On April 8, 2005, Wanda and her companion Winky arrived at ARK 2000 followed by an entourage of devoted keepers and veterinarians from the Detroit Zoo, and a truckload of the elephants' favorite toys -- an assortment of balls, street cleaners, custom designed hay nets and plastic pipes for hiding treats.
The two prima donnas were welcomed by a bevy of reporters from across the country as they walked out of the PAWS' trailer and inspected their new home. Their exhausted keepers watched tearfully as Wanda took a spin around the barn and made a bee line for the huge Asian habitat leaving Winky, the more cautious of the two elephants, alone in the barn.
Wanda's declining health and the frigid climate in Detroit had precipitated the controversial decision by the zoo's progressive director to send the two elephants to live out their remaining years in the warm California sunshine.
Despite her chronic foot problems and arthritic joints, Wanda blossomed at ARK, befriending all the other Asian elephants with her gregarious, fun-loving personality, moving coyly between Minnie, the dominant female, and Minnie's best friend, Rebecca.
Today Wanda squeaks, chirps and rumbles with pleasure as her keepers ply her with Frosted Flakes and Fruit Loops during her twice-daily foot soaks, secure in the knowledge that she is everyone's special friend.
Winky and Minnie have passed on leaving Wanda with old friends Rebecca and Annie, and her new best friend forever, Gypsy. She continues to roam the steep hills, grazing voraciously on the new spring grass, following Gypsy to the trees for a long nap in the sun before retiring to the barn for a bout of dusting and conversation with the other "girls." Wanda is enjoying the good life and we hope it lasts for many more years.
Summit for the Elephants 2010 began with an uplifting report on the dramatic rescue of Tina and Jewel, two elephants from a traveling circus in Texas, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The difficult and dangerous confiscation of the two Asian elephants from an extremely belligerent owner signaled the continuation of USDA's stricter enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act.To learn more about Tina & Jewel's rescue, follow THIS LINK to our "News & Alerts" site.
The two and one half day conference featured speakers from zoos, animal welfare organizations, scientists, authors, university professors and sanctuaries who addressed an audience of 100 elephant lovers and advocates. Meeting in "Ned's Barn", PAWS' new bull elephant facility, the enthusiastic crowd discussed circus bans worldwide, the plight of bull elephants, progressive zoos, inferior AZA accredited facilities, enforcement of the AWA by USDA and captive elephants in range countries.
Concluding with an open forum on how to help captive elephants and develop a plan to improve their quality of life, PAWS presenters vowed to continue seeking opportunities to collaborate on important issues and eliminate the use of elephants in entertainment.
Thank you to PAWS' staff and volunteers, and to all our wonderful speakers and attendees for a very successful Summit for the Elephants!
SUMMIT FOR THE ELEPHANTS VIDEO. To view a question and answer session with Pat Derby (left), use THIS LINK.
When we first launched our "Bucks For Bulls" program, we initiated a contest to stimulate the campaign. The 10 individuals who raised the most bucks for bull elephants would receive one of the following prizes -- a "Seeing the Elephant" one-day visit (Saturdays) for 4 guests; OR 6 tickets to the "One and Only Elephant Grape Stomp (October 16, 2010); OR a Family Pass (good for up to 10 tickets) to a PAWS Open House; OR a 5-year Nicholas Adoption Package.
Since that time, our donors have funded more than 5,000 feet of bull elephant fencing at $168 per linear foot, and attracted many new "Bucks for Bulls" partners!
Congratulations to our 10 winners, and thank you to everyone who participated. Please keep up your momentum. . . we have!
Winners may contact Kim Gardner at (916) 488-3991 or email kgardner@pawsweb.org to select and make arrangements for their prize. (Prizes do not include travel arrangements or lodging.)
...we learned that when you invite a friend to join you in something you care deeply about, they are happy to lend a hand.
...we learned that even in times of economic stress, the donation of a dollar or two, will still happen.
But in truth, we knew you cared all along. Thank you to each and every person who cared enough to send in a dollar or two, cared enough to share the information with family, friends and co-workers, and most importantly, cared enough to remember a bull elephant in need.
Every time you say "charge-it!" you could be helping a PAWS animal! Sign up for the new PAWS Capital One card today and show your support with every purchase you make. Just follow THIS LINK.
If you wish to make a donation to PAWS and do not have a PayPal account, you may call our office at 209/745-2606, Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, to make a donation using your credit card.
If you have a friend, family member, neighbor or a co-worker who might be interested in hearing about PAWS, the animals in our care, our sanctuaries, and the work we do, please use the "FORWARD EMAIL" link below to send them this copy of PAWS' E-News. If you forward this email without using the "FORWARD EMAIL" link, photo links and formatting may be lost. Add PAWS to your FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter or other favorite social networking sites. Go E-Viral for PAWS!
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