Talkin Pets

Oakland, CA, May 25, 2013…Oakland Zoo presents a day to celebrate and honor elephants. Oakland Zoo is home to four African elephants named Donna, Lisa, M’Dunda, and Osh. Celebrating Elephants is a day the Zoo strives to spread awareness about elephants in captivity and in the wild. This annual event will take place from 10:00am to 3:00pm and will feature hands on activities, a research camp, learning stations, and elephant barn tours. It is an opportunity for guests to learn fascinating facts about these enormous animals and find out what elephants in the wild are facing right now with poaching and the ivory trade.

Elephant barn tours, which are $5 per person, will take guests behind-the-scenes to see an elephant up-close and witness how these massive-sized animals are cared for by zookeepers. The tour will also include an inside look at Osh’s barn (male elephant); it was specially designed to accommodate his growing build. The posh pad is complete with heating, high ceilings, and bedding to support his 12,000+ pound body.

Family friendly activities include a mock research camp which will give guests the opportunity to use binoculars and participate in observing elephant behaviors. They can also learn how to tell Oakland Zoo’s four elephants apart. In the Wayne and Gladys Valley Children’s Zoo, visitors are invited to watch Circus Finelli, an animal free circus performance with comedy, acrobatics, juggling, dance, and live music. Families will also find engaging elephant stations, such as, touching gigantic pachyderm bones, holding an eleven-pound tooth, and stepping into an elephant-sized footprint.

“Celebrating Elephants Day is fun-filled day designed for guests to enjoy and learn about elephants, while helping to save elephants in the wild. For the last nineteen years, Oakland Zoo has been a proud supporter and advocator for protecting elephants in Africa,” said Colleen Kinzley, Director of Animal Care, Conservation, and Research at Oakland Zoo. “Our goal is for guests to be awed by these majestic animals and aware of what is happening to them in the ivory trade.”

For more information about Celebrating Elephants, please call 510-632-9525 or visit the zoo website at www.oaklandzoo.org. All proceeds from the elephant barn tours at Celebrating Elephants will be donated to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, which helps ensure the long-term conservation and welfare of Africa’s elephants through scientific research, training, community outreach, public awareness and advocacy. World renowned Dr. Cynthia Moss started the now famous Amboseli Elephant Research Project in Kenya more than thirty years ago. For more details, please go to http://www.oaklandzoo.org/Amboseli_Trust.php.

ABOUT OAKLAND ZOO:

The Bay Area’s award-winning Oakland Zoo is home to more than 660 native and exotic animals. The Zoo offers many educational programs and kid’s activities perfect for science field trips, family day trips and exciting birthday parties. Nestled in the Oakland Hills, in 500-acre Knowland Park, the Zoo is located at 9777 Golf Links Road, off Highway 580. The East Bay Zoological Society (Oakland Zoo) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization supported in part by members, contributions, the City of Oakland and the East Bay Regional Parks. For more information please visit our website at www.oaklandzoo.org.###

The University of Missouri Raptor Rehabilitation Project recently stepped in to help an American bald eagle that is a resident at a raptor facility in Illinois. Lincoln, who is approximately 7 years old, was discovered with a broken leg and an injured wing the morning of Jan. 28 at the Raptor Rehabilitation Center in Quincy, Ill. Workers at the center don’t know just when or how he injured himself, but they suspect that something prompted him to jump and the impact fractured his tibia.

“Birds bones are different from mammalian bones and they are especially susceptible to breaks,” said Derek Fox, DVM, PhD, an assistant professor of small animal orthopaedic surgery at the MU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). “Our bones are more dense. Birds’ bones are strong, but they are brittle and they contain air. In the clinic we see two to three fractures each year for bald eagles, but we have two or more owls or red-tailed hawks every month.”

Staff at the Quincy Raptor Center contacted Fox and asked if he would be able to repair Lincoln’s broken leg. Although the not-for-profit center lacked funds to pay for the surgery, hospital administrators agreed that the injured eagle could be helped through a collaboration with the Mizzou Raptor Rehabilitation Project. The Raptor Rehabilitation Projectis a service and education organization housed at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary students, community members and other MU students volunteer their time and effort in rehabilitating injured raptors and caring for resident birds. Volunteers also help raise public awareness by giving presentations about the ecological and cultural importance of birds of prey throughout mid-Missouri. The project is supported by the College and through private contributions.

The Quincy facility has a similar mission. Its staff also treats injured birds and returns them to the wild. However, when Lincoln was originally taken there he had an injury to his wing that prevents him from flying well enough to ever be released. He has been training to become one of the center’s educational program birds. Wrapped in a blanket and cradled by his handler to keep him calm, Lincoln was brought to the VMTH Jan. 31 for surgery.

Fox was able to use a minimally invasive procedure to repair Lincoln’s leg. The availability of an intraoperative fluoroscopy — a type of intraoperative X-ray machine — at the VMTH allowed Fox to use real-time imaging to insert a small rod down the center of the eagle’s tibia. He then connected the rod to an external fixator running down the outside of the bird’s leg using pins. Lincoln had also sustained an injury to his wing, possibly as a result of the stress of the fracture, which Fox sutured.

The procedure was a success and by Monday the swelling in Lincoln’s injured leg had decreased, he was able to use his leg to carry food and perch normally. He returned to his Quincy center home on Monday.

Fox said the collaboration helped not just the bird and its caretakers, but also provided a valuable learning opportunity for the College’s veterinary students and Raptor Project members who were able to witness and assist in the recuperation of a bald eagle.

Oakland, CA - In recent months, Zookeepers have been on baby watch, welcoming hundreds of animals to the Oakland Zoo collection. Baby animals include big and small creatures: a squirrel monkey, 100+ milky frog tadpoles, 100+ mini millipedes, eighteen spiny lizards, nine spotted turtles, and three baby wallaroos (joeys). Each of the babies receives care specialized to its needs. Sometimes mothers know best, while other instances require a zookeeper’s intervention.

Information About New Baby Animals

It was a scary start for a baby squirrel monkey, born on June 14. Mother, Peepers, was showing signs of distress after giving birth and started bleeding from a life threatening infection. Veterinary staff monitored her and performed an emergency hysterectomy to save her life. During the surgery, zookeepers carefully tended to the baby.

“Baby squirrel monkeys have a psychological need to cling to fur and be constantly moving, so we placed the baby on a stuffed animal and rocked it constantly throughout the time the baby was separated from its mother,” said Margaret Rousser, Zoological Manager.

The surgery was a success; Peepers was reunited with her baby and began nursing immediately.

Nature also created miraculous moments behind-the-scenes of the Reptile and Amphibian Room. During the month of June, more than 100 milky frog babies hatched. This type of frog can lay up to 200 eggs at a time. The eggs are separated from the adult frogs as soon as possible. Keepers monitor the tadpoles as they grow legs and develop into tiny froglets (process takes approximately four weeks). The babies are kept off exhibit until they are large enough to fend for themselves, and not become dinner for adult frogs.

Multiples of millipedes hatched behind-the-scenes of the bug house. Right now, zoo keepers are keeping track of more than 100 tiny millipedes that require more work than one might realize. The eggs are laid in moist rotting soil or in rotting food. They are the size of a piece of bird seed and are white. After a few weeks, they hatch into very small white millipedes, gradually turn brown, and take nearly three years to develop into adults. Once adults, they can grow to about ten inches in length.

On the tiny spectrum of animals, eighteen spiny lizards were born this spring. Spiny lizards are live bearing and precocious, so they do not need a lot of specialized care. Zookeepers remove them from the exhibit to prevent the gila monsters from eating the tiny lizards for lunch and because they need require a different diet than the adults. It is critical the animals receive UVA/UVB lighting during their development; therefore, special lighting is used over their enclosures.

“Breeding reptiles is very hard and detailed work, but it is very rewarding to increase the numbers of these species in captivity,” said Adam Fink, ZooKeeper.

Baby turtles aren’t as easy to care for as lizards. Currently, zookeepers are raising nine spotted turtle babies. Turtle eggs are placed into an incubator, with close attention placed on watching temperature and humidity. The sex of a turtle is determined by the temperature at which the egg is incubated; therefore, zookeepers are careful with the male to female ratio when incubating eggs. Once hatched, the tiny turtles need very specific food during their development. Like the lizards, turtles require UVA/UVB lighting for bone and shell development.

Three joeys that started out very small, the size of kidney beans, are now being seen inside and outside of their mothers’ pouches. With birthdates estimated in November, February, and April, visitors are able to see the three babies while riding the Outback Express Adventure train through the Wild Australia section of the Zoo. Joeys are born blind and helpless, beginning in their mother’s Cloaca, then to the pouch, where they crawl in and latch onto a nipple. It takes nearly six months before the joeys start peeking outside the pouch. At this age of development they also resemble their parents and begin making appearances outside of the pouch.

“The nice thing about having such a large exhibit is that it allows the animals to behave as they naturally would,” said Lorraine Peters, ZooKeeper. The joeys in pouches don’t peek out too often; however, our train drivers will point them out whenever possible. Right now, we’ve got one starting to peek out and I’ll bet she’s out completely within a couple weeks.

Baby Maggie, a reticulated giraffe, born in January at eighty pounds and seventy-two inches is still very popular at the Zoo among visitors. She enjoys playing with her older brother on exhibit and is very active throughout the day. Behind-the-scenes, ZooKeepers, Amy and Sara, are working with Maggie to get her used to ZooKeepers. They are training her to wear a halter, so she is not afraid should she need a veterinary procedure. Keepers use a whistle, a target, and treats to train Maggie.

Three baby river otters (two males and one female) born in February are now nearly the size of their parents. The babies are extremely active and rambunctious and enjoy playing with their parents and their siblings. Older sister Tallulah has taken a special interest in helping her mother care for the juveniles which will be great practice for her when she is ready to start her own family.

“Raising baby otters is fun and challenging,” said Andrea Dougall, ZooKeeper. “It has taught me a lot and been a great learning experience.”

ABOUT OAKLAND ZOO:

The Bay Area's award-winning Oakland Zoo is home to more than 660 native and exotic animals. The Zoo offers many educational programs and kid's activities perfect for science field trips, family day trips and exciting birthday parties. Nestled in the Oakland Hills, in 500-acre Knowland Park, the Zoo is located at 9777 Golf Links Road, off Highway 580. The East Bay Zoological Society (Oakland Zoo) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization supported in part by members, contributions, the City of Oakland and the East Bay Regional Parks. For more information please visit our website at www.oaklandzoo.org.

The East Bay Zoological Society has managed and operated both the Zoo and surrounding Knowland Park for the City of Oakland since 1982. Under its management, the Oakland Zoo presents an award-winning experience for visitors, fosters knowledge and understanding of animals and the environment through educational programs, and has earned national awards and international acclaim for its animal management and endangered species programs. Over the years, exhibit by exhibit, the Oakland Zoo has been reinvigorated and revitalized, making it a place where animals thrive and visitors enjoy. For more information, please visit our website at www.oaklandzoo.org. ###

Born Free USA offers critical advice for conflicts with bears, coyotes and other potential dangers encountered on camping trips, picnics, hikes

Washington D.C., June 27, 2012 - - Learning how to respect and respond to wildlife while camping, picnicking, and hiking can mean the difference between co-existing peacefully and being in serious danger.

Born Free USA, a leading animal welfare and wildlife conservation organization, reports that there is an increase in wildlife encounters this time of year because families are enjoying activities that take place in the home of these animals.

According to Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA, “People want to enjoy nature and spend time in the woods amongst wildlife hiking, camping or picnicking, yet many are surprised when they actually encounter a bear, coyote or other animal. People get scared or even angry when this happens, and seem to forget that wildlife belongs in the wild and we are enjoying recreation in their home.”

Learning how best to avoid a conflict, and manage any encounter properly, can save lives.

“Fed wildlife is dead wildlife,” explains Roberts. “Keep food out of reach of wildlife and never feed wild animals intentionally or unintentionally. Once a wild animal becomes accustomed to hand-outs by people, they eventually become regarded as ‘nuisance animals’ which opens the door to lethal control. In addition, fed animals will make a habit of expecting food from people -- anyone passing through, ultimately causing conflicts and danger. The number one rule is not to feed any wild animal, ever.”

Coyotes and Bobcats

Aggressive behavior toward people by coyotes and bobcats is most often a result of habituation due to feeding by humans. If approached by a coyote or bobcat, make loud noises (bang pots and pans; blow a horn or whistle; shake a can with rocks). Show dominance and re-instill their natural fear of humans. Do not run, as this may elicit a chase response. If hiking with dogs, in coyote country keep them on a leash. Small dogs may be especially tempting to a coyote.

Black Bears

Most negative black bear encounters are caused by surprising a bear or luring them with food. Bears have an exceptional sense of smell -- seven times more powerful than dogs - -and can detect odors over a mile away. Avoid packing odorous food and fragrant nonfoods (i.e. lotions), and use bear-proof, odor-proof containers (i.e. airtight canisters). Do not leave food or ice chests on decks or in vehicles.

Become familiar with techniques for hanging food out of bears' reach. Hang food and scented items at least 10 feet off the ground and five feet from a tree. Be sure tent, sleeping bags, and clothes are free of lingering food odors.

When hiking or in the back country, make plenty of noise to avoid surprising a bear. If you do encounter a black bear, do not run. This may elicit a chase response in the bear. Slowly back off and allow the bear room to pass or leave. Avoid direct eye contact and pick up small children to prevent them from running and screaming. Contain and restrain dogs.

Black bears may pounce forward on their front feet and bellow loudly, followed by clacking of their jaw. This is a sign of fear. Mothers with cubs sometimes make “bluff charges” -- short rushes, or a series of forward pounces, also a sign of nervousness and not intent to attack. If this happens, momentarily hold your ground. Then keep backing away and talking softly.

Porcupine and Skunk

Skunks always give warning to let their presence be known. They stamp their feet, then point their posterior. Skunks hold fire before spraying and only spray if attacked. If you encounter a skunk suddenly, stand still for a few seconds until the skunk senses that danger has passed and allow him to wander off. Or take two slow steps back and continue on your way.

Dogs are the most common recipients of skunk spray. If a dog is sprayed, mix 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup of baking soda and 2 Tablespoons of dish soap. Lather the dog and leave mixture on for three to five minutes before rinsing.

Porcupines are also pacifists, preferring to avoid trouble unless threatened. They can be attracted to camp sites, not for food but in search of salt. They will chew on anything with salt, including sweaty hiking boots. In areas with porcupines, keep boots inside tents or cars.

Other Outdoor Dangers

Beware of hidden animal traps. While most people think steel-jawed leghold traps are banned in the US, they are not. These and other traps are widely used to brutally catch wild animals for their fur. Because they snap shut on any animal -- or person -- that triggers them, these traps frequently capture “non-targeted” animals including family pets. For every target animal caught in a trap, two non-target animals are trapped. Born Free USA has an online database of these non-target incidents at www.bornfreeusa.org/database. ;

Unsuspecting hikers and others go to trails or parks with their dogs and traps are located along the trails or paths but there is no sign or other warning. When this happens, dogs end up maimed or killed as the hikers struggle (unsuccessfully) to free their dogs in time.

Born Free USA is a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation” -- the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son Will Travers, now CEO of both organizations. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at: www.bornfreeusa.org; twitter http://twitter.com/bornfreeusa; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BornFreeUSA.

LOS ANGELES’ ACCLAIMED WILD AND EXOTIC ANIMAL SANCTUARY, THE WILDLIFE WAYSTATION 

FACES THE “FINAL CHAPTER.,” SAYS FOUNDER MARTINE COLETTE. 

FINANCIAL SITUATION “THE WORST” IN 35 YEARS. 

            Martine Colette, founder and director of the Wildlife WayStation, is facing what she calls – bluntly – the “final chapter” of the acclaimed wild and exotic animal sanctuary that has long been a Los Angeles fixture and is home to around 400 animals, birds and reptiles. 

            But home for how long? 

            That is Colette’s predicament and it’s crunch time for the animal supporter and her life’s work. 

            Says Colette: “If the WayStation does not find a way out from under the horrific financial burden it is currently facing, caused by the current recession and disastrous economic downfall, then all these animals that came to us for safe haven are in real jeopardy. 

            “And sooner rather than later.”

            Funded solely through corporate and foundation grants, private donations, animal sponsorship and bequests, the non profit WayStation, situated in the Angeles National Forest just outside Los Angeles, has seen the results of fundraising activities drop abruptly.

            “Donations are down,” notes Colette. “This is the worst I have experienced in my 45 years of animal welfare and rescue..

            “We have been forced to cut back severely on WayStation staff, relying on volunteers and supporters day-to-day. They do a great job but it’s frustrating not having a complete, permanent staff to serve our animal population.

            ”The economic situation adversely affects our work on the County of Los Angeles-required WayStation improvements that would allow us to reopen our sanctuary to the public, another way we raise money. The work is proceeding, but slowly.

            “All in all, this has been one horrific year.”

            Colette views the upcoming Thanksgiving-Christmas period – a peak time for donations and fundraising – as “crisis time,” the make-or-break period for the WayStation.

            Facing the reality of the WayStation’s downward financial spiral, Colette and fellow board members are looking to change the Waystation’s business methods and philosophy.

            Colette’s opinion is that the WayStation management, herself included, must become more progressive and proactive,

            Says Colette: “We are putting real emphasis on the possibility of some organization going into partnership with the WayStation, a company that sees a real advantage in aligning with the WayStation brand that could take us – and them - in a different direction. An organization that will find the WayStation image and history advantageous to them.

            “Frankly, we are open to any and all suggestions – a merger with another like-minded animal organization is not out of the question. A wedding chapel with the WayStation has background has even been suggested! Just as long as respect for the animals is part of the package, the first priority.”

            While the WayStation is seeking an organizational partner with deep pockets, the small change is not being neglected in the fundraising drives.

            “People can sponsor a particular animal, or contribute to a food bill. I can tell you to the last cent how much it costs to feed one tiger or one chimp for one day. If someone wants to help that way, I am just as grateful. The most important thing is that the Wildlife Waystation must survive

            “A large part of the WayStation’s appeal is its connection with the public, whether in the school room or the other outside events that feature the Waystation’s animals.”

                        Martine Colette acknowledges: “Animal rescue and protection has never been a money making business and those operations with large animal populations are especially vulnerable. Two respectable large animal sanctuaries in Texas have just gone belly up, victims of the same financial crisis that’s affecting the WayStation. And the blunt fact is that, in these cases, there is no place for the animals to go.

            “If the worst happens, there is no place in Los Angeles County that can take in an animal population of 400 – tigers, chimps, bird, reptiles.

            ”This must never happen. We do good work here.”

Wildlife WayStation Particulars:

Address:

Wildlife WayStation

14831 Little Tujunga Canyon Rd.

Sylmar, Ca. 91342-5999

Web-Site:

www.wildlifewaystation.org 

Phone:

 818-899-5201

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

People/Business’s can make donations by: Mail, In-person, Phone, Web-site, Facebook

The WayStation accepts: Cash, Checks, Money Orders, Credit/Debit Cards

Text Wildlife to 20222 on your cell phone to make an instant $10 donation that will show up on your next bill.

Like us on Facebook

For more information & other ways to help please visit www.wildlifewaystation.org

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Our Mission

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, founded in 1995, is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. The Sanctuary operates on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee — 85 miles southwest of Nashville.

The Elephant Sanctuary exists for two reasons:

• To provide a haven for old, sick or needy elephants in a setting of green pastures,
  dense forests, spring-fed ponds and heated barns for cold winter nights.
• To provide education about the crisis facing these social, sensitive, passionately intense,
  playful, complex, exceedingly intelligent and endangered creatures.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Accredited by The Association of Sanctuaries
Licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)

www.elephants.com

‘Historic Bill to end cruelty to wild animals in circuses’

Washington DC, Nov. 02, 2011 – Today on Capitol Hill, renowned celebrity animal protectionists Bob  Barker and Jorja Fox will join Animal Defenders International (ADI), the Performing Animal Welfare  Society (PAWS) and members of Congress to launch a Bill that will change the way in which animals are used in the name of entertainment in the USA.

The Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act (TEAPA) is a historic first for the US, and this Bill, which has  attracted bipartisan support and been co-sponsored by Congressman Mr Moran and Mr Young (TBC), aims to restrict the use of exotic and wild animals in traveling circuses, effectively bringing to an end the random cruelty and neglect associated with circuses of this nature.   It is the first bill to comprehensively tackle the use of all wild animals in US circuses ever to be launched in the US.

EVENT DETAILS

Philanthropist and TV host of The Price Is Right Bob Barker said: “Americans are becoming increasingly aware that circus animals suffer from violent training techniques and severe confinement. Big, wild animals should not be part of the traveling circus and simply put, animal acts in circuses are antiquated and belong in the past, in a time when humans were ignorant about the needs of the other species who share our planet. “

CSI actress Jorja Fox said: “Congress has a responsibility to protect the welfare of animals and ensure public safety. A prohibition on the use of exotic and wild animals in traveling circuses is proportionate, responsible, the least expensive solution to this problem, and long overdue.  We call on Congress to bring to an end, once and for all, the abuse and suffering that has been exposed by ADI time and time again.”

A new video to be screened at the launch entitled ‘In the United States today...’ features footage from circuses including violence, confinement and deprivation.  The Bill is supported by a series of Congressional ADI Briefings, which cover key issues such as ‘Public Health & Safety’, ‘Enforcement’, ‘Captivity & Transport’, ‘Control and Violence’, ‘TB’ and ‘Economics’. This provides overwhelming evidence to support the reasons that it is time for the US to move forward with other countries that are now taking action – the US needs to restrict the use of wild animals in traveling circuses.  

Careful research and detailed undercover investigations in US traveling circuses have shown the welfare of animals is unacceptably compromised as the animals endure confinement, physical and social deprivation, long, arduous journeys, brutal control methods and physical violence. The training tools of the circus trade include bullhooks, electric prods, and whips.

Large animals like lions and tigers spend their lives cramped in small cages, and elephants are forced to live chained by one or more legs for hours on end. In addition, traveling circuses pose a serious threat to public safety, as the keeping of wild, stressed animals in dangerously close proximity to the public is a recipe for disaster. Incidents of circus workers and members of the public having been killed and maimed by circus animals are well documented.

ADI’s evidence show how law enforcement authorities have difficulty enforcing Federal animal health, safety, and welfare laws, and violations due to the mobile and transitory nature of traveling circuses.

Jan Creamer, ADI’s President said: “This is a historic day, this is about America standing up and saying these magnificent animals should not be abused in the name of entertainment.  The days of animals suffering in traveling circuses are numbered not just here in the US but all over the world.  Due to severe confinement, lack of free exercise, and the restriction of natural behaviors, animals used in traveling circuses suffer and are prone to health, behavioral, and psychological problems.

“With the support of Bob Barker, ADI has exposed, time and again, that the use of violence to control animals is part of circus culture. In the US we have seen animals beaten, whipped and electric shocked to make them perform tricks.  We have shown that welfare and public safety are unacceptably compromised in traveling circuses. This brutality now needs to stop – for good.”

Ed Stewart from PAWS said: “Bob Barker and PAWS have advocated for performing animals for many years. We have witnessed the conditions in which they live and the physical and psychological damage they have endured.   Mr. Barker has personally funded the peaceful retirement of numerous ex-circus animals to sanctuaries. It is time that we as a civilized nation stop the frivolous use of exotic animals in demeaning performances.  The Show Must Not Go On."

In February this year, ADI completed a mission that removed every circus animal from Bolivia after securing an animal circus ban there.  This included flying 25 lions to Colorado and 4 to California to safe homes.  Bolivia has the most progressive law in the world, but turned to American compassion to help the animals.  ADI and PAWS believe the Bill will have massive popular support in the US.

Similar measures to prohibit or limit the use of animals in circuses have already been adopted in Bolivia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Peru, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, India and other countries and similar laws are being discussed in the UK, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Greece.  

These countries have looked at the evidence and listened to the will of the people and done the right thing for animal welfare by implementing bans. It is now time that the US did the same. 

ENDS

# # #

Animal Defenders International

With offices in Los Angeles, London and Bogota, ADI campaigns across the globe on animals in entertainment, providing technical advice to governments, securing progressive animal protection legislation, drafting regulations and rescuing animals in distress. ADI has a worldwide reputation for providing video and photographic evidence exposing the behind-the-scenes suffering in industry and supporting this evidence with scientific research on captive wildlife and transport. ADI rescues animals all over the world, educates the public on animals and environmental issues. 

http://www.adiusa.org

http://www.ad-international.org/adi_world/

Performing Animal Welfare Society

PAWS operate three captive wildlife sanctuaries in California, providing lifetime care for hundreds of exotic animals.  Having worked inside the performing animal industry and now specializing in the care of abused, abandoned or retired performing animals, the PAWS founders are acknowledged experts on the impacts on these animals and the suffering they endure in the name of entertainment.  They provide expert testimony in criminal and agency investigations and also provide expertise to wildlife agencies, Congress, State Legislatures, and city and county hearings across the United States.

www.pawsweb.org

In the US, local bans have been achieved in municipalities such as Pasadena, CA, Richmond, MO, Greenburgh, NY, Orange County, NC, Boulder, CO, Stanford, CT, Tallahassee, FL, Jefferson County, KY, Revere, MA, Richmond, MO, Greenburgh, NY, Aiken, SC, Charlottesville, VA, Burlington, VT, Port Townsend, WA, Green Bay, WI, and most recently  Irvine, CA among many others.

Recent incidents in the US demonstrate that travelling circuses pose a serious threat to public safety:

·         In February 2010, a zebra escaped from Ringling Brothers in Atlanta and ran into the city. Police had to chase it for 40 minutes until it was recaptured on a busy interstate. A few weeks later, the animal was euthanized.  Two weeks earlier, during a pre-show at the same circus in South Carolina, an elephant broke through a main door and ran into the arena.  It was reported that there were about 100 people on the floor.

·         April 27, 2010/Lynchburg, Virginia: An elephant named Viola escaped from the Cole Bros. Circus. She bolted directly past a line of people waiting to buy tickets, sending some running toward the parking lot. Viola injured her shoulder and broke a toenail when she slid in the mud and fell into a steep ravine. She was on the loose for approximately 30 minutes.

·         April 9, 2010/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: An animal handler with the Hamid Circus was kicked and thrown about 20 feet by an African elephant named Dumbo at Irem Shrine Circus. The handler died at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries. The elephant had been leased from Joe Frisco’s Wonderful World of Animals.

·         On November 4, 2009, an elephant escaped from the Family Fun Circus in Enid, Oklahoma and was struck by an SUV on US Interstate 81.

·         February 6, 2010/Columbia, South Carolina: According to The State, “A startled elephant took a wrong turn backstage and broke through the main prop door leading into the Colonial Life Arena during the afternoon pre-show for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus …. . . . About 100 spectators on the floor watching the pre-show saw the elephant break through the door toward them and rumble around the performance area, just a few feet away.”

·         March 7, 2009/Indianapolis, Indiana: At least 15 children and one adult were injured when an elephant who was being used to give rides at the Murat Shrine Circus became startled, stumbling and knocking over the scaffolding stairway leading to the elephant ride. People on the elephant’s back and others standing on, under, and around the scaffolding were injured. Their injuries were treated on the scene. The Shriners had leased the elephant from exhibitor Will Davenport, dba Maximus Tons of Fun.

·         March 13, 2009/Fruitland Park, Florida: A spider monkey named Reggie escaped from the Liebling Family Circus

·         In March 2008, three zebras with Ringling Brothers Circus in Baltimore escaped from their temporary enclosure and ran onto the traffic lanes.

·         A lifelong animal trainer was clawed by a tiger during a performance at Hadi Shrine Circus in Indiana in November 2006. The trainer suffered serious injuries to his hand and leg.