- Target:
- Mr. William Foster, CEO Birmingham Zoo, Inc.
- Region:
- GLOBAL
- Website:
- www.alabamawildlifeadvocates.org
The 'Retire Birmingham Zoo's Mona to a Sanctuary' Petition was an important tool in raising awareness of the cruelty experienced by captive elephants held in American zoos.
Mona spent more than fifty years entertaining the Birmingham public. And, in the end, she was not allowed her well deserved retirement to a sanctuary.
Our beloved Mona is gone, her life taken by the Birmingham zoo.
She is, finally, at peace. No more pain from standing on concrete and hard-packed dirt, no more solitary confinement for this highly social creature, no more maddening boredom for her highly intelligent mind, no more processed food instead of live vegetation, and no more doing tricks for the public.
But, she will NEVER be forgotten.
She will forever serve as a reminder, that the Birmingham zoo does NOT have: the appropriate amount of space for even a single elephant, or an enclosure that can meet the physical needs of an elephant. Her sad captivity shows the zoo's failure to recognize the science that mandates the needs of captive elephants. Mr. Foster's refusal to accept The Elephant Sanctuary's open invitation for Mona, reflects the zoo's lack of ccompassion, putting their gate receipts before the wellfare of captive animals.
Alabama Wildlife Advocates' efforts will certainly not end here. In honor of Mona, we will continue our efforts to improve the lives of captive wildlife in Alabama.
Our heartfelt 'thank you' to each person that signed this petition, and shared the link with others.
There is much work for animals still to be done.
And, we will do it with Mona as our guardian angel.
Namaste
Victoria Nichols
Founding Director
Alabama Wildlife Advocates
On January 31, 2005, fifty-five year old Susie, a female Asian elephant, died at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama.
Susie's death leaves Mona, her companion of 48 years, completely alone. Mona was captured in the wild in 1951. After being taken from her family and homeland, she has spent the last five decades on public display with little space - her exhibit a sliver of land wedged between the rhino and hippo enclosures.
In the wild, elephants walk an average of 25-30 miles each day. Mona has been held captive in a concrete and metal fenced enclosure for 50 years. She is now 54 years old.
Mona has dutifully served her time, and now, the zoo community can give her the one thing that she deserves: retirement to a sanctuary.
With the potential of a 70-year lifespan, Mona would have the opportunity to rediscover and enjoy all that she has missed, including roaming freely on thousands of acres of rolling pastures, foraging for fresh grass, swimming in natural ponds and streams, and making lots of new friends.
The Birmingham Zoo has been nonresponsive to an offer from The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, to take in Mona.
We must compel Dr. Foster, CEO of Birmingham Zoo, Inc., to release Mona to a sanctuary!
And, REMEMBER: Mona was NOT captive-born. She was born in the wild and taken away from her family.
UPDATE 04/02/06:
Mona continues to pace, and she continues to be alone for over a year now.
The Elephant Sanctuary is less than five hours from Birmingham. It is hard to belive that the possibility of her new life is so close, and yet so far.
PLEASE go to our web site, find the email addresses for the Birmingham City Council; use your voice for Mona!
UPDATE 01/14/07:
Please visit Mona's blog, and share the link with others:
http://freemona.blogspot.com
UPDATE 06/30/07:
MONA WAS EUTHANIZED BY THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO ON THURSDAY, JUNE 21ST.
We are, all, devastated.
We recommend donations to The Elephant Sanctuary [www.elephants.com] in Mona's name.
(This petition will be removed on July 15, 2007.)
Namaste
We, the undersigned, compel Dr. Foster to release Mona to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee!
The Retire Birmingham Zoo's Mona to a Sanctuary! petition to Mr. William Foster, CEO Birmingham Zoo, Inc. was written by Victoria Nichols and is in the category Animal Rights at GoPetition.