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Indybay Feature

San Francisco Residents: Elephants Need Your Help!

by bella garbanzo




Elephants need you to be their voice at Thursday's City Services Committee meeting. Residents must speak out in support of two animal friendly ordinances.
Your help is desperately needed if you live in San Francisco or know people who live in San Francisco.

On Thursday, November 18, 2004, the City Services Committee will listen to public comments and consider Ordinance 041461 and Ordinance 04143. The outcome of this meeting will determine the fate of the ordinances proposed by San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez:

- Ordinance 041461, prohibits keeping elephants at the Zoo
- Ordinance 041463, instructs San Francisco Animal Control to investigate complaints about animal conditions and health at the Zoo

These two ordinances are under consideration by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the City Services Committee. San Francisco residents are needed to show their support for both ordinances.

WHAT: San Francisco Board City Services Committee

WHEN: Thursday, November 18, 2004 at 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: San Francisco City Hall, Room 263, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

E-mail Deniz Bobul at Deniz_b [at] yahoo.com or call her at (650) 654-9955 if you can join us or if you have any questions.

History of Suffering

As most of you know, elephants have suffered for decades at the city owned San Francisco Zoo. They suffer from captivity induced health problems and die younger than wild elephants. This year alone, the premature deaths of Calle, age 37, and Maybelle, age 44, two elephants at the Zoo highlighted the inherent problems associated with keeping elephants at zoos. On the other hand, elephants in the wild naturally live to be as old as 70 years of age. The track record at the San Francisco Zoo is horrendous. Three elephants died prematurely at the Zoo within the last seven years. The San Francisco Zoo simply cannot provide adequate space for elephants who normally move up to fifty per day, and the cold, foggy, damp conditions are not conducive to the elephants’ well being. Currently, the two surviving elephants at the San Francisco Zoo are waiting to me moved to an elephant sanctuary.

Most elephants in zoos were taken from the wild when they were babies and were transferred overseas to be placed on permanent display. Because zoos do not consider the special climate and social needs of elephants, captive elephants are regularly administered painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs for specific health problems directly linked to their limited, confined quarters.

Despite all the evidence against keeping elephants captive, the San Francisco Zoo is considering raising money that will be used to bring more elephants to the Zoo instead of how to improve the lives of the animals currently being held captive at the Zoo.

If you are unable to attend the meeting Thursday, please call and write to the supervisors to support the two ordinances. (Include your San Francisco address in your correspondence):

-- Sup. Bevan Dufty, Bevan.Dufty [at] sfgov.org, Tel: (415) 554-6968, Fax: 554-6909
-- Sup. Fiona Ma, Fiona.Ma [at] sfgov.org, Tel: (415) 554-7460, Fax: 554-7432
-- Sup. Elsbernd, Sean.Elsbernd [at] sfgov.org, Tel: (415) 554-6516, Fax: 554-6546
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