By any measure, Jenny has had a hard life.
As a result, Jenny is an emotionally troubled elephant and desperately needs special care that she can not get in any zoo. She suffers from prolonged bouts of crippling depression and has been known to self-mutilate. Jenny also has an extensive history of physical problems, including painful and hard to heal feet abscesses, caused by restricted movement and unnatural confinement in the zoo. This is very serious as many elephants in zoo die of foot problems.
The Elephant Sanctuary (TES) in Tennessee is uniquely suited to care for Jenny, as its sole focus is the rehabilitation of elephants like her. This 2,700 natural-habitat refuge provides 300 acres for the exclusive use its three resident African elephants and is world recognized for its expertise and experience healing troubled and ailing elephants.
Dr. Joyce Poole, regarded by many as the foremost authority on elephants, and other leading elephant scientists and experts have urged the City of Dallas to retire Jenny to TES. In an August 5, 2008 letter, Dr. Poole and her colleagues stated their expert opinion to the City as follows:
“The (Elephant) Sanctuary specializes in caring for elephants like Jenny and will provide the individualized treatment and quiet, therapeutic environment she needs…The Sanctuary will provide a permanent home for Jenny and the company of other African elephants.”
Despite overwhelming expert opinion favoring Jenny’s retirement to TES; a deluge of telephone calls, facsimiles and emails from the citizens of Dallas and the world; and considerable unflattering media coverage of Dallas, a city highly conscious of its reputation and desirous of the good opinion of the world, the Dallas Zoo refuses to retire Jenny to an accredited sanctuary. The Mayor and City Council appear to back any decision the Zoo cares to make, regardless of how capricious or lacking in concern for Jenny's welfare.
The Dallas Zoo is a member of the Maryland based Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), a zoo industry trade group, whose policy is not to transfer valuable animals, such as elephants, outside of its member zoos. Many say that the AZA seeks to establish a trade monopoly in elephants and other endangered animals and the Dallas Zoo Director is a strict adherent of that policy for career reasons.
While the City and the Zoo play politics, Jenny is languishing her life away in misery at the Dallas Zoo. We believe this is wrong. Jenny deserves and could have a better life at The Elephant Sanctuary, who has already accepted her. She could be there today if only City politics were not in the way.
Learn more about Jenny by clicking on “Jenny’s History.” Most important of all, learn how you may help her by clicking on “Take Action for Jenny.”
