Dame Daphne Sheldrick, founder of of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, has her hands full rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned baby elephants. But she kindly took the time to write a letter to Metro, the Oregon Zoo and the Oregon Zoo Foundation to express her sadness over Packy’s untimely death and to advocate to free Chendra in his honor. Thank you Dame Daphne, you are a true hero to the elephants…everywhere.
http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
Read all celebrity letters for the elephants
Carol Buckley, Founder, President and CEO of Elephant Aid International sent a heartfelt statement about Packy.
“Packy’s life and death has brought to the surface an upheaval of human empathy for captive-held elephants, their propagation, their incarceration and their lack of autonomy. Packy brought joy to millions of people over many decades. The reality of his existence has raised the consciousness of generations of people who viewed him as “their” elephant. In the end Packy’s life and death was determined by a set of standards designed to protect people, which unfortunately relegates the rights of the animal to second position. Packy’s pre-scheduled demise has put the spotlight on the practice of captive-breeding and exhibition of this magnificent wild species. With each new captivity-generated tragedy, the circle of concern widens. Hopefully one day it will encompass us all.”
Carol Buckley / Founder
Elephant Aid International
P.O. Box 283 / Attapulgus, GA 39815
