cooperation. I grow a little weary of the attitude towards The Elephant Sanctuary and PAWS on this site.

An being one of the few females here I need all my strength to dodge all the flying testosterone on this site :)
Click to expand...

I apologize if I came off as hostile. Not trying to start a "thread war" but my attitude towards PAWS and the Elephant Sanctuary is not dumbfounded. While I see the need for non-zoological institutions to house geriatric elephants for R&R, these institutions are not equipped to handle large amounts of elephants and males. While I understand an elephant walking around on 400 plus acres sounds attractive an enclosure of that size cannot be maintained like at a zoo. We've seen cases where elephants have injured themselves or become infected because of the unregulated paddocks. And while this could happen in a zoo, elephants in a real zoological setting receive health checks everyday. Unfortunately, an institution's record is a way of accurately judging animal management. And yes, the elephants that are there are geriatric and not in perfect health, but, I have seen too many cases where elephants just "drop dead" at these sanctuaries which I believe would not be the case at a zoo. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I believe elephant sanctuaries can exist but they should fall under the strict guidance of the AZA and the African and Asian Elephant SSP's.
 
John649: Great post... thanks for the email addy, too. You're very correct... Queenie needs to be rescued too. As per the lastest video I saw, she's on the hardened ground, chained to a tree! Chained by the back leg... poor girl. Davenport must have known long ago that he'd never be able to keep all 3 eles... why doesn't he release Queenie too?

I also read that, according to the agreement with the USDA, Davenport has no license to exhibit .. so now he has a 'pet' elephant. By legal definition, Queenie cannot be exhibited by him, loaned to be exhibited, and she cannot perform any 'entertainment' functions. I guess that means she won't be giving neighborhood kids rides anytime soon.

I'm hoping that Tina and Jewel will begin to recover without difficulties. I must extend my thanks to the SDZ for taking on the gigantic task of returning these two eles health again.
 
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its great that Tina and jewel get a great new home. I hope boo does ok by herself though.
 
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