Goats at ARK 2000?

Yes, there are goats at ARK 2000, and lots of them. We "kid" you not! On the day these photos were taken more than a hundred goats were inside the Bob Barker Bear Habitat and on the hillsides near the tiger  and lion habitats. (But don't worry, the bears, tigers and lions are safely separated from the goats.) While we agree that the goats are pretty adorable, their purpose is quite serious: they are part of our comprehensive fire prevention plan.

Each year we bring in several herds of goats as a natural and environmentally friendly way to remove weeds and keep both animals and sanctuary staff safe. The goats munch away the dry vegetation, removing fuel for a potential fire, and they can reach areas where mowers and tractors cannot go. They spend months on the PAWS property, guarded by dogs like the Great Pyrenees and others. Professional goat herders set up portable perimeter fencing to contain the goats, and they monitor the animals throughout the day to assure their safety and well-being.

We also use tractors and mowers to cut firebreaks throughout the property, we've many drilled wells around the sanctuary, and we store extra water in huge towers. Several years ago, PAWS purchased its own fire truck.

Fire prevention is paramount for PAWS and is also extremely expensive. Each year we spend thousands of dollars on the equipment, fuel and man hours involved in the cutting of firebreaks, not to mention the expense we incur for the goats - nearly $40,000 per year!

Please consider making a special donation to PAWS today to help offset these important and necessary fire prevention efforts.  Thank you.

DONATE FOR FIRE PREVENTION AT ARK 2000

Guests attending the "Trunks and Tails and Bubbles and Brunch" event in Southern California last month included actress Jessy Schram (left), known for her roles on Veronica Mars, Falling Skies, Mad Men and as Cinderella/Ashley Boyd in Once Upon A Time; PAWS President Ed Stewart; and filmmaker and entertainer Katharine Kramer (right), whose father was Academy Award-winning director Stanley Kramer.

Thank you to everyone who attended the "Trunks and Tails and Bubbles and Brunch" fundraiser held at the Bistro K restaurant in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on June

Actress Jessy Schram holding one of the Ghetto Rescue Ffoundation  puppies  who was looking  for a "forever" home.

Legislation Update:

California Elephant Protection Bills

PAWS has been working hard on two key elephant protection bills in the California state legislature. We're pleased to report that each one is making significant progress, thanks to the help of Californians across the state who have called and written their elected officials in support of these critical bills.

 World Elephant Day

August 12 is World Elephant Day, a time to create awareness of the plight of African and Asian elephants, and to take action to protect these intelligent, sensitive and self-aware animals in the wild (view video of elephants in Amboseli, Kenya, above) and in captivity. Be sure to reserve this special day for an action of your own (and then keep it going!): 

• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper about the abuse of elephants used in circuses, rides and "entertainment," or about the need to stop the decimation of African elephants due to poaching.
• Support a federal ban on the sale of ivory by contacting your representatives in Washington, DC.
• If there is pending elephant protection legislation in your locale, make phone calls on August 12 to your elected officials in support.
• Is there a circus or a fair with elephant rides nearby? Organize or attend a protest. Write to event organizers and urge them to end the use of any entertainment that uses elephants or other wild animals.
• Never buy any item made of ivory or any other wildlife products.
• Avoid entertainment that includes elephants or other wild animals.
• Support organizations that work to protect elephants, their habitat, and their welfare.

The Kern County Fair in Bakersfield was the last county fair in California to offer elephant rides, but that ended earlier this month. This was not the result of a decision by the fair's board, which earlier this year had voted to continue the rides for two more years before abandoning the practice. Instead, elephant rides provider Have Trunk Will Travel opted not to sign the two-year contract offered to them. The terms of the contract are unknown at this time.

Have Trunk Will Travel - which was caught on video by Animal Defenders International violently striking elephants with bullhooks during training sessions - made specious claims about animal advocates when explaining its decision. According to Fair CEO Mike Olcott, protests at the Kern County Fair have always been peaceful.

Have Trunk Will Travel using the bullhook.

With this turn of events, California county fairs are now officially elephant-ride free!

PAWS congratulates the Kern County activists who persevered in their campaign against the elephant rides, and the League of Humane Voters-California for their efforts, all of which contributed to this important victory. PAWS is proud to have played a part by providing expert testimony before the Fair board, in addition to other support.

One of the more than 20 Zimbabwe baby elephants exported to China.

 Zimbabwe Elephant Export Update

PAWS very regrettably reports that Zimbabwe has exported more than 20 baby elephants, aged 5 to 7 years old, to Chimelong Safari Park, in Guangzhou, China, which has been described as a circus and amusement park. PAWS, joined by more than 30 scientists, conservationists, and animal care, policy and welfare professionals, appealed to Zimbabwe government officials in January, asking that the sale be stopped and the calves rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Our plea, and those of many others around the world, fell on deaf ears.

National Geographic recently published secretly obtained photos of the calves in China and reported that they are "malnourished, sunken-looking, and scarred by wounds." One eyewitness observed that all of the elephants appear to have been hurt.

Elephant families share intense social bonds, with females remaining with their mothers for life. The calves shipped to China have surely suffered extensive trauma in the separation from their mothers and families, in addition to the stress of capture, travel and incarceration. They have been sentenced to a lifetime in captivity where they will very likely develop painful captivity-caused ailments and live shortened lives. 

Zimbabwe has exported elephants to China in the past, with grim results: Of the four calves sent to Chinese zoos in 2012, only one is believed to be alive today. The young elephant, currently living at the Taiyuan Zoo, has been reported to be in extremely poor physical condition and suffering intense distress as a result of isolation. In the early 1980s, Zimbabwe exported 63 calves to the U.S. These elephants were eventually sent to zoos and circuses. Almost all of them died prematurely. One of the few surviving elephants is 33-year-old Nosey, who languishes alone in a small U.S. circus.

PAWS was encouraged that the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums issued a statement expressing "serious concern" over the capture of the elephants, their welfare, and the effect on the remaining elephant families and populations. To the best of our knowledge this is the only zoo industry organization that has publicly acknowledged the situation with a statement of concern, despite the disastrous effects of this export on the calves and the families from which they were abducted.

There can be no excuse for treating these highly intelligent and emotional animals like commodities, especially at a time when elephants are in crisis due to rampant poaching and disappearing habitat. Both Zimbabwe and China have shown complete disregard for the welfare of these elephants, and PAWS hopes that the world will rise up against any additional exports.