Wednesday April 18, 2012, 3:01 pm
petition signed

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 3:16 pm
already signed and also posted this news early this morning and so this is a duplicate but we both know Carl that every now and then Care2 fails to recognize already-submitted stories :)

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 3:21 pm
no worries Jim, thanks!

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 3:30 pm
Already signed TY Jim & Cal

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 5:00 pm
Had already signed.

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 5:18 pm
Cal, I can't sign this....it totally ignores the oversight of the Species Survival Plans and accreditation by the American Zoo Association. Whomever is behind it (sounds suspiciously like PETA to me or In Defense of Elephants, an even MORE hysterical, misinformed and misleading organization) is writing strictly from a poorly-informed, judgmental level.

Breeding programs for endangered animals are NOT made by the holding zoo--nor are they made by one person. They're made by a committee of recognized experts in the particular study of that species. Many factors go into the decisions and they're made with great care and concern.

There's a lot of knee-jerking behind some of these stories and this is one of them.

As a non-zoo person, I wouldn't expect you to already know that!

Your friend, pam

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 5:41 pm
Signed and noted, thank you!

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 5:54 pm
done

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 6:42 pm
Noted.

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 7:58 pm
Noted. Thanks.

Wednesday April 18, 2012, 11:49 pm
Noted
I agree with Pam, Cal

Thursday April 19, 2012, 12:41 am
Signed and noted, thank you

Thursday April 19, 2012, 1:13 am
Done. Thanks.

Thursday April 19, 2012, 2:37 am
Signed -TU

Thursday April 19, 2012, 3:05 am
done

Thursday April 19, 2012, 3:29 am
Noted and signed! Thanks!

Thursday April 19, 2012, 4:25 am
Thanks Pam and Patricia I have some education to get on these issues apparently.

Thursday April 19, 2012, 4:45 am
signed and noted

Thursday April 19, 2012, 4:56 am
signed!

Thursday April 19, 2012, 5:04 am
Noted

Thursday April 19, 2012, 6:11 am
signed,thanks

Thursday April 19, 2012, 6:40 am
already signed

Thursday April 19, 2012, 7:09 am
Signed. Thanks for posting.

Thursday April 19, 2012, 7:26 am
done!

Thursday April 19, 2012, 7:32 am
PETA decided to take on our zoo when we built a SIX ACRE exhibit for the Asian elephant breeding/conservation program. I PERSONALLY HAVE SEEN THEM LIE AND DISTORT FACTS to make their presence known and try to gain donations and attention! Prior to those times, I'd respected PETA but now, having seen their shenanigans.....I recognize them in other issues. I wish they'd just go back to fighting the fur industry.

Know this....Asian elephants are rapidly disappearing along with their habitat. These "sanctuaries" you all talk about either do NOT exist or they're hidden away, NOT monitored by any responsible agency and they do NOT breed to save the species. Sending an animal to a "sanctuary" means you'll never see it again and its genes will be lost forever! Is that what you all really want?

Zoos do not just arbitrarily create/manage their own breeding programs. There is a group of husbandry experts with years of experience and expertise which is familiar not only with the genetic background of every animal in every US zoo but also knows which is appropriate to breed with which. Sometimes, things don't go well...AS IS TRUE IN THE WILD!

Once you see a document attributing a breeding failure with "Conditions in zoos are often inadequate for breeding of elephants. Lack of space for exercise, stress, and adverse birthing conditions, including isolation and chaining of laboring elephants, contribute to high rates of birth complications"----you can suspect PETA's involvement (or IDE--the alleged "elephant experts.") NONE of this is proven and NONE of this should be cited without proof.

Every endangered animal in every zoo is a treasure and the AZA and Species Survival/Taxon Advisory Groups know it!

Saving a species means you have to make difficult decisions....it's not a "Disney" world out there, folks, as much as you'd like to think so. Human overpopulation WILL be the extinction of Asian elephants in the wild unless steps are taken NOW. And, meanwhile, zoos are quietly trying to cope with the amazingly difficult task of saving them. (Maybe you don't want to know this....Asian elephant sperm cannot be frozen and has a viability of about six hours. You'd better have the female AT THE READY or you won't get a breeding. :-) )

African elephants, like the ones in the photo are somewhat better off but WILL be in the same circumstances as Asian ones within a few decades. Elephants are destructive to farms and forests and, if they're not managed, cause grief for humans. Guess who will always "win" in these situations? (HINT...it's not the elephants.) Combine that fact with poaching for ivory and you get a sense of what's happening.

Thursday April 19, 2012, 8:30 am
signed

Thursday April 19, 2012, 8:52 am
S&N

Thursday April 19, 2012, 10:23 am
already signed.
thanks cal, and Jim .( it never hurts to review an important cause)

Thursday April 19, 2012, 11:01 am
Noted and signed.

Thursday April 19, 2012, 3:39 pm
Noted and signed.
Thanks

Sunday April 22, 2012, 5:29 pm
S&N