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| Since 1984, The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has been at the forefront of efforts to rescue and provide appropriate, humane sanctuary for animals who have been the victims of the exotic and performing animal trades. PAWS investigates reports of abused performing and exotic animals, documents cruelty and assists in investigations and prosecutions by regulatory agencies to alleviate the suffering of captive wildlife. |  |
PAWS is Home to 5 Asian and 3 African Elephants
The elephant habitat at ARK 2000 provides the elephants with hundreds of acres of varied natural terrain to roam, lakes to bathe in, and state-of-the-art elephant barns equipped with heated stalls and therapeutic Jacuzzis.
Learn More »
Above: Baby "71" in Amboseli, Kenya
"71" Returns to the Wild
When Ed and I were fighting to keep our precious baby elephant, "71", alive, we dreamed of returning her to Africa. We purchased ARK 2000 for her, but we always knew she deserved more. When we lost her from the cumulative effects of capture, we were devastated. We could not alleviate the pain of her loss; but, last month, we had the opportunity to name one of the elephant calves in the Amboseli, 71.
Above: Seventy-One (71) with her mother Sabaki
The Amboseli Trust for Elephants has a unique program for people wanting to become more intimately involved in their ongoing research project. It is a naming program in which one of their known individual elephants is given a name chosen by a donor. They generally don't name calves until they are four years old. Before that, the calf has a code name based on its mother's name and year of birth, but for their naming program, ATE will name calves as young as 18 months to two years.
No other calf will have the chosen name; it is a very exclusive program, not like an adoption program in which hundreds of people might adopt the same elephant. This name will go down in the research project records and be used forever. The namer receives a recent photo of the calf, a naming certificate, a description and history of the calf's family, and will also receive periodic updates over the years.
We have just received photos of 71, and her mother, Sabaki, from Cynthia Moss, and we are euphoric! This new baby elephant in the Amboseli epitomizes our hope for the future when elephants will only breed in wild habitats which are protected.
We also named a second baby, Malugie, for Mara, Lulu and Maggie.
For PAWS, these two babies are the hope of the future. Thank you, Cynthia, for keeping our dream alive!
Pat Derby and Ed Stewart
Above: Baby Malugie, with her mother, Maria
View archive footage of 71's arrival in Galt, here.
View 71 photo gallery, here.
Donate in memory of 71, here.
Name An Amboseli Elephant
To name an Amboseli elephant ATE asks for a donation of $2,500. If you are interested please contact them at info@elephanttrust.org, or write to Amboseli Trust for Elephants, 10 State Street, Newburyport, MA 01950.
A Benefit for Amboseli
Elephant Research Project
Special guest. . . Cynthia Moss!
TICKET INFORMATION click here
Aboverican elephants Thika and Iringa
Bob Barker Will Fund $880,000 Elephant Flight To California
Iringa, Toka and Thika, the Toronto Zoo's three African elephants, will travel from Toronto to California aboard a private plane thanks to longtime PAWS' friend Bob Barker.
The 88-year-old TV icon offered to fund the $880,000 flight after learning that one of the elephants suffers from a serious foot problem and isn't well enough to withstand the long trip by truck.
"To think that one of them might not survive the trip in a truck touched my heart and purse strings," said Barker.
The animals will travel in crates aboard a Russian cargo jet. No date has yet to be set for the flight.
Bob Barker Fed Up With
Toronto Zoo Management!
Fed up with the "shenanigans" of Toronto Zoo management, Bob Barker is backing off his commitment to donate $880,000 to fly the zoo's three African elephants to PAWS — unless there's an "ironclad guarantee" about the use of his money.
Read more here. . .
PAWS Sanctuaries
At PAWS Sanctuaries rescued animals live in peaceful and natural habitats, free from fear, chains, and harsh confinement. They are at complete liberty to act out natural behaviors in the comfort of their individually designed enclosures. PAWS' animals are not bred, traded, sold, rented or forced to perform in any way. PAWS educates the entertainment industry, public officials and the general public in humane care and treatment of captive wildlife.
Through our public awareness campaigns, more and more activeoncerned individuals are becoming aware of the problems inherent in the breeding of wildlife in captivity and the use of animals in entertainment. Learn More »
NEW PAWS' VIDEOS!
(Click on photos to view)
African Elephants: Rainy Day on the Mountain
Nicholas: Bath Time on Bull Mountain
Maggie on the Mountain: A Rainy Day in April
Prince: Rainy Day on Bull Mountain
Wanda & Gypsy: Rain Falls on ARK 2000
PAWS' Featured On
Exploratorium Museum's
Explo.TV
Explo.TV, an educational program of San Francisco's Exploratorium Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, produces 75 educational shows from the museum and locations around the world each year. One of these shows — "Driven: True Stories of Inspiration" — features a series of audio slide shows that present the human stories behind creative accomplishments. The latest installment entitled "Big Love", features Pat Derby, Ed Stewart and the elephants of ARK 2000. It is now available for viewing at the museum, or online.
To view "Big Love", click here.
The Exploratorium is located at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Founded in 1969 by physicist and educator Frank Oppenheimer, the museum offers visitors a variety of ways—including exhibits, webcasts, websites and events—to explore and understand the world around them. In 2011, the Exploratorium received the National Science Board 2011 Public Service Science Award for its contributions to public understanding of science and engineering. More than 600,000 people visit each year.
HR 3359
Traveling Exotic Animal
Protection Act (TEAPA)
Ground-breaking initiative on animal circuses
unveiled on Capitol Hill!
Renowned celebrity animal protectionist, Bob Barker (philanthropist and TV host of "The Price Is Right"), Jorja Fox (CSI actress), and Congressman Jim Moran, with Animal Defenders International and the Performing Animal Welfare Society, were at Congress for the launch of a ground-breaking initiative, HR 3359, that could spell the end to the use of wild animals in circuses.
A press conference was held where details of the bill were addressed. Read the text of this legislation, here.
What you can do! Click here.
The Show Must Not Go On!
It's time for animals to leave the circus.
Join our campaign, today!
"We should have realized by now that the animals in the circus are not ambassadors for their species, but rather sideshow victims in an industry that probably doesn't need them anyway. This is a common sense issue more than an animal rights issue." California Senator Dan McCorquodale made this statement more than 15 years ago.
"I hated circuses. . . I hated the way their keepers and trainers treated the elephants - the other animals too, but the elephants most of all. Elephants bring out a fury in many men as no other creature does; a rage to dominate and to hurt." Pat Derby made this statement in 1976 in her book, "The Lady & Her Tiger."
"Circuses have a limited ability to make improvements, such as increased space, environmental enrichment and appropriate social housing. . . We conclude that the species of non-domesticated animals currently kept in circuses appear the least suited to a circus life." This was a conclusion reached in a study conducted at the University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, UK, in 2009.
"The idea that it is funny to see wild animals coerced into acting like clumsy humans, or thrilling to see powerful beasts reduced to cringing cowards by a whip-cracking trainer is primitive and medieval." From Desmond Morris, former Director of London Zoo and noted animal behaviorist.
Isn't it time to stop the show?
Join our "The Show Must Not Go On" campaign to ban the use of live animals in circuses. Demand federal legislation. Please call or fax a letter to your Congressional representative today.
Charity Navigator once again
gives PAWS a 4-star rating.
For more information, click here.
December 21, 2011, Chicago Tribune
"Charities That Get Top Ratings"
Click here to read article.
PAWS
Performing Animal Welfare Society
PO Box 849, Galt, CA 95632
(209) 745-2606 Office/Sanctuary
(209) 745-1809 fax
info@pawsweb.org
