As I grew
up, I began to question these beliefs as I watched other individuals, both
young and old, who didn’t follow the rules and yet were handsomely rewarded no
matter what. I also found that people could and would choose what seemed like
the wrong choice because it was based on lies and exaggeration. I also found
people who told the truth, but twisted it in such a way that it met their
goals…goals that weren’t necessarily based on truth or fact.
I learned
fairly young that, “Life isn’t fair.” Still, all these years later, I become
incensed and highly annoyed when something happens that is based on the lies,
exaggerations and annoying habits of a few people who pretend to speak for the
majority. Eventually, those that should and/or do know better are swayed by all
the arguments, posturing, communications, etc., and a decision is made based on
that.
Such is the
case with the elephants at Woodland Park Zoo. For almost a decade a small group
of people have consistently lied and exaggerated on a regular basis with regard
to the comfort and care of these animals. Having retired from the zoo, I heard
everything they had to say because they attended each and every board of
directors meeting to participate in public comment…and their comments were always
negative and about how the elephants would be better off at the Tennessee
Sanctuary.
Over the
course of this decade, this group of people sent Freedom of Information Act requests
for any and all information about the zoo’s elephants. Every quarter, a new
request would be submitted for the previous quarter. In addition, more than one
lawsuit was instigated which necessitated the zoo’s participation. All of this was expensive and utilized money
that could have been devoted to conservation or education.
Even now,
with the decision made to close the zoo’s elephant exhibit and send the two
remaining elephants to Oklahoma, this group has filed a lawsuit in an effort to
send the elephants to a sanctuary rather than another zoo. Once again, in my
opinion, this group is ignoring facts which would have a definite impact on
these animals if they were sent to a sanctuary in either California or
Tennessee.
· The California sanctuary
elephants have tuberculosis (TB), so the zoo’s healthy animals could not be
housed with them. This sanctuary doesn’t have a separate building in which WPZ’s
elephants could be housed so they would need to stay in Seattle until funds to
build new housing could be raised and the building completed.
· The Tennessee sanctuary
has multiple problems, i.e.,
o
There
is absolutely no oversight for this facility.
o
This
facility also has TB among its elephants; and if the zoo’s elephants went there,
they would have to be housed separately. How would this satisfy the need for
additional companionship as postulated by the activists.
o
At
this facility, the elephants live “naturally” as they would in the “wild.” That’s
all well and good, but does that mean an elephant that goes down and cannot get
up should be allowed to lay there in the hot sun without water for the three
days it took the animal to die? This actually happened several years ago. Wouldn’t
it have been more humane to euthanize this poor animal? The sanctuary’s take on
this was, that’s the way it is in the wild and the other elephants had a chance
to go by and make their farewells.
o
The
weather in Tennessee is better than Seattle…that’s not true. Tennessee has
colder temperatures and more snow and ice than in the Northwest.
Back in the
early 1980s, there was a “Save the Elephants” campaign which resulted in the
passage of the Zoo Bond Issue and a ten-year redevelopment of Woodland Park
Zoo. At that time, everyone was for this campaign, i.e., the Mayor, Seattle
City Council, King County Executive, King County Council, the media and the
majority of the population since the bond passed. The first exhibit to open was
the Asian Elephant Exhibit in 1989.
I note this
here because it’s 25 years since that exhibit opened to the public, a public
that has enjoyed, loved and come to understand how important conservation of
these wonderful creatures is for future generations. In a mere 25 years, all
the support responsible for that new exhibit and the elephants has been buried
by this small group of people.
If these
people could sway opinion to the point where the decision has been made to
close the elephant exhibit, imagine what they could do if they took up a real
cause worthy of their time, energy and undying support. Heck, anything listed
below is extremely worthy, probably wouldn’t require an incorrect
interpretation of the facts and would benefit many.
· How about children who go
to bed every night hungry, or
· children who don’t even
have a home in which to live, or
· doing something to improve
the city’s or state’s education program so more kids graduate from high school
and go to college, or
· attend every single
meeting of the legislature in Olympia to make sure all those elected know they’d
better start doing a better job, or
· getting involved in
community programs either here or elsewhere in the world that would benefit a
majority rather than a minority.
Anyway, I am
once again saddened and baffled at how people with a mission, supported by
untruths and misrepresented facts, have managed to insure the zoo’s elephant
exhibit will close. Another example of how life isn’t fair.
[Please note that everything written here is based
on my own knowledge and represents my own opinions. This blog posting has been
done without the support or participation of Woodland Park Zoo.]
