Urge the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to Ban Elephant Exhibits

Calls, e-mails, and letters to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors are desperately needed to secure passage of an important ordinance to help elephants in San Francisco!


Board President Matt Gonzalez has introduced Ordinance 041461 [San Francisco Zoo-Keeping Elephants Prohibited] to prohibit the keeping of elephants at the San Francisco Zoo by any City department or contractor.


The Board of Supervisors has stated that they are being inundated with calls supporting the zoo and that they are not receiving many calls supporting the ordinance to prohibit the San Francisco Zoo from exhibiting elephants.


The ordinance is a response to the deaths of two of four elephants at the San Francisco Zoo this year. It acknowledges the fact that an urban zoo like San Francisco does not have the space or resources to meet the physical and social needs of elephants. The relatively cold and intensely foggy climate permeating the coastal area where the zoo is located puts additional stress on the elephants. Detroit Zoo director Ron Kagan cited these same reasons when he decided to close his zoo's elephant exhibit earlier this year and send the elephants to a sanctuary.

What You Can Do:

1. On December 7 the full Board of Supervisors will vote on the ordinance to prohibit elephants at the San Francisco Zoo. If you live in the Bay Area, please attend the Board of Supervisors meeting to show your support for the ordinance:


What: San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting
When: Tuesday, December 7, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: San Francisco City Hall, Main Board Room


2. Please call and e-mail or fax the Supervisors today to support this important measure.


Contact: Jake.McGoldrick [at] sfgov.org, Michela.Alioto-Pier [at] sfgov.org, Aaron.Peskin [at] sfgov.org, Fiona.Ma [at] sfgov.org, Chris.Daly [at] sfgov.org, Sean.Elsbernd [at] sfgov.org, Bevan.Dufty [at] sfgov.org, Tom.Ammiano [at] sfgov.org, Sophie.Maxwell [at] sfgov.org, Gerardo.Sandoval [at] sfgov.org


Mayor Gavin Newsom, Gavin.newsom [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-6141, Fax: (415) 554-6160

Jake McGoldrick - District 1, Jake.McGoldrick [at] sfgov.org,
Tel: (415) 554-7410, Fax: (415) 554-7415


Michela Alioto-Pier - District 2, Michela.Alioto-Pier [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-7752, Fax: (415) 554-7843


Aaron Peskin - District 3, Aaron.Peskin [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-7450, Fax: (415) 554-7454


Fiona Ma - District 4, Fiona.Ma [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-7460, Fax: (415) 554-7432


Chris Daly - District 6, Chris.Daly [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-7970, Fax: (415) 554-7974


Sean Elsbernd - District 7, Sean.Elsbernd [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-6516, Fax: (415) 554-6546


Bevan Dufty - District 8, Bevan.Dufty [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-6968, Fax: (415) 554-6909


Tom Ammiano - District 9, Tom.Ammiano [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-5144, Fax: (415) 554-6255


Sophie Maxwell - District 10, Sophie.Maxwell [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-7670, Fax (415) 554-7674


Gerardo Sandoval - District 11, Gerardo.Sandoval [at] sfgov.org
Tel: (415) 554-6975, Fax: (415) 554-6979


You can write the Supervisors at the following address:
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, CA 94102


Please call (650) 654-9955 if you have any questions or if you can join us.