Our happiest anniversary wishes to Ben, a hybrid black bear who arrived at ARK 2000 two years ago this month. Ben spent six years at Jambbas Ranch Tours in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Despite bears being naturally intelligent, active and inquisitive animals, he was confined in a barren 12' by 22' chain link and cement-floored enclosure with no opportunity to dig, climb or explore, like bears naturally would in the wild.

Ben the Bear at ARK 2000

Ben lived a miserable life. His only source of enrichment was an old bowling ball and some decrepit stumps of wood. The hard and inescapable concrete floor was damaging to his footpads, and confinement in a small enclosure led to Ben spending his waking hours repetitively pacing his cage - a sign of chronic distress.

 

After a long and hard-fought battle by PETA, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and concerned citizens, Ben was rescued from his wretched cage and transferred to ARK 2000. Little did this bear know that he was going to be transported in style! After hearing his story FedEx agreed to fly Ben across the country, dubbing his plane "Bear Force One." His transport team included PAWS' president Ed Stewart, the late wildlife veterinarian Dr. Mel Richardson, and Carney Anne Nasser, formerly with PETA and who is now working with Animal Legal Defense Fund.

 

August marked Ben the Bear's second anniversary at PAWS. In honor of the occasion his keepers gave him a special treat - a huge sunflower smothered with some of his favorite foods, including peanut butter, homemade apricot jelly and organic apple gummies.

Ben now lives on more than 1.5 acres in the Bob Barker Bear Habitat at ARK 2000, which was specifically designed for bears, with trees, grass, natural vegetation and a large pool - an environment far closer to a bear's natural habitat. When Ben was released into his new home, it was likely the first time he had ever felt grass beneath his feet. PAWS provides Ben with nutritious food and expert husbandry and veterinary care. He lives alongside black bears Sampson and Cinnamon.

In January 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture temporarily suspended Jambbas Ranch Tour's exhibitor's license, which cannot be restored until the facility is in compliance with federal Animal Welfare Act regulations. According to the facility's web site, the ranch remains closed to the general public.

Ben's anniversary is a reminder of the other bears who still suffer in horrible conditions in roadside zoos and attractions and those used for entertainment, including at county and state fairs. These bears are bred and used for display, public feeding, photo opportunities and petting sessions - all for profit. They are traumatically separated from their mothers and exposed to rough handling and abuse; some bears are cruelly declawed, causing intense pain and preventing them from engaging in natural behaviors such as digging, manipulating food and climbing. When the bears are no longer profitable they are discarded, sent from one miserable place to another. Some bears are slaughtered for their meat.

What you can do to help bears in captivity 

• Never visit a roadside zoo or attraction that confines bears. Urge family, friends and colleagues to avoid these places as well. 

• If your local fair features captive bear shows, voice your concerns to the fair organizers. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper, educating people about the suffering of bears for these shows and calling for an end to them.
  
  
• If you see bears in conditions that are causing them to suffer, file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Document what you see on video and/or photos. (For assistance contact PAWS director of science, research and advocacy, Catherine Doyle, at cdoyle@pawsweb.org.)
  
  
• Avoid pseudo-sanctuaries that offer public contact or photo sessions with bears or any other wild animals.
  
  
• "Adopt" a PAWS bear and help support their care! Cinnamon, Sampson, Boo Boo, Winston and Oma also came from dubious roadside zoos and the backyards of people who cruelly kept them as pets. For more information on adopting a bear click here . 

• Make a special "Happy Anniversary, Ben!" donation by clicking here!

L-R: Ross McCall, Fernanda Andrade and Ed Stewart

A Special Day At ARK 2000

PAWS 30th Anniversary Gala

November 8 in Los Angeles!

PAWS invites you to join us as we celebrate a very special milestone: 30 years of rescue, sanctuary care, education and advocacy. On Saturday, November 8, in Los Angeles, California, PAWS' friends and supporters from around the world will come together for an extraordinary evening of gourmet vegan food, entertainment, awards and a celebration of the important work of PAWS. Share with us our 30-year journey - and an exciting future - in changing the way the world cares about captive wildlife.

Highlights of this gala event include:

Celebrity Guests! 

Entertainment! 

PAWS' guests will be treated to a special performance by Nathalie
Gaulthier's award-winning Le PeTiT CiRqUe, an all-kid humanitarian cirque company that includes pro-level children ages 7-14 who rank among the top in the world in aerial arts, juggling, trapeze, hoops, silks, acrobatics, stilts, skateboards, contortionists and martial arts. They have mesmerized audiences around the world, selling out shows, wowing audiences, and making the impossible look easy. Described as "a pint-sized version of Cirque du Soleil meets Marcel Marceau", they combine impressive feats of agility and beauty with impressive and empowering messages. Le PeTiT CiRqUe are seven-time winners of the National Youth Award. They were also the stars of 2012's Circus PAWS in Hollywood.

 

Circus PAWS, an animal-free circus, was the dream of PAWS co-founder the late Pat Derby. In late 2011, the decision was made to make the dream a reality and the search for performers began. It was Circus PAWS producer Robert Gelman of BGA Media who first brought Nathalie and her cirque company to our attention. In a September newsletter from 2012, Pat Derby wrote: "I remember how thrilled we were when we first viewed videos of Nathalie's Le Petit Cirque. 'Sign 'em, they're wonderful!' I said, and Ed agreed. We had no idea at that time just how talented and generous these kids truly are!" We are thrilled to be welcoming them back for this very special performance. Robert Gelman will be producing the gala entertainment.

daughter of actress Karen Sharpe and the late Academy Award-winning

Kat Kramer

producer/director Stanley Kramer, one of the nation's most respected filmmakers. When speaking about her father, director Steven Spielberg once described him as an "incredibly talented visionary, and one of our great filmmakers, not just for the art and passion he put on screen, but for the impact he has made on the conscience of the world."

Ms. Kramer follows in her father's footsteps. She is the founder of Kat Kramer's Films That Change the World - showcasing motion pictures that raise awareness about important social issues, and regularly donates her time and talent by performing at charity events. Her performance for PAWS' Gala will include her moving rendition of "Bless the Beasts and the Children," from her father's landmark message-film of the same name, which she performed in Circus PAWS.

The Gala evening begins with a reception, followed by a sumptuous vegan

Roberto Gerometta and Mary Jane Espiritu-Gerometta

buffet dinner. The menu has been created by animal-loving Executive Chef and Culinary Consultant Mary Jane Espiritu-Gerometta, and Master Chef Roberto Gerometta, who are donating their considerable talents to give our guests a singular culinary experience. Chef Roberto has worked at esteemed restaurants in France, Italy and Bermuda and was featured in the PBS series, "Great Chefs of San Francisco." Chef Mary Jane, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, runs a thriving consulting practice. This culinary power couple resides in Temecula's wine country and shares their home with rescued animals.

VIEW GALA MENU HERE

Auctions! 

Special Program & Presentations! 

The evening will include a tribute to PAWS co-founder, the late Pat Derby, and an awards presentation. Most important, you'll have the opportunity to learn more about PAWS' and the elephants, tigers, lions, and other exotic animals for whom we care.

PURCHASE GALA TICKETS & TABLES

For information on special table sponsorships and prices, click here. All proceeds directly benefit PAWS and the many animals for whom we provide sanctuary and lifetime care.

For those attending the 3-day conference and Gala, PAWS is offering a special package rate. For more information, and to register for the conference, click here.

We hope you can join us in November! If you are unable to attend the gala or conference and would like to make a donation to PAWS, please click here. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the gala or conference, or wish to donate an auction item, please contact Kim Gardner at kgardner@pawsweb.org. 

PAWS 2014 International Captive Wildlife Conference Program Is Now Available!

The following is a small sampling of what's in store for participants at PAWS' 2014 International Captive Wildlife Conference. Click here to view the full 3-day conference program (check back frequently for updates).

WAR ON ELEPHANT SANCTUARIES

TOWARD LEGAL PERSONHOOD FOR NONHUMAN

ANIMALS: THE NONHUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT

Speaker: Stephen Wise, Attorney, Author and President of the Nonhuman Rights Project 

DAVID VS. THE CORPORATE GOLIATH:

MARINE MAMMALS IN ENTRTAINMENT

Speakers: Naomi Rose, Marine Mammal Scientist, Animal Welfare Institute, and featured in acclaimed documentary Blackfish; Ric O'Barry, Founder, The Dolphin Project, and featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove; Lori Marino, Founder and Executive Director, Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy. Moderator: Mark Berman, Associate Director, Earth Island Institute

NONHUMAN PRIMATES: ENTERTAINMENT,

ADVERTISING AND PETS

Speakers: Steve Ross, Lincoln Park Zoo, Director, Lester Fisher Center for the Study & Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Project ChimpCARE; Julia Galucci, Primatologist and Senior Corporate Liaison, PETA; Sarah Baeckler-Davis, Primate Sanctuary Consultant. Moderator: Chris Draper, Born Free Foundation 

THE ETHICS OF KEEPING ELEPHANTS IN CAPTIVITY

Featured speakers:

JOYCE POOLE

Elephant Research Scientist and Co-founder of ElephantVoices

Joyce Poole in live conversation on National Geographic

DAVID HANCOCKS

Author, Zoo Architect and former Director of the

Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson

and the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Australia

Global March For Elephants and Rhinos, October 4

Will You March Against Extinction?

 

Make plans now to join the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos on Saturday, October 4, and help bring global attention to the annihilation of wild elephants and rhinos for the international wildlife trade. Last year marches took place in over 40 cities and more than 15 countries. This year more than 100 cities around the world have marches planned.

 

PAWS staff and employees will be participating in both the San Francisco and Los Angeles marches. PAWS president and co-founder, Ed Stewart, will be a featured speaker at a rally in United Nation's Square following the San Francisco march; PAWS director of science, research and advocacy, Catherine Doyle, will be speaking at the Los Angeles march.

 

Poachers kill an estimated 35,000 elephants each year across Africa - just so their tusks can be carved into trinkets and expensive figurines. That's nearly 100 elephants a day, or one every 15 minutes.

 

Rhinos are poached for their horns, which are used for traditional medicinal purposes in Asia, even though the horns are made of keratin, the same protein that makes up hair and fingernails. Of the five rhino species, Sumatran and Javan rhinos are closest to extinction with populations numbering 100 or less, and Africa's black rhinos are critically endangered. While Asia's one-horned rhinos and Africa's white rhinos are greater in number, they are still at tremendous risk.

 

Unless urgent action is taken to

end the slaughter, elephants and rhinos

could disappear during our lifetime.

 

 

March With PAWS

In San Francisco Or Los Angeles!

 

Please join PAWS at 10:30 a.m. in St. Mary's Square Park in San Francisco's Chinatown district, or at 11 a.m. at the La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., in Los Angeles. If you can't be at either location, please join a march near you.

Click here for a list of cities worldwide where marches are being organized. Find information on the San Francisco march here, and the Los Angeles march here.

If you would like to organize a march in your city, send a message here.

What you can do

Contact your Senator and Representative by email and by phone, and urge them to reject this dangerous bill that threatens the very future of elephants on our planet.

To find your Representative and Senator, click here and enter your zip code. Select your senator or a representative (click on the name) and this will take you to their information page. Select "Contact Webform" In the column to the right to send a message. You will also find phone numbers there.

Born Free USA provides an informative fact sheet that you can use when creating a message or making a phone call. 

Elephant Tyke: Honolulu 2004, RIP

Moscow International Circus pledges to go animal free in Hawaii.

No circuses have performed with wild animals at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu since the death of the elephant Tyke 20 years ago this month. Tyke is an elephant who performed with Circus International. During a performance at the Center in 1994, Tyke finally could take no more abuse. She killed her trainer, injured her groomer and bolted from the Center, running through the streets for more than 30 minutes before police killed her. It took 86 bullets before Tyke pitifully collapsed and died from her wounds.

Tyke has become emblematic of the tragedy of using wild animals in circuses, so animal advocates were understandably outraged when the Moscow International Circus announced that it was going to use animals once again at the Center (though not elephants). In an outpouring of opposition, nearly 70,000 people contacted the Center, leading the circus to pledge not to use any animals in the upcoming performances.

Tyke's death inspired legislation to protect elephants in traveling shows. PAWS worked closely with Senator Sam Farr on the Captive Elephant Accident Prevention Act that would have banned the use of elephants in traveling shows and for rides. PAWS co-founder, the late Pat Derby, testified in Washington in 2000 before a House subcommittee, alongside PAWS friend and supporter Bob Barker in support of the act.