To make room for new, young elephants abducted from the wild in Africa, the San Diego Wild Animal Park discarded its aging elephants Peaches, Wankie, and Tatima and sent them to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago April 2003. These elephants had lived together in San Diego for decades since they were captured in Africa as babies. In Chicago, Peaches, Wankie and Tatima live in bleak and barren conditions and suffer from stress, the shock of the cold climate, inactivity, and ill health.
Elephants do not tolerate cold weather. With Chicago’s long, bitterly cold winters, they are warehoused in a concrete back room for up to half the year. Their fragile health is already deteriorating. Two elephants sustained crippling leg injuries at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Tatima, who suffered a crippling leg injury last year, has shown no improvement. Wankie is unable to bend her rear, right leg and limps when she attempts to walk.
To ensure their survival, these elephants desperately need a safe, permanent home with ample space in a suitable climate. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has offered Peaches, Wankie, and Tatima a permanent home. At the sanctuary, they would have expert veterinary care and free access to hundreds of acres in a suitable climate for elephants. Peaches, Wankie and Tatima have already spent a lifetime on display. The zoo community must take responsibility for the welfare of these elephants and make the humane decision to retire them immediately. Please help and sign this petition which will be forwarded to the Lincoln Park Zoo Director, the members of the zoo board, and the Mayor of Chicago.
