Date
June 6th, 2005

Contact
Catherine Doyle
(310) 903-9293

Marilie Sage
(915) 526-3697


In Defense of Animals
131 Camino Alto
Mill Valley
CA 94941

IDA is an international, California-based animal advocacy organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by defending their rights, welfare and habitats.

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Elephants’ Health Problems Highlight Need for Sanctuary
Activists Release Unseen Medical Records While Experts Ask City Council to Place Elephants’ Well-Being Above Business Interests

El Paso, Texas — Two former zoo professionals, a curator and a zookeeper with nearly fifty years of combined experience, and an American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) member, will urge El Paso City Council members to vote in favor of sending Juno and Savannah, the elephants at El Paso Zoo, to a permanent home at a sanctuary. Elephant friends will reveal medical records highlighting illnesses that plague captive elephants on the eve of the City Council meeting:

Where: El Paso Zoo’s Main Entrance
When: Monday, June 6, 5:30-7:00 p.m.

The following former zoo professionals and advocates will be available to answer questions about the inability of zoos to provide the space, social network and quality of life for elephants available at The Elephant Sanctuary.

  • Les Schobert is a retired 30 year zoo professional and was the curator of animals for the Los Angeles and North Carolina Zoos.
  • Gretchen Kneeter is a retired 17 year zoo professional and worked with a variety of animals including elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo.
  • Catherine Doyle is a spokesperson for In Defense of Animals and is a student of animal behavior and a teacher of humane education.
  • Jane Poss and Marilie Sage are the co-founders of Concerned Citizens for Savannah and Juno.

Juno’s records indicate she has suffered from digestive disorders, foot abscess, and obesity which increases stress on her joints and feet and can lead to arthritis and often-lethal foot ailments. Earlier this year, Juno suffered an unexplained laceration to her trunk not inconsistent with misuse of a bullhook. Savannah suffers from arthritis, abscesses, and captivity-induced foot problems. Both elephants show extreme repetitive behaviors such as rocking and swaying, an indication of stress and boredom.

“Access to soft ground and varied terrain at a sanctuary can actually improve serious foot problems and the effects of decades spent in cramped zoo exhibits,” says Les Schobert, former L.A. Zoo curator. “The El Paso Zoo must follow the lead of Detroit and San Francisco zoos and transfer Savannah and Juno to a sanctuary where they can enjoy relative freedom on hundreds of acres in a naturalistic habitat.”

Copies of Juno and Savannah’s medical records and statements from world renowned animal experts with 200+ years of combined experience in elephant care and zoo management, including Keith Lindsay, Gay Bradshaw, John Freeze, and author and zoo veterinarian Dr. Michael Schmidt in support of sending Juno and Savannah to a sanctuary are available.

Please visit savezooelephants.com for more information.