UPDATE: We are thrilled to share the news that Ontario’s African Lion Safari will NOT be sending Emily and Nellie (two Asian female elephants) to the Fort Worth Zoo, in Texas! CBC News reached out to our organization earlier today to comment on the permit withdrawal. Click on the link below to read the full article and see what our Global March for Elephants & Rhinos - Toronto Co-Founder and Director, Janine Cavin had to say.

Texas Zoo CANCELS Deal To Buy African Lion Safari Elephants for $2M

#ElephantsAreNotCommodities 

PETITION: The African Lion Safari, a wildlife park in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, is planning to transport 2 of their female Asian elephants to Fort Worth Zoo in Texas (permit pending) for a whopping $2 million! They have also declared that they will pay another $200,000 to the African Lion Safari if one of the two females produces a calf.

This sale is very worrying as it could not only affect the physical health of the elephants, but also their psychological well-being. This will also set a dangerous precedent for other zoos wishing to purchase and import wildlife from other countries, which will further drive wildlife trafficking. In addition, zoos are struggling financially. Can the Fort Worth Zoo guarantee they will have sufficient funds to feed their animals should the pandemic last for another year or more?

African Lion Safari is home to over 100 species. The land the animals reside on spans over 740 acres, and the appearance mimics what their natural habitats would be in the wild. Relocating these 2 elephants from the relatively large 740 acres (with a pond included) at African Lion Safari, to the meager 4 acres being provided for them and the 7 other elephants who are living in this enclosure at Fort Worth Zoo, shows a profound lack of understanding of the space that elephants require to maintain their health and well-being.

Even if this space is expanded with the renovation, it will not nearly be adequate for the 9 elephants who will be residing there. It will take time for the elephants to adjust to a new environment. They will need to be quarantined for a certain period and then be introduced to the other elephants in residence, in a less than adequate space. Whether the elephants will be transported by air or land unknown, but big transitions like this usually aren’t seamless. 

There are no real benefits to dealings like this, and further proves that institutions like African Lion Safari and Fort Worth Zoo only care about collections and the revenue they generate. With this sale, they are publicly stating that they would rather accept and set profit over priority. With the breeding programs they have under the guise of conservation, they will continue to exploit elephants and other wildlife for profit and entertainment.

Please share your support by signing this petition, to send a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to urge them to STOP this deal immediately as it will not only affect the well-being of the elephants, but their survival too.

Attached below is an official press release that was put together and sent out on August 5th 2020, by a wildlife rescue sanctuary called the Performing Animal Welfare Society – PAWS. In it, they are asking Fort Worth Zoo, African Lion Safari, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to reconsider and stop the execution of this deal, because elephants are NOT commodities!

Press Release - Performing Animal Welfare Society - PAWS

The recipients of this petition do not include other U.S. State Senators/Representatives. Therefore, we encourage you to send this petition letter to them directly. You can do this by following the instructions on the link provided below. 
Letter to Stop The Deal - Fort Worth Zoo and African Lion Safari

Sincerely,
Global March for Elephants & Rhinos - Toronto

Follow these pages for more updates: 
Performing Animal Welfare - PAWS
​Global March for Elephants & Rhinos - Toronto