top
East Bay
East Bay
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

California Bill to Protect Elephants Passes Senate Committee

by via The Humane Society
A bill to prohibit the use of bullhooks on elephants, SB 716, heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee after passing the Senate Public Safety Committee 5-2. The Humane Society of the United States, Oakland Zoo and Performing Animal Welfare Society applaud the committee and Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), the bill’s sponsor, for this important first step.
Bullhooks, which resemble fireplace pokers, have a long handle, sharp metal hook and spiked tip. They are weapons with only one purpose: to cause pain, suffering and fear in elephants. No sanctuary or zoo in California accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums uses bullhooks on elephants.

Nicole Paquette, vice president of Wildlife Protection for The Humane Society of the United States stated: “For too long, elephants in traveling shows have suffered as a consequence of unceasing transport and frequent striking by handlers wielding the sharp end of a bullhook. Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco have already taken steps to right this wrong, and the entire state should follow suit. We commend Senator Lara and the Senate Public Safety Committee for taking steps to protect these highly intelligent and social animals from inhumane and outdated training methods.”

Dr. Joel Parrott, Director and CEO of the Oakland Zoo stated: “We would like to thank Senator Lara and Assemblymember Bonta for introducing SB 716, and we are proud to announce it passed the Senate Safety Public Committee today. Oakland Zoo successfully aided in prohibiting the use of the bullhook in the City of Oakland, and in partnership with The Humane Society of the United States and Performing Animal Welfare Society, we hope to do the same in all of California. No AZA accredited zoo in California uses a bullhook, while modern training techniques and positive reinforcement has existed for over twenty-five years.”

Ed Stewart, President of the Performing Animal Welfare Society stated: “PAWS thanks the members of the Senate Public Safety Committee who supported a ban on the use of the bullhook, an archaic and cruel weapon used to control elephants through pain and fear. The time is right to ban this instrument of pain that has no place in modern society, and California can lead the way.”

Facts:

* The use of bullhooks results in trauma, suffering, and physical injury to elephants. A bullhook can inflict lacerations, puncture wounds and abscesses to an elephant’s sensitive skin, which is rich in nerve endings and susceptible to abrasions.
* In March 2015, Ringling Bros. announced it will phase out the use of elephants in its traveling shows by 2018, citing in part a changing public attitude to the use and treatment of elephants in circuses, as well as the growing number of cities and counties across the country that have prohibited the display of elephants or use of bullhooks to train elephants.
* California’s Oakland Zoo pioneered the use of protected contact on elephants more than 20 years ago and it is now a widely-used training method that relies solely on positive reinforcement.
* California-based PAWS is the country’s first facility to provide sanctuary for rescued elephants and has never used bullhooks.


http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2015/04/ca-bullhook-042815.html?credit=web_id65489811
The California Assembly passed AB 96 to close loopholes in the existing state regulations to ensure that illegal ivory and rhino horns do not find safe haven in California. The bill received a final vote of 62-14. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International praise Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins and Sen. Ricardo Lara for co-authoring this important bill. Iris Ho, program manager for Humane Society International released the following statement:

“It is shameful that this pernicious trade banks on the extinction of elephants and rhinos. AB 96 is a critical tool to close the gaping loophole in California’s decades-old ivory ban. Today’s overwhelming vote affirms California’s conservation leadership in saving these imperiled wildlife from cruelty and extinction.”

The escalating global poaching crisis has decimated an average of 96 elephants every day for their ivory in Africa. AB 96 is supported by the The HSUS, HSI, NRDC, PAWS, Wildlife Conservation Society, California Association of Zoos & Aquariums, Oakland Zoo, Asian Pacific Alliance for Wildlife & Sustainability, and Born Free USA.

Press Release: June 2, 2015

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news_briefs/2015/06/ca-ivory-loopholes-060215.html?credit=web_id65489811
Add Your Comments
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$140.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network