#Animal Rights
Target:
Mr. William Foster, CEO Birmingham Zoo, Inc.
Region:
GLOBAL
Website:
www.alabamawildlifeadvocates.org

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.