AR-News: URGENT HELP NEEDED FOR RUBY THE ELEPHANT

[Save Ruby]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 29, 2004

CONTACT: Jane Garrison 843-343-8887

RUBY THE ELEPHANT COULD HAVE WORSE PROBLEMS THAN BEING ALONE
Elephant Trainer with Tarnished Past Brought to Knoxville Zoo to "Assist"

Knoxville, TN‹Just when it looked like things could not get worse for Ruby
the elephant (who was torn from her companion of 16 years at the Los Angles
Zoo and sent to the Knoxville Zoo where she has been isolated from the other
elephants), a trainer with a history of using corporal punishment has been
brought to the zoo to "assist" with the long overdue integration process.

The elephant trainer, Alan Roocroft, became known to the public and the
animal protection community more than 10 years ago when he used harsh
"discipline" on an African elephant named Dunda at the San Diego Wild Animal
Park. Keepers conceded they "chained Dunda by all 4 legs, pulled her to the
ground and struck her head with ax handles." This beating went on for an
extended period of time. Roocroft appears to support such abusive behavior
toward elephants as cited in his book Managing Elephants. Roocroft states,
"When corporal punishment is administered to an elephant, it has to be
fairly forcefulŠone might need to strike the elephantŠa solid blow with a
fairly heavy implement. The handling of problem elephants requires a
well-drilled teamŠa crew of at least eight, preferably ten, in order to
insure sufficient Œmuscle¹."

Jane Garrison, a well respected Elephant Specialist states, "I fear now more
than ever for Ruby¹s physical and emotional well-being and urge the zoo to
sever all ties with Alan Roocroft immediately. Ruby is not the problemŠ she
is the victim of a bad decision by the Los Angeles Zoo.  It is time that the
Knoxville and Los Angeles Zoos admit that transferring Ruby was a mistake
and allow Ruby to retire to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee where she
can roam thousands of acres with other retired elephants."

Background: Ruby the elephant was transferred to the Knoxville Zoo from the
Los Angles Zoo May 2003 despite protests from the public that it was cruel
to separate Ruby from her long time companion Gita. A taxpayer lawsuit
followed and is still pending.

For more info about the lawsuit and Ruby, visit Save Ruby,
http://www.SaveRuby.org.
For more info about The Elephant Sanctuary, visit http://www.Elephants.com

###

There is no justification for employing someone like Alan Roocroft.

Please write to the contacts below and tell them it is obviously time for
the L.A. and Knoxville zoos to finally admit that Ruby's integration has
failed. They must not try to beat her into compliance. At this point, for
the sake of Ruby's physical and mental well-being, she must be moved out of
the Knoxville Zoo. After 40 years of public service, Ruby deserves to be
retired to The Elephant Sanctuary, about a four-hour drive from the
Knoxville Zoo.

For more information on Ruby, please visit http://www.saveruby.org

PLEASE WRITE TO:

Jim Vlna, Director
Knoxville Zoo
3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive
Knoxville, Tennessee  37914
Phone: (865) 637-5331
Fax: (865) 637-1943
Email: Jvlna at knoxville-zoo.org

Knoxville News - Letters to the Editor
letters at knews.com


John Lewis, Director
Los Angeles Zoo 
5333 Zoo Drive 
Los Angeles, CA 90027-1498
Phone: (323) 644-4200
Fax: (323) 662-9786
Email: jlewis at zoo.lacity.org

Mayor James Hahn
200 North Spring Street, Room 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 978-0600
Fax: (213) 978-0656
E-mail: mayorhahn at mayor.lacity.org or jhahn at mayor.lacity.org




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