"We should have realized by now that the animals in the circus are not ambassadors for their species, but rather sideshow victims in an industry that probably doesn't need them anyway. This is a common sense issue more than an animal rights issue."

California Senator Dan McCorquodale made this statement more than 15 years ago.

A Visit From Cynthia Moss

Renowned elephant expert, Cynthia Moss, and Amboseli Trust for Elephants' (ATE) Executive Director, Betsy Swart, visited ARK 2000 following Cynthia's standing-room-only lecture at Oakland Zoo last month. This was the 16th year Oakland Zoo has hosted "Celebrating Elephants", a benefit for the Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP).

Ed Stewart and Cynthia

We were delighted to host four days of R&R for Cynthia, whose hectic schedule is usually filled with lectures and meetings about elephants and their future. Cynthia's books on wild elephant behavior have mentored the elephant program at PAWS since its inception, and Pat and Ed and staff are always delighted when she visits the elephants.

"It was lovely to sit on the hillside, under the grape arbor, with Cynthia and Betsy, and watch the elephants mudding, dusting and gorging on the new spring grass," Pat Derby stated. "Cynthia gave us an update on Amboseli research projects and filled us in on the latest news of 71 and Malugie, the two calves PAWS adopted as part of the Amboseli Trust's elephant naming program. Word is, the calves are thriving in the Amboseli. Cynthia's work is our inspiration and our hope for the future."

Pat, Cynthia and Betsy Swart

 "Visits with Cynthia always make me think about all the funds that are wasted on captive breeding programs and how those funds could be so much more effective if they were used to save elephant species by supporting projects like Amboseli Trust," Ed Stewart added. "I don't see the point in breeding elephants into captivity, sentencing them to live in limited space without family."

Kudos to Oakland Zoo for its continual support of the Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP) and other projects that benefit wild species and their habitat!

If you would like to donate, adopt, or would just like more information about ATE or AERP, click here.

Many of our supporters have written us expressing their support of Mila, the elephant who accidently killed her owner, Dr. Helen Schofield, in New Zealand on April 25 of this year.

Dr. Schofield was the owner and director of Franklin Zoo in New Zealand, and had spent two years nursing and training Mila with the hope of getting her to PAWS. Authorities and animal welfare groups in New Zealand are now working out the future for the elephant.

Born in Africa in 1973, at nine months of age Mila was captured and sent to the London Zoo. She was later transferred to Honolulu Zoo for a brief period before being sold to the Whirling Brothers Circus in New Zealand in 1978, where she remained for 30 years performing under the name of Jumbo. When the circus wanted to retire Mila, Dr. Schofield took her into the Franklin Zoo in late 2009.

Dr. Helen Schofield

Helen Schofield bought the Franklin Zoo in 2005 when it was in need of a new owner and she saw its animals wanting for better care. In addition to her many duties as owner, she was also the Zoo's veterinarian. The zoo is now in financial crisis after her death. The Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand requires the Zoo's Charitable Trust to have an accredited zoo manager and elephant program manager on staff in order for it to remain open. The Trust estimates it needs to raise $1.45 million NZ dollars. The money would go towards funding an accredited zoo operator, an elephant program manager, two more elephant keepers, a custom-built travel crate, vet care, medical testing, crate training, and transportation to her new home.

PAWS was in contact with Dr. Schofield prior to the tragic accident and discussions were underway for Mila's transfer to PAWS at some future date.

"Helen was an accomplished veterinarian and a discerning animal person despite this one terrible incident that cost her life," Pat Derby stated. "She understood the difficulties in transporting elephants and the complicated process of socialization.

Auckland, New Zealand's 3 NEWS reporter Natasha Utting, and cameraman John Flemming, visited San Andreas, CA, to find out what life would be like for Mila at ARK 2000. View news video, here.