For Immediate Release:
October 7, 2005
Contact:
Lisa Wathne 757-622-7382
Philadelphia, Pa.--- This morning, PETA sent an urgent letter to Dr. Elizabeth Goldentyer, regional director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) animal care division, urging her to launch an investigation into the medical condition of Dulary, a 41-year-old Asian elephant who was attacked and injured by an African elephant with whom she was housed at the Philadelphia Zoo. It has recently come to light that Dulary sustained an injury to or near her eye during an altercation with one of the zoo’s three African elephants in August. Dulary has not been allowed outside the barn since the attack, for which she reportedly underwent surgery.
PETA has also asked Goldentyer to recommend that the zoo relocate all its elephants to a sanctuary that would afford them hundreds of acres of lush habitat and companionship, something that elephants crave.
PETA points out that the zoo may have violated the federal Animal Welfare Act, which prohibits caging incompatible animals together.
PETA is supporting the efforts of Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants, which has been trying to persuade zoo officials to retire Dulary to the spacious Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. The group will hold a protest at the zoo on Sunday, October 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"By keeping her in prolonged isolation, the Philadelphia Zoo is depriving Dulary of two of the most basic needs of all elephants
—space and companionship," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "If zoo officials care about her, all they have to do is let her go to a sanctuary where she can live out her life peacefully and among friends."
For more information, please visit PETA’s Web site SaveWildElephants.com.
PETA’s letter to Dr. Elizabeth Goldentyer follows.
October 7, 2005
Dr. Elizabeth Goldentyer, Regional Director
USDA/APHIS/AC
920 Main Campus Dr., Ste. 200, Unit 3040
Raleigh, NC 27606
Dear Dr. Goldentyer:
Please consider this letter an official request for the USDA to investigate the condition of an elephant who reportedly sustained an injury at the Philadelphia Zoo (license # 23-C-0004).
According to a zoogoer, a 40-year-old female Asian elephant named Dulary sustained an injury near one of her eyes during an altercation with one of the zoo’s African elephants in late August. Since then, Dulary has not been allowed outside the barn, and the condition of her injury remains unknown—we only know that it reportedly required surgery.
The Philadelphia Zoo has a serious problem. It is a violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to cage together incompatible animals, which apparently led to Dulary’s injury. It is also not in Dulary’s best interests to be denied the companionship of other female elephants. Elephants are not naturally aggressive toward one another, but lack of sufficient space in traditional zoo exhibits can and does lead to social disharmony and other forms of aberrant behavior. The AWA states, "Inadequate space may be indicated by evidence of malnutrition, poor condition, debility, stress, or abnormal behavior patterns."
Please ensure that Dulary is receiving adequate veterinary care and encourage the zoo to relocate its elephants to a sanctuary that can meet their fundamental need for space. I look forward to learning of the USDA’s actions. If you have any questions pertaining to any aspect of this request, please call me at 757-622-7382.
Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to receiving your reply.
Sincerely,
Nicole Meyer, Elephant Specialist
Captive Exotic Animals Department
photo copyright The Elephant Sanctuary