Queenie's Space & the San Antonio Zoo

It has taken animal activists more than two years to rescue this elephant from her owner, charged with abuse and violations of the Animal Welfare Act. While Davenport makes $20,000 more off Queenie she probably will not live to see an expanded or updated habitat without our help. Please read and sign the petition to tell San Antonio Zoo officials that they should release Lucky and Queenie to a sanctuary to live out their lives in peace and update and increase the size of the habitat before they obtain new elephants.

Two of three elephants owned by Wilbur Davenport last summer were confiscated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) because of multiple federal violations. Davenport operated a company called Maximus Tons of Fun circus. The two elephants named Tina and Jewel were placed in the San Diego Zoo and are thriving. Queenie was left behind tied to a tree on Wilbur Davenport's property.

Two organizations, In Defense of Animals (IDA) and Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) continued to press for the release of Queenie until February when the USDA filed charges against Davenport.
It has taken animal activists more than two years to rescue this elephant from her owner, charged with abuse and violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Davenport was fined $100,000 but only has to pay $15,000 of that fine if he placed Queenie elsewhere by Monday. Davenport also had his business and animal license permanently revoked as part of the deal.

The zoo's elephant habitat is outdated, unnatural and too small, for even one elephant. Now there will be two elephants with only one half-acre to roam.

IDA's elephant campaign director, Catherine Doyle is quoted as saying, Queenie should be allowed to retire to the PAWS Sanctuary where she would have the best possible quality of life, including a 50-acre habitat to roam, high quality care, and the peace and quiet she deserves after a lifetime of suffering in the circus.

Lucky, a 50-year-old female, has been the zoo's lone elephant since Alport, her long-term female companion for several decades, became ill and was euthanized in 2007.

Boo, the female Asian elephant formerly known as Queenie, was a circus performer and is believed to be between 52 and 55 years old.

Lucky's new pachyderm gal pal Boo arrived Wednesday at the San Antonio Zoo. Executive director Steve McCusker is reported by the Associated Press to have said the zoo paid $35,000 for Boo, owned by Wilbur D. Davenport of Livingston. Davenport had no comment.

McCusker says Boo appears healthy though she's not expected to go on display for several weeks, as she becomes accustomed to her new home and undergoes medical tests to assess her overall condition.

Dr. Mel Richardson, a captive wildlife consultant and veterinarian who worked at the San Antonio Zoo from 1991 to 1995 is worried about the safety of Queenie and Lucky. Both Lucky and Queenie have histories of not getting along with other elephants. Putting them together in an antiquated and too-small display is a recipe for disaster. The key to safely and successfully integrating elephants starts with space and plenty of it, said Dr.Richardson.

The San Antonio Zoo needs to expand and update the habitat for Lucky and Boo. Elephants need a spacious exhibit that provides multiple diverse habitats including grassy knolls, shade trees, dust bathing areas, scratching trees, mud wallows and swimming holes which will support both their physical and psychological needs.

With the natural lifespan of an elephant being about 70 years, both Lucky and Boo are well beyond their prime breeding age (which they reached at about 15 years of age) and probably will not live to see an expanded or updated habitat without our help.

The San Antonio Zoo has been complacent at best about bringing their animal habitats up to date in the past and continue to ignore the basic needs of many species in regard to size of their habitats. Lend your voice to the animals and tell the San Antonio Zoo that this is no longer acceptable behavior. Zoo officials must yield to the public outcry against too small exhibits and inhumane housing of animals. Sign the petition and tell executive director Steve McCusker and the San Antonio Zoo that you want to see a change.

The only option left is that both elephants are released into the custody of a wildlife sanctuary to live the remainder of their lives in spacious peace as all animals deserve. The meager $35,000 the zoo paid for Queenie could generate tons of free publicity for the zoo and the sanctuary. The zoo has declined numerous times when it has been contacted for comment and clearly does not desire to discuss the matter. We cannot sit by and watch this tragedy unfold for years until one of the elephants becomes ill or dies. Help give Queenie and Lucky back their dignity and live as an elephant should in wide wild surroundings as nature would have deemed.

Thanks for you time and energy in this very important matter, thanks for signing the petition!

Links to more stories about Queenie and her friends, and pictures can be found here : cyberdreamlady.spaces.live.com


Dear Executive Director Steve McCusker,

We the undersigned, people of the world, find that the plight of your San Antonio Zoo Elephants is unacceptable at this time. The habitat is outdated and entirely too small to house even one elephant, while you propose two elephants, in a humane manner.

We are aware that the zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the elephant program is in compliance with federal animal welfare regulations and we commend your efforts in this. We are also painfully aware that one half-acre is not spacious enough to house two aging elephants.

We would propose to you a compromise, as the San Antonio Zoo clearly has no intention of updating and expanding the elephant habitat, release your two elephants to a sanctuary where they may live out their lives in peace and with dignity.

Many sources have quoted you as saying that the San Antonio Zoo has no intention of keeping Asian elephants on a long term basis. If this is true then we would strongly advise you to release "Lucky" and "Queenie" now before your zoo looses more revenue and experiences a dramatic drop in ticket sales as well as a withdrawal of donations and funding. If free publicity is what you desire releasing the elephants in question would give your zoo more than enough free publicity, and it would be publicity of a good and kind nature not negative as it is now.

If steps are not taken immediately to remedy this situation for "Lucky" and "Queenie" we will boycott your zoo which could develop into a city or even a state boycott of tourism. We are very serious in this matter and have given you two ways by which you can remedy this situation and 'save face'. The ball is in your court Mr. McCusker.
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