Help Send Philly Zoo Elephants to Sanctuary

We, the undersigned, urge the Mayor and Philadelphia City Council to take action to transfer the four elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo Dulary, Petal, Kallie and Bette - to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Currently the Zoo is promoting a misguided plan that would spend millions of tax dollars to try to accommodate the elephants at the Zoo. The Zoos 42-acre property is physically unable to adequately provide for the worlds largest mammals who need vast space to roam in order to keep healthy (psychologically and physically).

In the wild, elephants can travel up to 30 miles per day and this freedom of and constant movement is essential for good health. There are 640 acres in just one mile. It is scientifically documented that captivity and the lack of space in zoos creates health problems in elephants that include psychological problems and physical problems which inevitably cause elephants in captivity to die prematurely. The confinement in zoos has also lead to serious reproductive problems and high infant mortality.

The elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo have spent virtually their entire lives confined in zoos (after being taken from their mothers and families in the wild, specifically for the zoo-display/entertainment industry).

Despite repeated requests, as of September 2005, the Philadelphia Zoo has not allowed public access to the elephants' medical records so it is impossible to know if any or all of the elephants suffer from common captivity-induced ailments such as foot and joint problems, arthritis, lameness and foot abscesses.

The Elephant Sanctuary offers hundreds of acres of natural habitat and expertise in and a successful history of healing and restoring quality of life to elephants debilitated from years of captivity. By sending the elephants to The Elephant Sanctuary the Zoo will free up needed resources and space in order to better provide for the other 1600 animals who currently live at the Zoo.

We trust that you share our concerns and will take action to expedite their release to the Sanctuary.

Thank you.