- KPTV
UPDATED WITH STATEMENTS FROM OREGON ZOO’S PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW
I’m sure the Oregon Zoo meant to let us in on the fact the baby elephant they’ve been crowing about for the past few days might not actually stay. I’m sure they were just waiting for the conversation to lead to a natural segue about how, before she was even born, the elephant was promised to an entertainment company that will charge willing customers up to $500 bucks to clamber onto this elephant’s back and ride it in circles for a couple minutes before the next yokel in line forks his cash over. Unfortunately, those negative nancies at the Seattle Times somehow managed to beat them to breaking that news.
It’s completely possible they made sure to mention Rose Tu’s bonding with the child as super-important and a positive step in her growth as a mother, they just weren’t all too sure as to how they were going to tie that to the fact it doesn’t matter that she didn’t boot this squalling fruit of her elephantine loins across the zoo like she did the last baby, because in a month, Have Trunk Will Travel will, if it so wishes, just swing by and take this 300lb lump of cuteness off Portland’s hands.
In fact, it’s all the more cruel that the baby she seems to care about is the one she might not get to keep, and the stupidly symbolic, overly-earnest baby names chosen for Portland to vote on won’t matter because should Have Trunk Will Travel choose to keep the baby, they could just call it Lil Tusko, after her gigolo father who was rented out to the Zoo as part of a deal: Impregnate Rose Tu, and Have Trunk Will Travel gets the rights to the even numbered babies successfully birthed into captivity.
Have Trunk Will Travel is a company, by the way, known for its use of chains and bullhooks to train the elephants, has come under criticism for offering elephant rides at regional fairs, and is trying to break into the lucrative “Elephant Rides as a Vital Part of your Wedding Reception” market.
I’m sure the Oregon Zoo meant to bring all this up at some point before now. But I guess a hastily called press conference will have to do.
UPDATE: Kim Smith, executive director of the Oregon Zoo confirms the agreement between Have Trunk Will Travel as reported in the Seattle Times, calls it a standard breeding agreement, representative of most agreements in the industry, and says that it’s completely transparent and has been previously reported upon in the media. Says that the baby was always intended to stay in the zoo, and thanks to the really strong relationship with Have Trunk Will Travel, they believe there’s no intent on Have Trunk’s behalf to reclaim the elephant, nor was there ever any intent to remove the elephant from the Zoo. They are currently in negotiations to assume ownership of the animal, negotiations that may or may not involve monetary compensation depending on how they move forward, and Smith reiterates multiple times that “This isn’t really a big deal,” even though she refused multiple chances to say whether there’s a guarantee from Have Trunk that they will not exercise their right to take the animal.
Are you shitting me!?! Oh no!! They should have hell to pay over this!!! If this actually happens our trips to the Oregon zoo may be over. WTH!?
Don’t miss the Seattle Times’ earlier reporting about how the Association of Zoos & Aquariums is so desperate for more elephants bred in captivity that they take retributive action against zoos who send animals to (non-breeding) sanctuaries:
http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2…
I think it misses the point to simply feel outraged about whether or not we get to keep the baby elephant.
Also, there’s still no comment from the Zoo about its plan to open a downtown food cart called “Penguinburger.”
Whoa. This is especially sad given that young female elephants ideally stay with their moms (and extended family of aunties and girl-pals) for their whole lives. And Rose-Tu seemed to bond with her daughter much more quickly than with Samudra (though mom & son appear well bonded now).
Good for the Seattle Times on breaking this (click on some of their ads!). I wonder if the zoo spokesperson that the Times initially contacted genuinely didn’t even know about this agreement, because it seems so crazy. Such a contract — allowing calves to potentially be removed after a month!! — is obviously bad for baby elephants, not to mention a terrible public-relations situation for the zoo. Hopefully the media frenzy will prompt the zoo to do whatever it can to keep the new little one with her mom long-term.
That’s horrible!
OH, SHE’LL NEVER FORGET THIS.
I’m just annoyed that they say the elephant will stay at the zoo due to a “really strong relationship” with Have Trunk Will Travel, even if there is nothing (apparently) in writing saying this is the case.
As I said on the Facebook page, who here has had a great relationship with another business, only to have it go south once there is a management/ownership change? Their sudden “new vision” might not be “your vision.”
I used to feel 🙂
Now I’m all : /
If y’all want to learn more about zoos and elephants and shit, this book is pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Story-Life-Garde…
Time for Tofu von Buzzkill’s friendly reminder:
One baby elephant is born, and we’re all deeply concerned about its well-being. However: in this country alone, 25+ billion turkeys, chickens, pigs and cows are born, raised and slaughtered in utterly ghastly conditions every single year.
We all care about the elephant, but only about 1% of people seem to actively give a shit about the other 24,999,999,999+.
What’s the moral difference between a baby elephant and a calf or a piglet again?
I’m with CC!! Let’s EAT that little fucker!
Wasn’t this the plot to Dumbo?
Commenty, I’m kind of with you on this. But one big difference is Asian elephants are endangered. Cows, pigs and chickens are far from it (thanks in large part to human breeding for food, of course).
I’d be interested in how many people who “give a shit” about non-elephant animals would also object to the elephant being in a zoo at all. I mean, elephants roam up to 50 miles a day in their natural habitat. How is the Oregon Zoo living up to that? Should we be celebrating these 300-pound “miracles” at all when they are confined to life in a veritable prison?
@ERN, How many of the jillion people on here or Facebook have any idea the Asian elephant is endangered? They like the baby elephant and are concerned about it because it is legitimately fucking adorable, end of story.
Most would agree that baby cows, baby ducks, baby geese, baby chicks, baby goats, and baby pigs are all really fucking cute, too.*
Just because we can come up with plausible post-hoc rationalizations doesn’t mean we aren’t starting from ludicrous double-standards.
* Baby turkeys are probably pretty gross.
Why don’t we just have animal auditions. Line ‘em up one by one and interview them individually.
‘What are you?’
‘I’m an otter.’
‘And what do you do?’
‘I swim around on my back and do cute little human things with my hands!’
‘You’re free to go . . . .And what are you?’
‘I’m a cow.’
‘Get in the fucking truck, okay, pal?’
‘But I’m an animal!’
‘You’re a baseball glove! Get on that truck!’
D. Leary