Groups Aim to Stop Transport of Babies to Six Flags Marine WorldIn Defense of Animals Claims Unprecedented Victory

Washington, DC – Invoking the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a coalition of animal protection organizations and elephant advocates has filed a federal lawsuit to block the import of two endangered baby Asian elephants from India to the Six Flags Marine World amusement park in Vallejo, California.

The suit, filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, aims to overturn a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decision to grant Marine World the permits necessary to ship the endangered elephants from India to the Northern California roller coaster theme park. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are In Defense of Animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Animal Protection Institute, The Elephant Alliance, the Elephant Sanctuary and two private citizens who regularly travel to India to photograph and study wild elephants. The suit is available on the web at http://www.idausa.org/fws/lawsuit.htm

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed its stamp of approval on an amusement park’s attempt to exploit an endangered species. The decision sets a dangerous precedent that could open a pipeline for the import of endangered elephants from their native countries for commercial exploitation by theme parks, zoos, and circuses,” said Katherine Meyer, the lead attorney handling the case at the Washington, DC public interest law firm Meyer & Glitzenstein.

In March 2002, the FWS rejected Marine World’s permit application, finding, “The issuance of this permit could have an indirect negative effect on the wild populations in the form of encouragement in trade of the species. This particular permit could convince the range country that there is a commercial market for its endangered species.” The FWS also found that the Marine World “research” proposal, which involves artificial insemination of the female elephants when they reached breeding age, would provide no benefits to the conservation of wild elephant herds in India.

Six months later, after Marine World had applied for reconsideration, FWS reversed itself, despite failing to receive essential information from Six Flags and India regarding the legality of the proposed import. On September 9, the agency granted the import permit.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to issue this permit violates the Endangered Species Act and international CITES regulations, undermines international elephant conservation efforts, and has enormous and ominous consequences for international trade in this extremely endangered species,” concluded Meyer. “We are hopeful that the Court will vacate this decision and uphold crucial national and international protections for endangered species.”