Longleat and Blackpool Zoo: Give The two lonely elephants Ann and Kate the chance of living together!

We ask that Blackpool Zoo in Lancashire be prevented from building a new Elephant Enclosure and instead be required to use the professional assistance offered to them by experienced Elephant rescue officials, to transfer Kate to live with another middle aged Elephant cow, in an already existing purpose built, fully equipped brand new Elephant enclosure, which meets DEFRA’s new required standards of enclosure and Husbandry guidance.

Under BIAZA terms of reference: “The routine and prolonged separation of Elephant Cows is unacceptable.”

Blackpool Zoo have held Kate alone in a dilapidated Aircraft Hanger since her last companion Indra passed away in January 2015, which means that Kate has spent 19 months isolated without Elephant company. It is well documented that Female Elephants need the company of other Elephants every day in order to maintain a healthy psychological disposition and not to suffer the anxieties and onset of repetitive stereotypic behaviours, dubbed ‘Zoochosis’.

Blackpool Zoo have a long hi documented history of mistreatment of their Elephants; please see the findings of a 15 months investigation by CAPS Captive Animals Protection Society.

“The SHOCKING truth about elephant training at Blackpool Zoo (December 8, 1999) FAO NEWSDESK Press Release The Captive Animals Protection Society today accuses Blackpool Zoo of causing immeasurable suffering to Katie and Crumple their elephants. ELECTRIC SHOCK DEVICES HAVE BEEN USED TO TRAIN THE ELEPHANTS. CAPS today releases the findings of a 15 month undercover investigation in to the training methods used by Scott Riddle, an American elephant trainer who has been involved in training the Blackpool elephants. Scott Riddle has been linked to deaths of a number of elephants in the US. One elephant at LA zoo was rammed with a tractor and later euthanised due to his injuries. Scott Riddle came to Blackpool Zoo in September 1998 to present an elephant-handling course, which was attended by elephant keepers from zoos and safari parks across the UK. A CAPS undercover investigator attended the seminar and filmed the elephants being walked out of their enclosure. He filmed Blackpool zoo elephant keepers carrying electric goads ¬ one was approx. 4ft long and had two prongs at the end. In the USA these are often referred to as hotshots. Zoo manager Iain Valentine has denied that the goads had been used on the

elephants and lied to MP Joan Humble in a letter that stated that under guidelines, using electric goads on elephants was not permitted. In fact, after CAPS demanded the truth from the local authority, Blackpool Council's Director of Community Services admitted to CAPS that electric goads were used on the elephants. Scott Riddle is at Blackpool Zoo NOW 'caring' for 2 circus elephants recently homed at the zoo when their circus in Germany went bust. Diane Westwood CAPS Executive Director says, " We are appalled that the two elephants at Blackpool Zoo have been treated in this way. Elephants are extremely sensitive intelligent animals and this is torture. We fear for the future of the two circus elephants recently acquired by Blackpool zoo. To use electric shock devices to train elephants to perform circus type tricks is disgraceful behaviour. The long-term damage caused by this treatment appears not to have been considered. We demand a public enquiry and the end to this barbaric training regime" Dr Bill Jordan, veterinary advisor to CAPS says,

"Amnesty International believes the cruelest method to torture people is with electricity ¬ the same is true for animals".

To see a photograph of an elephant performing tricks at Blackpool Zoo seewww.caps-uk.dircon.co.uk/news/zcircus.htm.Video of electric goads and photographs of performing elephants at Blackpool zoo are available. To see the Sad Eyes & Empty Lives Video on-line then please go to our special page on the video. For background info contact Diane Westwood VN on 01384 456682 For more information about CAPS please go to their web site athttp://www.caps-uk.dircon.co.uk/ “

Blackpool Zoo where Kate lives, are embarking on plans to build an enormous Elephant enclosure in their back paddock, to house up to 8 more captive Elephants with the totally unnatural inclusion of a male Elephant to be used as a breeding bull.

Firstly, Zoos and Circuses (Captive environments) have a long and well documented history of not being able to care for Male Elephants adequately, resulting in deaths and serious injuries of both the Elephants and their keepers. http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/…/no-ethical-way-to-k…/

Elephants do NOT live in Breeding Families in the wild. This situation would be completely unnatural to them and is potentially dangerous for not only the bull elephant and his keepers, but for the females and juveniles that are being purchased to live with the bull. This also poses a dangerous situation for Kate, who is likely not intended to be bred with the bull.

Elephants live in all female herds and any male calves leave the herd once they reach sexual maturity. The female herds are made up of family members and extended family members, who stay together for life. The only time they are separated is by man for captivity, poaching for ivory and in incidents of Human wildlife conflict (HWC).

Bull Elephants leave their herd in order that they do not breed with their relatives which can result in the 18-22 month (long energy output) pregnancy not being viable.

The Bulls have until recently, been considered solitary animals. However recent studies (in the wild) have shown that male Elephants congregate in all male groups at water points and browse locations along their migratory route. These groupings are held between a variety of ages and often the elder males are seen passing skills onto the younger bulls as seen with the infamous African giants Isiolo & Satao (Elephant Voices, Save the Elephant & Amboselli all have excellent documentation and research).

Whilst all agree, we should be doing our best for all Elephants who are still in captivity, by converting from Free Contact to Protected Contact and by providing them a far more natural environment to live in, with acres to roam, rivers or pools to bathe in, natural browse to seek and eat, natural trees for shade, access to unedited nature and ultimately at least 2 other Elephants from the same sub species; we do not feel that continually breeding Elephants for a life of servitude is fair or ethical.

We feel if an Elephant is diagnosed too elderly, diseased or fragile to meet the veterinary requirements that deem it safe for the individual to be transported to an Elephant Sanctuary, then it is far better to employ World Elephant Rescue Professionals with vast experience, skills and equipment to safely and carefully pair or group the Elephants who remain in captivity, based on expert understanding of their physical and non physical cues, to do right by them and deliver them the dignity and respect they deserve and their autonomy which has been removed from them by the nature of captivity.

We have other concerns about captivity which are, many Elephant calves born in Captivity die in infancy. Calf Mortality is significantly higher in captivity than in the Wild. A third of all calves born in captivity will die, because of Stillbirths, Infanticide and deadly diseases known only in captivity (Kurt & Mar 1996).

Infanticide, where a newly delivered Mother Elephant will kill her newborn baby. This is not recorded in completely wild Elephants. It is evident from all research that Elephants love and care for their offspring from birth until their own death usually at over 70 years of age. Infanticide is speculated to occur as a mother Elephant wishes for her child not to endure captivity as she has. Whilst that theory is speculation, the evidence of infanticide occurrence in Captivity remains.

Therefore, the EEP (European Endangered Species Breeding Program) could be responsible for the stillbirths. The EEP breeds captive Elephants with more Captive Elephants. These Elephants are mostly listed on the Elephant Database and in the Elephant Stud book.

On inspection and research of just two individual Elephants and their originating Circus owner, we found many inaccuracies and anomalies from both. Even after contacting the Studbook manager, we have determined that many of the original parent Elephants here in the UK, were not listed into the studbook & database and in just the two individuals we looked into; we have found that one of their parents was listed as two separate individuals, with a complete void of information from several of the circuses he was sold between for breeding and that the second individual was actually killed and another individual listed as the original one with the new elephant being given the deceased’s identity. Something we are discovering happened frequently within Circuses.

If Zoo’s acquired many of their Elephants (Stock/collection) from Circuses, how is this Breeding safe, ethical or legal?

Our short informal investigation led us to the blog pages of the Elephant Database creator, where many Ex Circus staff and ex Zoo staff have been untangling the many inaccuracies and filling in the gaps and we have seen that some of the parents in only a few individuals that we looked at had been listed twice as different individuals. This revelation makes it possible and probable that the female offspring of a stud have then been impregnated by their father, which is dire for the viability and longevity of the offspring, it is completely unethical and abnormal amongst wild Elephants.

It is possbile that some of the captive Elephants we see today are from incestuous breeding. This is the reason Bull Elephants instinctively depart from their Familial herd to migrate to meet different non related herds when they reach sexual maturity and are in Musth, their heightened reproductive state.

The EEP does not intend to use the offspring from their Breeding Programs to repopulate the number of the species in the wild http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/…/elephants-in-captiv…/

“elephants are not currently being bred in zoos for the purpose of reintroduction”

The EEP’s in Zoos and Zoos themselves are breeding more Elephants and sharing or loaning Elephants between themselves to increase the diversity of the bloodlines for captivity.

If Elephants are not going to be reintroduced into the Wild, it is unacceptible keeping and breeding them for captivity which historically and evidentially causes them to suffer physically, socially and psychologically. It is cruel, unethical and serves no purpose to conservation.

More worryingly, it is suggested that in order to make Captive Breeding sustainable, it is expected that Wild Elephants may need to be captured for Captivity to increase the gene pool.

It could be argued that captive elephants can contribute to conservation because they educate the public about the state of the wild elephant population, and money raised by the zoos could be used to fund conservation programs in the wild and can help to preserve the species this way.

However in reality, we discovered from Born Free Zoo Check Investigation and data analysing that Zoo’s only contribute a meagre 4 – 6.7% of their income to Conservation, yet they spend £ Millions on enclosures and remodelling their businesses for the public this added to the fact that they are not repopulating this Endangered Species. Most members of the public come to a zoo to see animals and for a good day out rather than to learn about conservation. Any scientific research done on captive elephants often can’t be generalised to their wild counterparts because the behaviour and physiology of captives is so different to wild elephants which means the conclusions may not be valid; and most zoos spend more on their current elephant enclosures than helping to protect elephants in the wild.

The Counsellor of Blackpool Council, Cllr Tony Williams is very concerned about Blackpool Zoo obtaining a Bull Elephant for the very reason that they are difficult to manage in captivity particularly during musth and it poses great risk for the life of the Bull Elephant because Zoo’s so comfortably euthanize ‘problem elephants’.

A Bull Elephant in Musth is not a ‘problem’ Elephant, he is experiencing his natural state needed to seek mates and to fight off other males for the right to breed with the females, this is not a problem in the wild it is completely natural Elephant behaviour.

Counsellor Williams has taken to the radio waves of Blackpool and Lancashire to share his displeasure at Blackpool Zoos ambition to create an unnatural Breeding Family and mostly to continue to hold Elephants Captive when all captive environments prove over and over again that Captivity simply cannot meet the needs of Elephants; their migratory routes and length, their diverse social needs and their autonomy.

Elephants have historically died prematurely due to horrific foot and bone diseases because of the captive environment they are forced to live in, they develop illnesses they do not harbor in the wild because they are able to migrate freely on the soft earth and share a rich and varied social life meeting with hundreds of other herds.

Kate was destined for captivity before she was born. In 1971 Kate was sold via Wildlife traders to Blackpool Zoo founders. She was shipped England and then to Blackpool Tower Menagerie stabling, beneath the Tower Circus Theatre, ready for her life of servitude for Blackpool Zoo. By 4 years old, Kate was completely broken, through dominion by Humans wielding Iron topped Ankus’ to do as they pleased, in order that she perform to generate an income from the public who were ignorant to her plight.

For the Grand opening of Blackpool Zoo in July 1972, Kate was ridden to the opening ceremony from Blackpool Tower by Mr Johnny Morris of 70’s TV Animal Magic. Kate, who was just a baby, had begun a life as a spectacle, a servant to humanity in the name of making money.

Kate’s first companion was female Asian Elephant named Crumple (formerly named Karina). Crumple was also on display at Blackpool Zoo from 1972 until she was euthanised in March 2009 after suffering chronic arthritis, a common cause of debilitating pain and premature death in Captive Elephants.

Both Kate and Crumple were joined at Blackpool Zoo by 2 more Female Asian Elephants in 1999, when they were sent to the zoo from their former keepers The Berlin Circus following its liquidation. These two Elephants were named Indra and Marcella.

After living successfully together in Free Contact for 15 years, one of the group of 4 Elephants Marcella became unwell. Marcella was euthanised in July 2014 at Blackpool Zoo following “long term serious illness” (undisclosed).

In January 2015 Indra was also euthanised at the zoo for unknown reasons.

Counsellor Tony Williams, former Manager of Blackpool Zoo during its Local Authority ownership said

“All four of the zoo’s elephants had a good temperament” http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/…/fond-farewell-to-much-l…

During their years together, Kate and Crumple were subjected to years of misunderstanding, abuse and torture. Both of their lives bear the physical and emotional scars of the abuse they suffered at the hands of professional Elephant Keepers and Trainers at Blackpool Zoo.

They both were filmed, photographed and documented being electrocuted with Electric goads, also named hot shots and dominated by professional trainers who had a history of killing captive elephants http://z13.invisionfree.com/Elephant_Commentator/index.php…

Kate & Crumple were made to perform Circus style tricks/postures in order to please a paying public who visited Blackpool zoos. Both were documented cowering and wetting themselves in terror when approached by their trainers in Blackpool Zoo.

Kate & Crumple had been observed gently caressing the wounds on each other after being subjected to their abuse at Blackpool Zoo.

After studying the history of Kate and her companions Crumple, Marcella and Indra, we feel it is very important to consider whether it is fair on Kate and any other Elephants, for Blackpool Zoo to hold more Elephants captive and keep Kate for the remainder of her life in a place where she has suffered bitterly.

Or whether it would be kinder to allow her to travel a few hours to an already completed Protected Contact Elephant Enclosure, where she may retire in peace and comfort with the companionship of another retired Female Asian Elephant, surrounded by 1,000 acres of landscaped safari, further encircled by 8,000 acres of forest and farmland.

The members of a new Internet group ‘Kate the Elephant – Blackpool’ feel that it would be kinder to Kate, to allow her the latter option and it will mean that Blackpool Zoo could step into the 21st century with many other UK zoos and refrain from holding Elephants captive.

They could even take a step to greatly improve the work of Sanctuaries, NGO’s & conservation charities by donating their £2.5 million which they currently plan to spend on the build of their proposed Elephant Enclosure, to true conservation of the species in their native homelands.

A donation that size could more effectively be used in conservation, by being given to a World class Sanctuary’s charitable outreach project, which would see this money used to protect the Native Habitat of Asian Elephants.

Many Social Media groups and individuals had identified another lone Female Asian Elephant in the UK and suggested that Kate be brought to her for them to retire together in peace and comfort.

Her name is Anne and she is 58 years old. Anne was captured at under 1 year old in her native homeland Sri Lanka (then named Ceylon). She was transferred by ship to India Docks London (now Canary Wharf) to become a performer for Bobby Roberts and his Circus.

Anne was also trained to perform by the use of dominance and fear. She also suffers severe arthritis, caused by the completely unsuitable conditions she was forced to endure and performances she was forced to give for over 50 years.

In 2011, Anne was part of a National rescue mission, which saw Animal protection organisations and local authorities collaborate with NGO (Animal Defenders International) to have her released from the circus where she was being beaten daily and her health and nutritional needs completely neglected, to a place of safety.

Anne was transferred to Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire UK. Although Longleat is not a sanctuary, it was deemed an appropriate environment where Anne would

receive the urgent medical attention she needed and the immediate relief from the physical abuse she was suffering at the Circus.

Ordinarily, a Sanctuary would have been sought for Anne, but her physical condition was so very delicate at the time, that the decision to end her suffering was also being discussed.

Thankfully, it was agreed that she would be transported to Longleat to receive expert assessments and treatment, whilst also keeping her away from other Elephants for her safety during her intensive medical treatment to improve her chronic arthritis which impaired her and made it impossible for her to walk without dragging her hind legs.

Anne’s arthritis was severely debilitating at the time of her rescue. This is believed to be due to receiving no medical attention or pain relief throughout her life in the circus. Her pain was so bad, she was video recorded and documented dragging her back legs rather than walking on them.

The video of her rescue shows how difficult movement was for dear Anne back then. For this reason, Anne did not meet the veterinary requirements in order to be transported by sea or by air to a Sanctuary. Also at the time, there were no Elephant Sanctuaries available to Anne or any other suffering Elephant in Europe.

Since Anne’s rescue, Longleat have built Anne a state-of-the-art, climate controlled Elephant enclosure with outside paddock and pool. The enclosure named ‘Anne’s Haven’ meets the new DEFRA UK & BIAZA requirements; it has soft substrate inside and outside, has under floor heating. The paddock has grass, sand and mud substrate so that Anne has a range to choose from. It has an outdoor pool, an indoor showering area, where Anne can choose to be bathed. She has 3 full time members of staff who are on hand to care for her and provide for her enrichment and welfare in a pastoral manner.

Originally it was planned that Longleat with their new Animal manager, pathologist in place, would create a sanctuary where other needy elephants like Anne could be rescued and receive necessary veterinary care and attention.

Sadly, due to the severity of Anne’s arthritis, it was deemed that she was too fragile to safely live with another elephant, for fear that she may get injured, even in play and the result of any potential injury would likely spell euthanasia.

This decision was not made lightly, in 2014, a two day conference was held at Longleat with Elephant experts with a range of experience of elephant management and care in both Captive and sanctuary backgrounds. The decision to keep Anne alone was a unanimous one.

We understand that any companion for Anne in her arthritic condition poses a threat to her physically because if they did not get on, Anne could be injured and we do not wish to place her in harm’s way.

This happens often in captivity because zoos have not taken measures to create safety or an observation period to assess compatibility. Just like Blackpool, they didn’t recognise when Crumple and Marcella both passed away, Kate and Indra didn’t really get on; both having suffered horrific abuse in the circus and at Blackpool Zoo and both suffering chronic bereavement, known to cause death among elephants.

Indra was too overbearing for Kate and it was at Marcella’s passing that this became more evident than the previous pictures and footage revealed. Marcella had provided a safety barrier for Kate from Indra while she had been alive.

Established Sanctuaries are skilled at creating safety measures and observing and understanding Elephants from their non verbal cues and safely allowing them to get to know each other to determine their compatibility.

Therefore, we have sought the Expert advice from two leading Sanctuary founders and revolutionary Elephant conservationists and both have given advice and information to us about Anne and Kate.

They have extended their generosity even further, to support Longleat’s Anne and Blackpool’s Kate in person, to be united in the safe and professional manner that they themselves take when they rescue Elephants into their own Sanctuaries and help them to form friendship bonds with the Elephants who already live at the Sanctuaries.

We feel this offer is incredibly generous and is a step closer to realising true compassion for the Elephants who find themselves in Captivity in our Country.

Carol Buckley Founder of T.E.S. (The Elephant Sanctuary Tennessee) and EAI (Elephant Aid International) has offered to provide her services, to use her sought after separation barriers, which can be placed within Anne’s Haven (which is large enough for over 3 adult sized Elephants).

This will mean if Kate or any other companion/s were to be brought to live with Anne, they could have the safety of separation during an careful observation period. Carol has also offered to support Blackpool and Longleat during this period, to enable safe bonding and pairing.

Carol travels the world unchaining Elephants and creating safe spaces within their homelands, so that they can enjoy the freedoms of being off of a chain. She has decades of experience enabling once chained Elephants to become friendship pairs and bonded herds.

Her work is beautiful to watch and the pleasure and healing it brings to these Elephants is truly essential for their wellbeing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzEUayHqrRc Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF8em4uPdCg Part 2

Sanctuaries will spend the time getting to know the individual Elephants, learning how each one expresses themselves and will learn from their non verbal cues what and who they like and dislike.

They then use these cues when supporting Elephants to choose their friendships and friendship herds within their sanctuary. Sanctuaries are not in a hurry to ‘put Elephants on display’, therefore, they do not need to rush and the Elephants can be allowed to take their time, as long as it takes, to choose friendships that they are safe and nurtured in.

The second Sanctuary founder is Sangduen Lek Chailert (Lek), founder of Save the Elephant Foundation Thailand which operates The Elephant Nature Park and parents (helped establish and supervises) the Surin Project, Hope for Elephants, Sunshine for Elephants and many others.

Lek is known and loved throughout the world for the amazing work she does for Elephants. She has rescued over 60 Elephants into Sanctuary and has assisted the lives of hundreds of Elephants. Her Sanctuary is a role model for worldwide Elephant Sanctuaries and the love and compassion she and her staff give is truly the medicine that enables the Elephants to heal from the horrific tortures they have endured from man.

Lek has very kindly extended her generosity to Longleat by offering their Animal manager or keeper to come and stay at ENP (Elephant Nature Park) as her guest, where they can learn how to understand the Elephants and how to recognise their non verbal cues and how to respond to them adequately. They will likely observe a rescue operation while there. This offer is intended for them to learn from ENP staff how to help the Elephants heal and how to enable safe integration after any medical attention/quarantine periods have taken place.

Both of these offers are incredible, a real breakthrough for Elephants who have been displaced and who suffer in our captive environments.

We observe that Anne has made an incredible recovery from the physical and emotional condition she was in at the time of her rescue in 2011 and moreso since she moved into her new under-floor heated home. We have documented these wonderful improvements to members of the Longleat Conference (2014).

Anne can now manage incline decline on all substrates wet and dry, she can lift her rear feet as she walks, she can rise from laying down, she can kneel, stretch and she 

Anne can now manage incline decline on all substrates wet and dry, she can lift her rear feet as she walks, she can rise from laying down, she can kneel, stretch and she

has complete use of her trunk thanks to the dedicated veterinarians and keepers who care for her.

We feel that Anne has been given wonderful care and attention at Longleat and we would like them to offer their skills and compassion to Kate. We observe that Anne has 3 full time members of staff who watch her and care for her every day and we feel that they are more than capable of looking after any companions that Anne should have.

We feel that it would be kinder to safely and carefully take Kate to be with Anne at Longleat where they can peacefully retire together than it would be to allow Blackpool Zoo to incarcerate more Elephants bred from the EEP.

We recognise and fully understand that any pairings must be done carefully and expertly to ensure the welfare of both Elephants and obviously the safety of Anne’s arthritic back legs. We also understand that in some cases the separation barriers may need to stay up for a prolonged period or indefinitely to ensure physical safety.

We feel that Anne’s gentle nature and experience as a Nanny Elephant to 6 infant calves and gentle companionship with elephants of her own age, will equip her with the maternal skills necessary to help Kate feel at ease with her, her gentleness is comparable to that of Kate’s former, now deceased companion Crumple whom Kate sought gentle comfort from and additionally, gave gentle comfort to, after they each endured their abuse sessions at Blackpool Zoo.

We feel confident that Carol Buckley will be able to ascertain the behaviours of both Kate and Anne toward one another and will take the necessary time to observe and carefully introduce the two of them, providing knowledge to the already caring keepers at Longleat.

We do not feel that Blackpool Zoo should be embarking on integrating a whole herd (grouped by humans) with Kate, given the Zoo’s history of abusive Elephant husbandry and current comprehension of Elephant social and emotional needs.

It is not thoughtful of Kate, as well as being unkind to the species as a whole, to expect them to live a life of servitude which does nothing for the conservation of the species.

We have done our best to source public information about the reasons for continual breeding of captive Elephants and we have found the following:

“No captive elephant offspring has ever been reintroduced to the wild, and there is no plan to do so, we do not think it is ethical to breed elephants.” Ed Stewart PAWS http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/…/no-ethical-way-to-k…/

“Elephants are not currently being bred in zoos for the purpose of reintroduction.” M. Hutchins (Former AZA Director/William Conway Chair of Conservation and Science) http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/…/elephants-in-captiv…/

Given that the EEP (European Endangered Species Project) is breeding Elephants for display in Captivity and not for repopulation purposes in the Wild and that the origins of the parentage is questionable due to the many gaps and anomalies in the Elephant Database se. and Studbook, we feel that the “scientific purposes” are ethically and scientifically questionable and that it appears that these Elephants are purely bred for prolonged income generating captivity.

We have found that the zoo we are focusing on here has a social media following of under 68,500 people.

While the Elephant Conservation organisations we connect with and support have the following public support: ENP 88,608 people BLES 71,504 Save the Elephants 527,428 people Amboselli 196,201 people David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust 484,351 people

These listed groups and their public following represent only a small handful of the Organisations doing amazing work for the Conservation of Elephants and their diverse natural habitats. Since the introduction of Social Media, these groups are growing in popularity due to the evidence of true conservation and genuine love, dedication and care of the individuals they rescue, that they are able to share with the public online.

They are increasingly able to safeguard growing portions of Elephant natural habitat, endear local public to the Elephants by providing alternative incomes or solutions for crop losses. They bring tourist trekking camps to an end and create kind observation of elephants for tourists in their place. Slowly but surely, with the expertise and compassion from these Charities and NGO’s Elephants will recover in the Wild and with our financial and educational support, it will be sooner rather than later.

We feel that the future of Elephants truly rests in the capable hands of charities and organisations like those mentioned above and it is now our collective moral duty to ensure the best welfare of the Elephants which remain in captivity in each country, delivering them their autonomy, improved freedoms, safe nurturing companionships, the best enrichment, veterinary care and nutrition that we can provide and on a case by case basis.

This is exactly what we intend to achieve for Kate, a gentle companion in Anne, someone she can share a slower pace of life with, someone who is a little older than herself who is gentle by nature and who has had experience being a nanny to juvenile elephants in her past and was given much responsibility for those new young captives at that time and displayed maternal nurturing behaviours towards them, something Kate has missed since losing her beloved companion Crumple.

We hope to prevent Blackpool Zoo from building a new Elephant enclosure and incarcerating more Elephants. Instead, we hope to support both Blackpool Zoo and Longleat to offer peaceful retirement to Kate and to Anne with the expert supervision of Carol Buckley and advice of Lek Chailert.