PERFORMING ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY

Rescue. Advocacy. Sanctuary. For Life.

Since 1984

August 2018 | Newsletter

As the sun begins to rise at PAWS' ARK 2000 sanctuary, the silhouettes of African elephants Thika (left) and Mara can be seen on a distant hilltop.

Report From the Field:

Elephants After Dark  

By Catherine Doyle, PAWS Director of Science, Research and Advocacy

One aspect of my work at PAWS involves conducting observations of our female African elephants as part of an ongoing behavioral study. Usually I work during the day, watching the elephants from a distance for hours at a time and recording their behaviors and interactions. However, I recently had the opportunity to observe elephants Mara and Thika outside overnight. The experience was magical.

 

So how do you watch elephants at night? Well, it certainly helped to have a large, bright moon overhead that bathed the sanctuary in a silvery light and illuminated the elephants as they silently crossed their habitat. At one point Mara and Thika climbed a hill together, with the starry night sky as a backdrop. When the elephants were closer to me, they were well defined in the moonlight; once they moved away, they became large, soft shapes, though I could still discern who was who. Sometimes they wandered over the hill and I had to wait for them to come back into view.

 

Mara and Thika spent much of their time doing what elephants do: moving around their habitat foraging for and consuming food. This included hay that caregivers provided for them, as well as natural vegetation. The camaraderie between the two elephants that I’ve observed during daytime hours extended to the nighttime, with Mara and Thika remaining relatively close together as they traversed their expansive habitat. Thika often follows Mara, a behavior I also observed that night.

Around 2 a.m. the elephants began bouts of laying down to sleep, sometimes rising and laying back down again. After 3 a.m. the moon set behind the mountains that line one side of the sanctuary and it became much darker. I periodically pointed a quick flashlight beam at the elephants to confirm their behaviors (the light did not seem to bother them at all). The elephants settled in more to sleep. Thika is definitely the more heavy sleeper of the two, slumbering soundly for long stretches of time. (Mara may not have slept as much because she was watching over Thika.) As the sun began to rise the elephants stirred and were met by PAWS President Ed Stewart, who offered them fresh hay. 

African elephants Thika (left) and Mara at PAWS' ARK 2000 sanctuary.

Studies of wild elephants tell us that elephants are naturally active in mind and body for about 20 hours a day; they may sleep about four to five hours a night. This special observation of Mara and Thika reflected those innate patterns. Staying up all night was a challenge, but it was well worth this unique view of the elephants and their environs. There was a captivating beauty to the sanctuary, which was still and quiet except for the sound of chirping crickets and a barn owl calling from a perch in an oak tree. It was a joy to watch the elephants, whose skin took on a beautiful silvery shimmer as they moved through the cool night air. Importantly, this experience adds to our knowledge of the elephants and their behaviors in a sanctuary setting.

Mack the Bear Thanks You!

Thank you for helping us reach our $25,000+ goal to specially refit a habitat at ARK 2000 for Mack, the unstoppable three-legged bear! As you may remember, although Mack is missing part of his hind right leg he loves to climb just about anything – and does so extremely well. Because of your generous donations, we can get to work on making the necessary modifications that will keep Mack safe and sound in his new home. Once those are complete, Mack can make the move from the Galt sanctuary to a much larger, oak forested habitat at ARK 2000 where he can safely forage, explore and, of course, climb!

African elephants grazing on a hillside at PAWS' ARK 2000 sanctuary.

Pictured, left to right: Toka, age 48; Lulu, age 52; and Maggie, age 36.

Setting the Record Straight:

Age and Elephants in Captivity

PAWS is often asked about elephants and aging, particularly in light of the many captive institutions that too easily describe an elephant as “geriatric”, “senior”, or “old.” Sometimes, these elephants are still in their 30s or 40s – an age at which free-living female elephants would be considered to be in their prime and still reproductively active. Yet just recently two zoos used terminology to suggest that middle-aged elephants were old.

 

An Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo in New York State just announced plans to relocate its two female Asian elephants to another zoo. Although both are in their mid-thirties, the zoo has suggested that they are in their “golden years.” In supporting the move, the AZA stated that internal and external reviews found the zoo was “not the best place for the increasing health and medical needs of aging elephants.” The receiving zoo reportedly has an elephant exhibit that was designed to address the needs of “aging” elephants specifically. Another zoo in New York State recently publicized the acquisition of a dog for its elephant barn to live with the zoo’s four “elderly” African elephants. They are aged 36 to 41 years.

 

The idea that elephants are “elderly” at such young ages is likely more related to physical condition than actual age. Captivity often debilitates elephants to the point where they suffer maladies normally associated with old age. This makes it is a misnomer to say they are “aging” or “elderly." Small, unnatural enclosures that restrict the movement elephants naturally need and rigid surfaces like concrete and compressed soil contribute to deadly foot disease and arthritis – the leading causes of death for elephants in captivity. Sadly, many captive elephants die well before their time.

 

Elephants are generally considered to have a natural life span of 60-70 years. The maximum longevity for elephants (the very oldest an individual elephant has ever lived) is unknown in the wild, however, elephant ethologist and conservationist Cynthia Moss, who has been studying African elephants in the wild for more than 45 years and is director of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, writes that 70 years maximum longevity “is reasonable for African elephants in the wild.” The average longevity for African elephants in Amboseli, as reported by Moss and colleagues, is 54.4 years for females and 42.5 for males. In fact, elephants living in the Amboseli National Park are known to live into their 60s, with some females successfully giving birth to and raising offspring at that age. Asian elephants have been recorded to live into their late 70s and even 80s, so maximum longevity may be even longer for this species. This raises an important question: If captive conditions are truly enough to meet elephants’ needs, why aren’t elephants living far longer and healthier lives? Instead, elephants in captivity are dying at relatively young ages, despite daily care, veterinary interventions, and controlled diets and environments. Research indicates that female elephants living in protected populations in Asia and Africa are living longer than those in captivity in zoos.

 

Unfortunately, as long as elephants continue to be kept in captivity deceptive terminology will be used to alleviate the public’s concern about these highly intelligent and self-aware animals. That’s why PAWS will continue to raise awareness about the perils of captivity for elephants and other captive wildlife and the need to bring about change.

PAWS and Elephant Bar Restaurant Partner for World Elephant Day

In honor of World Elephant Day on August 12, PAWS partnered with the Elephant Bar Restaurant chain on a special promotion aimed at educating the public and raising funds for the care of PAWS’ eight elephants. From August 6-12, Elephant Bar matched customers' donations to PAWS with its Reward Dollars that are good at any of its locations. All seven Elephant Bar Restaurant locations participated including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Henderson, Nevada; and California locations in Burlingame, Citrus Heights, Hayward, Sacramento, and Torrance. A special raffle was also held at each location on the 12th, with all proceeds going to PAWS.

 

PAWS thanks the Elephant Bar Restaurant for partnering with us to raise awareness of the plight of elephants in the wild and in captivity, and for helping to support the care of our elephants. We are grateful to the PAWS’ volunteers who engaged with and educated restaurant customers on August 12 at six of the seven restaurant locations: Katia Bagatta, Barry Gardner, Larry Langham, Chris and Marci Christensen, Christine Gardner, and Linda Faso.

Countdown to the PAWS International Captive Wildlife Conference!

We are a little more than two months away from the PAWS International Captive Wildlife Conference! This year’s three-day conference has the theme of “Confronting Captivity” and is sure to be our best event ever. We have more than 40 amazing speakers from around the world (at least half of them new to this event), representing work for captive wild animals in countries such as Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Namibia, Serbia, South America, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and Zimbabwe.

 

What : PAWS International Captive Wildlife Conference

When : November 9-11, 2018

Where : Burbank, California (Los Angeles area)

 

This is PAWS’ largest conference and presented just once every four years.

 

Day 1 of the conference is primarily about elephants – in the wild, captivity and in sanctuaries. David Hancocks is our leadoff speaker with a presentation on zoos that you won’t want to miss! The day also includes a special presentation by Caitlin Rodwell-O’Connell about her groundbreaking studies of male African elephants.

 

Day 2 covers animal law and legislation (including updates from leading international animal protection organizations), more on elephants, captive marine mammals, and a scientific examination of captivity. The leadoff speaker is Steven Wise of the Nonhuman Rights Project which is fighting for legal recognition of personhood for chimpanzees and elephants.

 

Day 3 starts with must-see speaker Jill Robinson of Animals Asia, and includes panels on bears, big cats, and confronting captivity in the future, as well as a captivating presentation by Animals Lebanon.

 

The full conference program will be available in early September . We’ll be announcing it on social media – so keep an eye on the PAWS Facebook page and Twitter posts.

 

Conference registration is open now. Get more information on the conference and registration and view a list of speakers by clicking on the "Register Now" button below. See you in November!

 

PAWS would like to thank our sponsors to date (more sponsorship opportunities are available!): David Rubin, The Humane Society of the United States, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Alyne Fortgang, In Defense of Animals, PETA Foundation, Tigers in America and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

 

If you are interested in sponsoring the 2018 PAWS International Captive Wildlife Conference  or would like more information, please contact PAWS Director of Science, Research and Advocacy Catherine Doyle at  cdoyle@pawsweb.org .  

Program details are still in progress and speakers are still being added; a final program will be released in early September. The dates for some speakers/panels may be subject to change.

Good News for Animals

   

Kudos to the state of Illinois for passing a new law that bans the trade, sale, or possession of ivory products and rhinoceros horn. The demand for these products is driving the slaughter – and potential extinction – of elephants and rhinos for their tusks and horns that are carved into trinkets or used in traditional medicine. The U.S. is the second largest consumer of ivory in the world, so it makes a huge difference that individual states are taking action. Illinois is the ninth state to pass a ban, joining California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington. Many thanks to Representative Martin Moylan who introduced the bill and to Governor Rauner for signing it.

Thank You August 2018

Amazon Wish List Donors!

Edith L. Papp: one 5 lb. tub of Psyllium; three 10 lb. tubs of Psyllium; one gal. Red Cell; one bottle AminiAvast, 60#; three bottles of Renal Essentials, 60#; one 8 oz. bottle of EicosaDerm, 8 fl. oz. Janice M. High: one 10 lb. tub of Psyllium. Carole Bognar: three Probiocin. Stephanie Wiggins: two qts. Red Cell. Michele Grafton: one 48" shovel; one 5 lb. tub of Psyllium; one package AAA batteries, 60#; one package AA batteries, 24#. N. Pecoraro: one 8 oz. bottle EicosaDerm; one 5 lb. tub of Psyllium; five Probiocin. Ceri Joseph : one 10 lb. tub of Psyllium; one Probiocin; 3 bottles of Azodyl. Suzanne Block: one 5 lb. tub of Psyllium. Kathy McBean: one 40 lb. case of oranges. Lisa Marie Lyou: one 5 lb. tub of Psyllium; two qts. Red Cell. Miranda Biggs: one qt. Red Cell; one gal. Red Cell. Dr. Michael Strobel: 10 bottles of Emcelle Tocopherol, Vitamin E. Ruth Angela: one box of 13 gal. trash bags; one bottle of Renal Essentials, 60#; one 8 oz. bottle of EicosaDerm. Cristen Esquibel: one 8 oz. bottle of EicosaDerm; one 32 oz. bottle of EicosaDerm. Anonymous Donors: 11 Probiocin; one bag Blue Buffalo; one 10 lb. tub of Psyllium; three 32 oz. bottle EicosaDerm; three boxes of 33 gl. trash bags; one bag of Greenies Pill pockets, 60#; one box #10 window envelopes; two boxes of 42 gal. trash bags; one Probiocin; one case of copy paper; one 20 lb. tub of Psyllium; three bottles of CosequinDS, 132#; five bags of diced papaya; six bags of diced pineapple.



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