IDA Blog

Wildlife

RIP Tyke

Sixteen years ago today, Tyke , a 20 year old African elephant “owned” by the notorious Hawthorn Corporation, was killed. On August 20, 1994, she was performing with the Circus International in Hawaii when she killed her trainer and gored her groomer, then bolted from the arena and ran through the city for a half-hour, injuring several people before collapsing from the 86 police bullets fired into her. It took nearly two hours for her to die on the Honolulu street.

Tyke’s legacy, a growing worldwide awareness of the suffering of animals in circuses, continues to gather strength. We are working every day to nurture that awareness, and to transform it into action.  Elephants in circuses endure intense confinement, social isolation and the constant threat of physical punishment. We aim to end these abusive practices and to prevent further injuries or deaths – elephant or human – resulting from the proximity between the public and these traumatized, highly stressed animals.

Tyke’s actions came as no surprise to anyone who was paying attention – at least three times in the 16 months prior to her last stand in Hawaii she had escaped her handlers, causing terror and injury to people and to property. Yet she continued to perform until her final hours.

This was not an isolated situation in which one overstressed, rebellious elephant slipped through the cracks; the “system” in place to prevent such occurrences is flawed almost to the point of nonexistence. An Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Audit released in June found that the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), whose job it is to ensure that exhibited animals are handled in a way that does not put the public or the animals at risk, is failing. Neither the inspection process nor the tracking of exhibitors works to safeguard animals or people.

Today there are at least 10 elephants with documented histories of lashing out or bolting who continue to perform around the nation – in close proximity to the public.  Many of them are used to give rides to children. Since February of this year there have been three incidents that we know of (and who knows how many more that went unreported). Two elephants, Viola and an elephant with Ringling, escaped from their handlers, each narrowly missing crowds of circus-goers when they bolted; Viola was injured when she fell down a steep embankment in her attempt to flee. Another elephant, Dumbo lashed out and killed her longtime handler.

Despite all our efforts to find her, Dumbo’s whereabouts have been unknown since shortly after the killing in Pennsylvania; whether she is off the road or has vanished into the thousands of fairs around the country where anonymous elephants turn up for a few days at a time is anyone’s guess at this point. It does not appear that she is under any official travel restriction.

Both Viola and the elephant with Ringling, at last report, are still traveling, still performing, still stressed and miserable – and still putting crowds of people at serious risk.

Sixteen years ago today a person was killed, others were injured, and an elephant died in agony. The public is exposed daily to elephants who have clearly signaled their frustration with circus torture, and to others who have endured years of anguish and stress. We continue to honor Tyke’s memory and her legacy by working to end the use of elephants in circuses and traveling shows to end their suffering and before tragedy strikes again.

This blog was contributed by Deborah Robinson, IDA’s Captive Elephant Specialist.

IDA's Barbara Stagno at The Rally for Canada Geese in NYC

A rally for the Canada geese of New York City. It could have been a dream, with all those people lining the steps of City Hall, but it was real. A day before, I had prepared my talk, and wrote about how wildlife does not belong to government agencies. I asked the crowd – the then imaginary crowd – to join with me in demanding changes for how our government deals with wildlife.

When I wrote those words I had no idea that one day later, more than 150 people would join the IDA rally for the Canada geese. I couldn’t have imagined the passionate and enthusiastic voices of Councilmember Letitia James and State Senator Eric Adams, who spoke about growing up with the geese in Prospect Park…. playing with them, learning about them. Or, as Senator Adams so eloquently said, learning that, in essence, they are really not that much different from us.

When I saw that spirited crowd, I knew that it was true. That people cared deeply and had come to speak up about putting a stop to the government killing of wildlife. To demand change.

Those words I spoke on Thursday August 12, 2010, could be addressed to any mayor in any city. They reflect the feelings of communities all across America, who have had their precious birds taken from them and slaughtered.

Mayor Bloomberg made the ludicrous statement that it comes down to people or geese.

It’s not about people or geese.

It’s about ways to co-exist peacefully with the animals of this earth.

It’s not about making airline flights safer. Killing resident Canada Geese has absolutely nothing to do with airline safety, as these geese don’t fly that high! There are, however, real ways to make airline flying safer, ways that do not require us to kill – and ways that other cities around the world currently engage in.

We will not stand by while you kill the geese who were over bred to satisfy hunters, and who flew away from the hunted areas to come live in the cities where they are safe.

We welcome them in our parks where they can be protected.

If there are too many geese today in Prospect Park, or Central Park, or Flushing Meadow Park, it’s because of government mismanagement, and we will not stand by while you make excuses to wipe out these wonderful flocks that live in our parks.

The people here in front of City Hall today are sending a message. The government’s war on wildlife needs to end and it needs to end now. Humane solutions exist and we demand that they be used.

Let’s start right here in New York City, home of a diverse community of compassionate and tolerant citizens, who have welcomed millions of people from around the world to take refuge in our city.

Out of this heritage of kindness and tolerance, let us reverse the senseless killing of animals perpetrated by government and herald in a new era for wildlife.

Please take moment right now to send a letter to Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council and Save Our Geese!

Closeup of a Bullhook

Zoos often use “spin” to give their interpretation of an event in order to sway public opinion or maintain a particular image. Spin is exactly what the Toledo Zoo attempted to do after the July 1 attack on keeper Don RedFox by a seven-year-old African elephant named Louie. RedFox was gravely injured in the incident. If it wasn’t spin, it calls into question the knowledge that zoo experts possess when it comes to elephant behavior.

At a July 21 press conference, Toledo Zoo Director Barbara Baker, accompanied by an expert hired by the zoo, suggested that rather than an attack on RedFox, Louie had been “sparring” with him, and that he may have been “play fighting.” She explained, “It’s not a very equal sparring match,” noting that Louie weighs 4,000 pounds. At least one major media outlet came away from the press conference with the message that Louie’s behavior was “normal young elephant activity.”

Yet every independent expert IDA consulted with disagreed with the zoo experts. Dr. Joyce Poole, who has studied African elephant behavior and communication for more than 30 years, just released her expert assessment of the incident. After viewing the video of it, she says that Louie clearly was not displaying play behaviors. Dr. Poole states:

“It is, furthermore, our perspective that the various statements and reactions from the zoo community are a public relations exercise rather than a real effort to explain, truthfully and accurately, what took place in Louie’s small stall. Based on decades-long experience, our viewpoint is that Louie was not behaving in a playful manner toward Mr. RedFox and neither was he exhibiting sparring behavior. Rather, the video shows Louie acting with intention to harm. That he was doing so is yet another reason for us to urge the zoo community to rethink the keeping of elephants captive.”

>You can see the video and read Dr. Poole’s full statement and letter to Barbara Baker here.

Animal behaviorists with the company Active Environments also weighed in with their assessment of the incident, with a focus on the “free contact” elephant management system used by the Toledo Zoo. In free contact, the keeper must dominate the elephant at all times and uses negative reinforcement to achieve this. Handlers use the steel-pointed bullhook, a device resembling a fireplace poker, to prod, hook and strike elephants and force compliance with commands. Even when not in use, the bullhook is a constant reminder of the physical punishment that can be delivered at any time, for any reason.

According to the Active Environments statement:

“The video dramatically illustrates the purpose, and meaning of the bull hook to both trainer and elephant.  Much effort has been expended by Free Contact (FC) proponents to downplay the nature and purpose of the bull hook. The renaming of the bull hook to “guide” was the most blatant (and brilliant) public relations maneuver to achieve this objective. Statements are frequently made about the gentle use of the hook and that it doesn’t hurt and it is hardly even needed. Yet, when the trainer was chased out of the stall, he immediately went to get his bull hook to gain control over Louie.  And the presence of the hook caused Louie to immediately assume an extremely submissive posture.”

So why would the Toledo Zoo “spin” the story? The first line of a report in the Toledo Blade says it all: “The Toledo Zoo’s star elephant, “Baby Louie,” isn’t quite so cute these days.” Not only do zoos rely on elephants as major attractions – young elephants typically draw large crowds and increased revenue – it also wanted to divert attention away from its use of archaic and inhumane elephant management practices that were being rightfully attacked by groups like IDA.

In the reports that immediately followed the attack, the zoo focused on the “special relationship” between RedFox and Louie. News stories reported that he supervised Louie’s conception, attended his birth and worked with him ever since. In one report, the zoo’s hired expert, who viewed the video before it was made public, never even addressed the aggression that Louie displayed, and instead directed the story to the positive interactions between RedFox and the elephant, saying that it was “akin to a parent tending to a young child” and “much like a father-son” bond. He dismissively called the incident “a fluke at this particular time.” In a later story he opined that it didn’t appear that Louie intended to seriously harm RedFox.

It’s important to note that during this time the zoo also underplayed the extent of RedFox’s injuries, which were life threatening.

In the last six years of IDA’s campaigns for elephants in zoos, we can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard representatives from zoos and from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) adamantly declare that any decisions regarding elephants should be left only to them because they’re “the experts.” They constantly send this message to the media, the public and elected officials. In the case of the Toledo Zoo, either the zoo experts were way off the mark in their assessment of Louie’s behavior, or they put their integrity aside and substituted “spin” for the truth. Either way, it doesn’t bode well for elephants in zoos.

IDA filed a complaint today with the USDA, urging an investigation into the death of Dondi, an Asian elephant held at the Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon, Massachusetts. She died on Wednesday, after suffering an unidentified illness. Dondi’s unexpected death raises a red flag because at age 36 she should have been in the prime of life.

The Southwick’s Zoo has a history of using elephants for performances and rides during the summer months. Before Dondi, an elephant named Judy was leased from the notorious Hawthorn Corporation (one of the many elephants the company was forced to relinquish due to serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act). She died in 2007, and was found to have tuberculosis.

Dondi, who is “owned” by Phil Schacht, also was used for performances and to give rides at the Southwick’s Zoo during the summer. During the winter, she performed and gave rides at places like Flea World, a giant flea market and amusement park in Florida. It was a sad and unnatural life for an elephant.

Because of the unusual nature of Dondi’s death and the fact that she was in contact with the public, IDA has asked the USDA to investigate the circumstances surrounding it as a matter of public interest and public safety. Elephants can harbor diseases transmissible to humans, including tuberculosis, which can be difficult to detect. Release of the records would hopefully allay any public health concerns.

In a separate letter sent to Southwick’s Zoo President Justine Brewer, IDA urged the zoo to publicly release Dondi’s veterinary records and necropsy reports, saying, “The public has a right to know the cause of Dondi’s death.”

IDA further appealed to the zoo to end the practice of displaying elephants, as its tiny exhibit utterly fails to meet elephants’ needs. Dondi was held alone, in a small circle of dirt with no shade and no access to a pool. Elephants are highly social animals who, in the wild, live in large family groups in which females remain with their mothers for life. Asian elephants have a natural lifespan of 60-70 years. Recent scientific studies show that elephants in zoos die decades earlier than those in relatively protected wild populations.

What you can do

1. You can help ensure that the Southwick’s Zoo does not replace Dondi with another elephant by emailing the zoo president Justine Brewer at Justine@southwickszoo.com. Please be polite, as we are trying to convince Ms. Brewer to take this positive action. Tell her that the zoo should hold itself to a higher standard and do away with circus style elephant performances and rides that do nothing to educate the public about elephants’ natural lives.

2. If you live near enough to attend a demo at the Southwick’s Zoo, please contact Melissa at melissa275@netzero.com. A vigil is planned for Sunday, August 1^st at the zoo.

Wild horses gallop in the Rocky Hills HMA, southeast of Battle Mountain, Nevada. PHOTO CREDIT : USAToday

Despite tremendous public opposition and legal actions the Department of Interior is moving forward with the ill-conceived plan to remove more than 6,000 wild horses and burros from our public lands by October 2010. The Obama Administration’s policy has proven to be both deadly and devastating for wild horses. The Calico Complex roundup, which IDA fought in federal court, has to date taken the lives of 186 horses including 30 foals who have died and 40 spontaneous abortions as reported by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
On July 10, 2010 the BLM began this horrific roundup of wild horses in the summer desert heat in northeast Nevada – the Tuscarora Complex roundup. (See USA Today article.) The BLM reports, given the lack of public access to observe there is no way to verify any BLM-provided information, that 22 wild horses have been killed at the trap site and three have died at the holding facilities. After a lawsuit was filed by Nevada horse advocate Laura Leigh, the BLM began to claim the first part of the Tuscarora roundup (in the Owyhee herd management area) was a “rescue” operation – claiming there was not enough water on the range and that horses were dehydrating. Just last week, IDA had a representative on the ground in Owyhee and observed water, cows and plenty of fencing in and around the Owyhee area.

If dry conditions were so severe one would expect wildlife and cows to be suffering from the same dehydration – yet this was not the case. Rather only wild horses were in need of “rescue.” As one local rancher told IDA – antelope and other wildlife can get under and over fencing, but wild horses cannot. If a need to “rescue” horses occurred – it was clearly a BLM-created problem.

Indeed, in mid-May, the BLM conducted an on-the-ground observation at Owyhee; the promotional video resulting from it, actually titled “Extreme Terrain Requires Extreme Diligence,” stated among other things that “There is little water available to sustain more than 800 horses.” (Also see transcript.) Meanwhile, the BLM warned in its own Environmental Assessment that “Given the dry conditions and the expanding wild horse numbers, along with the limited perennial water sources in the Owyhee HMA, the BLM has a very strong concern that wild horses could suffer from dehydration and possible death in the Owyhee HMA this summer” to justify the disastrous July 10 roundup.

Clearly, the BLM should have taken actions (i.e. fence removal, water delivery, etc.) to mitigate any possible problems. The Tuscarora situation is a classic case whereby the BLM refuses to conduct on-the-range management and reverts to the roundup-removal practice which has already been acknowledged by the Interior Secretary to be an unsustainable practice.  In the case of the horses at Owhyee, just like the horses at Calico, the result is needless suffering and death. Thanks to this broken system, we have more wild horses in government holding facilities (36,000) than free on the range (33,000).

In addition to the BLM-created problem in Tuscarora, the BLM proceeded with using helicopters to roundup these horses in summer-desert temperatures while foals continue to be born. This means newborns and weeks-old foals and still-pregnant mares were run up to eight miles in desert heat. IDA has called for a moratorium on summer roundups and filed an administrative appeal to stop the Tuscarora roundup. We recently received the denial on the appeal and are reviewing our legal options.

We knew fighting the deeply-entrenched BLM would not be easy. We pledge to all the wild horses and burros who have lost their lives, families and freedom that we will continue to fight until these magnificent beings are truly protected and finally given their fair share of our public lands.

Stay tuned for our next action alert – another step in this long fight to bring about the change these animals deserve and need.

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services continue to systematically round up and exterminate entire flocks of resident Canada geese all over the country, IDA is calling on every one of our supporters to get involved to stop this needless killing.  In 2010, thousands of innocent Canada geese across the country have been or will be gassed to death or sent to slaughterhouses if we do not take action to stop it. Since non-lethal population control programs for resident Canada geese have proven successful throughout the country, the USDA must change course and switch to non-lethal, humane, and progressive population control.

Every person I have spoken with, whether they be in New Jersey or New York, has been outraged, horrified or saddened by the eradication of geese in their communities.  Many are sickened that the slaughter occurred despite public protest or without considering the interests of the vast number of residents who enjoy the presence of the geese in the parks. Of course, the lack of consideration of the interests of the geese themselves is even more disturbing.

IDA has produced another video highlighting the negative impacts of the USDA’s lethal course of action against geese. Click here to watch the video.

IDA encourages you to act to protect Canada geese in your community by contacting your city manager’s office to request a copy of their goose management plan.  Also, please click here to send an e-mail to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, asking him to immediately end the slaughter of Canada geese.

With the help of each and every one of IDA’s supporters, we can make a positive difference for the Canada geese who call the United States home.

IDA's Bill Dyer Leads Protesters at The Greatest Circus on Earth

History was made in Los Angeles last night. In the biggest circus demonstration the city has ever seen, 300 activists holding graphic signs and colorful banners and wearing elephant costumes and symbolic chains, encircled the Staples Center to protest the opening night of Ringling. Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The mood was electric as energized activists handed out thousands of leaflets and stickers and educated the public about the suffering of animals in circuses, where they are chained and confined to cramped cages, shipped around the country for 50 weeks a year, and cruelly trained to perform unnatural tricks.

No matter what direction circus customers approached the venue from, they had to walk a gauntlet of protesters passing out descriptive flyers and telling them of the horrors animals endure for their “entertainment.” At least two families decided not to attend after learning the truth about the animals’ miserable lives with Ringling.

A mountain of evidence against Ringling Bros. Circus, including court transcripts, videos and still images, and the testimonies of former Ringling employees, clearly demonstrates that the cruelty has been going on for years and still continues today. The most recent video depicts Ringling workers hitting elephants in the face with bullhooks before performances and whipping tigers during training.

IDA and a variety of animal protection organizations were represented at the peaceful protest, and their message was united: It’s time to end the use of animals in circuses.

Across the United States, Canada Geese are being exterminated, in horribly cruel ways.  IDA is asking: why? Besides the inhumanity of the slaughter, past experience proves that the killings will not have the desired effect.

Brooklyn, New York residents learned this past Monday that 400 Canada Geese from Prospect Park were killed by gassing, and sent to a landfill. Last summer, 1,237 geese were killed and sent to landfill from 17 sites around Brooklyn.  This year, the USDA estimates they will kill the same number.  These extermination programs do not work, since more geese come to occupy the newly available territory.

The communities call in the USDA to do the dirty work because Canada Geese are migratory birds, thus supposedly protected under the Migratory Bird Act. But we’re seeing that rather than being protected by the USDA, they need to be protected FROM the USDA!

In June, Mount Laurel Township in New Jersey contracted with the USDA to round up and gas 133 Canada Geese. See our news release on this slaughter here. The act angered local residents who were adamantly opposed to lethal control measures. Not surprisingly, the government-approved and conducted slaughter also motivated some sick individuals to begin their own extermination program.  On Sunday July 11, more than 30 geese and ducks near the same neighborhoods were found mutilated and dead or barely breathing. IDA president Scotlund Haisley and actress Elaine Hendrix addressed Mount Laurel officials at the township council meeting to pledge a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for this latest slaughter.

Click here to view a short IDA video about the Mount Laurel Canada Geese slaughter.

Amid a growing number of complaints from residents nationwide outraged over city officials authorizing the USDA to cull entire flocks of Canada geese from community lakes and parks, IDA is stepping up to empower animal advocates with the knowledge they need to stop such grossly inhumane and ultimately ineffectual programs. In addition to the terrible suffering and death each of these wild geese experience, the participating cities will have to continue intervening year after year to keep their parks geese-free.  Instead of killing Canada geese, they can embark on a non-lethal program which would produce long term benefits and is humane.

Please stay tuned for more updates on this important issue. If you have a lake or pond in your community with geese or ducks, please contact your city official to examine their management plans. If you find they are exterminating the birds, contact IDA for advice.

Photo Credit : Tiki Hywood Trust

IDA has two new “Breaking News” items featured on www.HelpElephants.com that just by chance have a common thread (besides the fact they’re about elephants), and that’s the African nation of Zimbabwe.

We reported on an elephant named Nosey, who was traumatically torn from her family and shipped to the U.S. before she was even two years old – an age at which elephant babies are still nursing and enjoying the love and protection of their mother and herd. Nosey instead was sold into the circus, where she lost everything natural to an elephant: family, room to freely roam, companionship and freedom of choice. Since 1988, Nosey has endured a life of hardship and abuse, forced to give performances and rides with trainer Hugo Liebel and the Florida State Family Circus. (Though sometimes the circus and Nosey travel under different names.) Despite the fact that elephants are highly social and require the company of other elephants, Nosey has been held alone for 22 years.

IDA sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, detailing the abuse and negligent treatment to which Nosey has been subjected for more than two decades and called on the agency to confiscate her now. Read IDA’s letter to the USDA here. While it appears that the agency is more closely monitoring Nosey’s situation, historically it has waited far too long to remove elephants who are in dire condition and suffering greatly. Our question is: How much more “monitoring” will it take to persuade the USDA that Nosey’s lengthy history of neglect and abuse will continue only as long as they allow it? You can take for action for Nosey by clicking here. You’ll find an easy click ‘n’ send letter directed at the USDA.

On a happier note, we have a great victory to report. Two elephant calves from Zimbabwe have avoided a captive fate and will remain in their native country. The government has called off a wildlife sale that would have sent two wild-caught, 18-month-old elephants, as well as giraffe, zebra, hyena, monkeys and birds, to a zoo in North Korea.

We are told that the majority of the captured animals have been released back into the wild through the efforts of wildlife groups in Zimbabwe, with the support of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. The two young elephants cannot be released immediately but will be integrated into a herd of other rescued elephants at the Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust and later released into the wild.

While many people were angered by news of the sale, it appears that the government’s intentions were to raise badly needed funds to cut critical fire-breaks in Hwange National Park, where many of the animals were caught. Reportedly, the Zimbabwean government does not intend to undertake another similar capture.

This blog may focus on elephants but I wanted to share a warm story about two young hyena who had been caught for the sale to North Korea. Though they had been confined for two weeks in a holding boma, their parents stayed near, calling for them. When it came time to free them, the youngsters were released directly into Hwange National Park and back to their waiting parents. While hyena may not appear as “warm and fuzzy” to people as baby elephants or other animals, this story shows the depth and importance of family ties to a range of species – and how easily man can destroy those relationships.

You can see photos and read more reports about the wildlife release at this link and this link.

Please be sure to thank Zimbabwe’s prime minister for stopping the export and urge him to permanently ban the capture of wild for captivity. Get more information here and send your thank-you by clicking here.

On May 24, 2010, In Defense of Animals (IDA) announced that U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman dismissed our lawsuit to stop the Calico Mountain Complex wild horse roundup on a legal technicality. As you may recall, IDA, joined by renowned ecologist Craig Downer and noted children’s author Terri Farley, filed a lawsuit against Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to stop the largest roundup of wild horses in years — the Calico Mountain Complex roundup in Nevada.

We’d like to clarify the outcome of this litigation, further explain why the judge dismissed the lawsuit, and describe why we believe that this groundbreaking case bodes very well for any future litigation.

Read the rest of this entry »