Sanctuary

An elephant who has been held captive in a zoo or circus setting

can never be returned to the wild.  Most have been in captivity for years,

even decades, and many were born into this life.  Those who care about the fates

of these beautiful animals can only work to have them transferred to a

genuine sanctuary.  It is hoped that these elephants, who have for so long endured

confinement, neglect, and/or abuse, can at the very least finish out their lives

in as natural and wild a setting as possible.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee

www.elephants.com

and

The Performing Animal Welfare Society in California

www.pawsweb.org

are two such settings.

ARCHIVE OF CONCERNS FOR CLARA

New statement from "The Elephant Sanctuary" (www.elephants.com):
In response to the many concerned individuals who feel that Clara, an elephant with failing health living at the St. Louis Zoo, should be moved to The Elephant Sanctuary, we, the Sanctuary caregivers, would like to comment. Although it would be our greatest pleasure to accept Clara into our family, her deteriorating health suggests that she does not have long to live. The zoo has shown no interest in moving Clara to the Sanctuary and even if they did, we feel such a decision would have been made too late to help Clara. It is our opinion that the best that can be done for Clara at this time is to support her with the best care available at the zoo to make her passing as pain free as possible. Indeed we would like to be able to bring Clara to the Sanctuary and return her to good health but realistically that is not possible; Clara’s condition cannot be reversed. Please help the zoo provide a caring and healthful environment in which Clara can pass pain free, knowing she is loved and respected.

New Statement from clarasvoice.org:
There have been concerns about moving Clara to sanctuary. No independent vet has examined her. Without detailed knowledge of her exact condition no one can know if she would survive the trip. It may be too late for Clara. We will not give up on Pearl. When Clara dies Pearl will be so alone. We are not giving up on Clara either. The St. Louis Zoo needs to be held accountable for Clara's 50 years there and allowing her to exist in this apparently miserable condition. Unless major changes are made for the elephants those that remain risk a similar fate. The two new babies are of great concern. PLEASE SEND CLARA YOUR LOVE AND LIGHT. AND DON'T STOP WRITING AND CALLING. THE FINAL CHAPTER HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN

for my friend Clara.