ROCKIN’ AND SWAYIN’ AND BOOZIN’ AT THE ZOO

Can someone please explain to me how opening the St. Louis Zoo grounds to the public after hours can fulfill the motto ‘ANIMALS FIRST –ALWAYS”?

DO WE KNOW IF THE ELEPHANTS LIKE MOTOWN?

On Wednesday the Zoo will one again open the grounds for ‘JAMMIN’ AT THE ZOO’ featuring free wine and beer samples and live music for a $10 admission.

Are the animals and their reaction to loud noise considered at all in the pursuit of PR AND PROFIT?

The elephants are doing plenty of ‘ROCKIN’AND SWAYIN AND PACING because they are bored out of their minds. This is a captivity induced neurotic behavior not seen in the wild, not ‘bustin’ a move’.

Because the St. Louis Zoo is a city “tradition” does not mean that it is above criticism or accountability. City and county taxpayers help fund the Zoo. With all respect, is this a center for education and conservation or a cocktail lounge?

The elephants desperately need someone to fight in their corner, to cut the spin, and expose the truth about the poverty of space available to them.  Zoos may say that space is not important – it’s the quality of care that counts.  But a lack of space leads on to all kinds of physical ailments and emotional damage.

 8 Asian elephants in 3 separate pens, on 1.5 acres of hard surfaces. Sounds like a prison yard. In fact, all eight cannot be on exhibit at once. Some must remain in their indoor concrete ‘cells’.

All things green and living are hot-wired, a fact not made clear to the visiting public.

Why can’t the elephants be allowed to use the green area now?

All elephants are exhibiting the neurotic behavior by swaying or pacing .Why is this?  If they are “getting their circulation going”, why is it necessary for them to do this?  Surely it is because they have insufficient space to exercise in even the most basic way. 

We understand that Baby Jade is “resting”, but she is now 17 months old and should be full of life and mischief. How much rest does this baby need?

Jade is seen only in the company of zoo staff, when she should be integrated and socializing with her elephant companions. Any one who has seen Jade in the last week, please raise your hand. Anyone?

This is a totally dysfunctional and unnatural existence, not a family but strangers thrown together, put in closet and told to ‘have a nice life’.

Perhaps instead of the, huge, expensive, bronze elephant statue Dr. Bonner is so excited about, it would be more appropriate for the zoo to erect one of Br’er Rabbit – who used to “Lie low and say nuffin’”

 So, on Wednesday, it will be jammin’, boozin’, swayin’, rockin’ and sayin’ nuffin’ at St. Louis Zoo. 

“People First – Always!”