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PERFORMING ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY
Rescue. Advocacy. Sanctuary. For Life.
Since 1984
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Newsletter | October 2023 | |
African elephants Lulu and Toka in their habitat at the ARK 2000 sanctuary. | |
10 Year Anniversary:
African Elephants Toka and Thika
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Talk about time flying by! This month marks 10 years since we awaited the arrival of the specially outfitted semi-trucks (pictured) carrying African elephants Toka, Thika, and the late Iringa from a North American zoo after the zoo decided to end its elephant program.
We vividly remember the excitement the elephants’ arrival caused – for humans and elephants alike. Mara, Lulu, and the late Maggie VERY loudly rumbled and trumpeted their welcomes in true elephant fashion.
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Toka (pictured), now 53 years old, is easy to identify with her long tusks. She was born in the wild and most likely lost her mother and family in a government cull before being sold to the zoo. At the sanctuary, Toka can forage as she pleases, and especially likes to strip leaves off mulberry tree branches and eat them.
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Thika (pictured), age 43, is the tallest of the elephants, notable for her long legs. Thika likes to stand alongside Mara as they both give themselves an afternoon dust bath.
For these elephants, life at the ARK 2000 sanctuary was something entirely new. They are free to roam the soft rolling hills of their spacious habitats, forage on fresh vegetation, explore, and splash and roll in self-made mud holes.
They also made clear their social preferences. Toka joined Lulu and the late Maggie, who passed away in 2021. Toka and Lulu remain very close to one another. Thika paired with Mara, whom she follows around like an enthusiastic little sister.
Thika and Toka are a much loved part of our elephant family at PAWS and we are honored to care for them.
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Above: Best friends Mara and Thika. | |
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Happy Birthday Thika!
Thika (pictured above) was born on October 18, 1980. We are celebrating her 43rd birthday this month! Of our four African elephants, she is the only one who was captive born.
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Ben searches for acorns in his habitat at ARK 2000. | |
As part of our Year of the Bear campaign, PAWS is drawing attention to an animal that deserves more of our respect and protection in the wild and in captivity. Each month, we provide interesting and sometimes little-known facts about bears – as well as information about their exploitation in captivity.
For Octo-BEAR, we are featuring the harrowing story of Ben the bear’s rescue.
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Ben was displayed in a decrepit roadside zoo in North Carolina where he was kept in a tiny, barren cage (pictured). His only “enrichment” was a bowling ball and a few pieces of rotting wood. He was fed dog kibble thrown onto the same floor where he urinated and defecated.
Although bears naturally roam home ranges of 50 square miles or more, Ben’s cage was about the size of a one-car garage. Out of sheer boredom and frustration, he constantly paced back and forth or gnawed on the chain-link fencing.
Thanks to local citizens and a lawsuit brought by the PETA Foundation and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, PAWS was able to rescue Ben from this hell hole. But we had just one day to get him out of a cage that was welded shut. Obviously, Ben was never meant to leave that cage alive.
All day long our team was harassed by a threatening group of men. As the flight cage was set up, one of them said, “Why don’t we just shoot this bear instead of letting him go to California?” We worked faster.
Finally, Ben was secure in his flight container and on his way to California, courtesy of Federal Express. The pilots dubbed the plane “Bear Force One.”
That was 11 years ago.
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Thanks to people like you, Ben has a comfortable life swimming in his pool and roaming among the trees and bushes in his spacious home in the Bob Barker Bear Habitat at PAWS. This time of year, he’ll be busy foraging for tasty acorns.
On behalf of Ben, thank you for your support!
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Visit our Take the Pledge for Bears page where you’ll find information about bears in captivity and how you can help them. You can also sign our petition to stop bear cub petting operations that exploit baby bears for profit.
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PAWS Featured in New “Defending Animals” Book | |
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Defending Animals: Finding Hope on the Front Lines of Animal Protection is a new book by Kendra Coulter, a professor and fellow of the Oxford Center for Animal Ethics. In it, she writes about a wide variety of individuals and animal welfare organizations to illustrate how challenging protecting animals, both domesticated and wild, can be.
PAWS is proud that the book includes an informative interview with PAWS Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Jackie Gai, in which she discusses why sanctuaries like PAWS are essential and how these refuges are places of peace for rescued and retired wild animals.
Dr. Gai relates the touching story of African elephant Lulu and her incredible transformation at PAWS: from being fearful of other elephants to the confident and outgoing elephant she is today. Dr. Gai also highlights that care is only one way that PAWS helps captive wildlife, and stresses the importance of advocacy work.
Much thanks for Professor Coulter for not only highlighting the importance of work being done for animals, but also calling for new or better approaches to work for a more humane future.
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THANK YOU!
October Amazon Wish List Donors:
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Cindy Klein Anderson: one Floor Cleaning System plus supplies for Pat Derby Animal Wellness Center. N. Gordon: two 8 lb. tubs of flax seed. Ellie Bryant: one 8 oz. bottle of EicosaDerm. M. Reese (In memory of Mary McDonald: one 8 lb. tub of flax seed. Louis Boitano: one set of Midland Radios. Cindy Wines: one 8 oz. bottle of EicosaDerm. Marissa and Tim Eng: one 5 lb. tub of Biotin 100. Darlene Murchison: three 3 lb. bags of walnuts; six Probiocin; four 2.5 lb. tubs of Biotin 100. Janice Bartlett: one bottle of EicosaDerm. DeAnna Burke: one 3 lb. bag of walnuts; one 1 lb. bag of blueberries; one 2.5 lb. tub of Biotin 100. Barbara Cross: one 8 lb. tub of flax seed; one 2.5 lb. tub of Biotin 100. Joyce E. Hodel: one set of Midland radios; one 32 oz. bottle of EicosaDerm. Anonymous Donors: one bottle of AminAvast, 60#; one 8 lb. tub of flax seed. | |
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We have chosen specific items that are needed at the sanctuary, which you can purchase directly from Amazon. We have an ongoing need for many of the products listed. Click here to review the items and donate.
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PAWS provides lifetime care to the tigers, bears, elephants, and other animals who call our sanctuary home. Your kind support provides expert daily care, necessary veterinary treatments, and specialized nutritional support, all tailored to the individual needs of each animal. Your gifts make this excellent care possible. | |
There are many ways you can help PAWS animals: | |
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Donate. Although we work closely with regulatory agencies on animal rescues, PAWS receives no government funding and must rely on your donations to continue our work. When you make a contribution for the wild animals at PAWS, it is unlike any other. How many people can say they’ve gifted elephants with spacious rolling hills and a more natural life, or made a present of a lush, tree-filled habitat for a tiger? Or given a bear a new chance at life? And you ensure we are prepared for the next wild animal in dire need of rescue. Three ways to give and every donation matters.
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PAWS is proud of its 4-star rating with Charity Navigator - the highest rating possible. We are part of an elite group of charities with an "exceptional" designation (at least four consecutive years of 4-star ratings), meaning that your gift will have the greatest impact possible. CharityWatch gives PAWS an "A" rating.
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Give to one of PAWS' ongoing MightyCause campaigns: Our "Dollars for Dirt" or "Give BIG for PAWS' Elephants" fundraisers for the elephants, like Prince (pictured), or our "Help Captive Tigers" fundraiser to benefit the rescued tigers living at our ARK 2000 sanctuary.
Adopt A PAWS Animal. If you would like to help our animals, one of the best ways is to become an "adoptive parent," or give a PAWS adoption as a gift to an animal lover in your life. PAWS adoptions are symbolic adoptions only. No animal will be sent! Learn more
PAWS Partnerships. Help us change the life of a victim of captivity by becoming a PAWS Partner. PAWS partnerships help support our sanctuary operations and the day-to-day care of the animals. Learn more
Estates/Planned Giving. You can help us make sure captive wildlife in need of shelter will always have PAWS' sanctuary to call home! Learn more
Corporate Donations and Matching Fund Programs. Learn more about what is needed.
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Purchase PAWS apparel and merchandise. Clothing for adults, kids, toddlers and infants, as well as other fun merchandise like notecards and coffee mugs - available from our CafePress online gift shop.
PAWS Amazon Wish List. We have chosen specific items that are needed at the sanctuary, which you can purchase directly from Amazon. Many items are ongoing. The list is always current! View here.
EBAY Giving Works. Visit PAWS eBay page to view our current listings and to bid. List your items on EBAY and choose PAWS as your charity. Donate a percentage of each sale to the animals. Visit our EBAY charity listing page here. Start selling or buying!
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Shop online through IGive and raise money for PAWS! Up to 26% of your purchase - at more than 1,600 retailers - can be donated to PAWS. Learn more
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