Activists Applaud Transfer of Elephant to Sanctuary
Move Puts Elephants' Best Interests Ahead of Commercial, Zoo-Industry Concerns

San Francisco -- IDA and Citizens For Cruelty-Free Entertainment today are hailing the move of Tinkerbelle, the 38-year-old Asian elephant who lived for the past 37-years in the small, unhealthy enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo, to the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary in San Andreas, Calif. 

With this move, the San Francisco Zoological Society, which contracts with the city to operate the public Zoo, has fulfilled the intention of the city and the public to improve the quality of life for the Zoo's two surviving elephants, Tinkerbelle and Lulu. Acting on public outcry following the deaths of two elephants earlier this year at the Zoo, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in June unanimously passed a resolution urging the Zoological Society to send the long-suffering elephants to the PAWS sanctuary. Lulu, the Zoo's remaining elephant, is still awaiting transfer to PAWS, a move that is scheduled to take place by the end of December.

"We are pleased to have played a part in getting Tinkerbelle to the PAWS sanctuary where she will have free access to dozens of acres of naturalistic habitat, which is necessary for her well being," said Elliot Katz, DVM, president of IDA, which has worked for months to ensure the transfers. "Tinkerbelle suffers terribly from arthritis and foot and joint problems caused by the grossly substandard conditions at the San Francisco Zoo. We just hope it isn't too late for Tinkerbelle to enjoy many years at PAWS, and we look forward to the transfer of Lulu as well."

The premature elephant deaths at the Zoo this year were related to health problems associated with lack of adequate space necessary to accommodate the needs of Earth's largest land mammals, who naturally travel tens of miles per day in the wild. Constant movement of elephants is essential for their psychological and physical well being. Elephants in zoos die on average at 34 years, half their natural lifespan of 70 years.

The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), a zoo industry trade group, has threatened to revoke the San Francisco Zoo's accreditation for overriding an AZA directive to send the publicly-"owned" elephants to other zoos, instead of the PAWS sanctuary. Despite threats of loss of AZA accreditation, Detroit Zoo Director Ron Kagan has maintained that he will put the well being of the two Detroit Zoo elephants, Wanda and Winky, first by sending them to the sanctuary.

The San Francisco Zoo has a history of elephants dying prematurely at the Zoo: on April 2, 1995 Penny was euthanized at the age of 41; on March 7, 2004, Calle was euthanized at 37; and on April 22, 2004, Maybelle died at 43.