U.S. Zoos Win – Wild Elephants Lose
Appeals Court Declines to Stop Shipment of Young African Elephants from Swaziland
Elephants taken from wild to be confined to small enclosures forever

STATEMENT OF THE SAVE WILD ELEPHANTS COALITION

WASHINGTON – Today the United States District Court of Appeals denied an emergency appeal for a temporary stay to prevent the San Diego Zoo and Lowry Park Zoo of Tampa, FL from immediately importing eleven wild African elephants from their homes in Swaziland. The members of the Save Wild Elephants Coalition, including Born Free USA, Born Free Foundation, The Elephant Alliance, the Elephant Sanctuary, In Defense of Animals, Animal Protection Institute, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Animal Welfare Institute, San Diego Animal Advocates, Animal Legal Defense Fund, and others are saddened by the fate that awaits the young elephants, two of whom are pregnant. The elephants will be taken from their home in Swaziland, where they have lived on more than 7,000 acres and will now be confined to 2-2.5 acre lots in San Diego and Tampa.

This importation sets a dangerous precedent and opens the floodgates for the importation of threatened species that are protected by national and international laws and treaties. Leading wild African elephant researchers and habitat experts, including Cynthia Moss, Joyce Poole, Keith Lindsey and others, have condemned the import of these elephants – highlighting the devastating consequences this import will have on the individual elephants, on those left behind in Swaziland, and on African elephants in general.

The zoos denied the commercial nature of this transaction by claiming an educational/conservation purpose to the import, but their own data do not back up their contentions about the value of zoos in the conservation realm.

Elephants in captivity do not breed well probably due to the stress and health problems associated with captivity. As a result, zoos and circuses will continue to want to get elephants from the wild to support their businesses.

If the San Diego Animal Wild Park and Lowery Zoo were truly interested in conservation and education they would have provided funding to support the purchase of fencing for Swaziland that would have expanded the elephants range and allowed the elephants to stay with their families in the wild. Sadly, the zoos put their financial interests before the welfare of these youg elephants. 

The Save Wild Elephant Coalition is dedicated to educating the public about the plight of the Swazi elephants and other exotic animals in captivity. While this battle was lost, the fight to keep wild animals in the wild continues.

For more information about the history of this case and what you can do to help, please visit: http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/elephants/sdzoo.html.

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In Defense of Animals, located in Mill Valley, CA, is a national, animal protection organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare.