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Privacy Policy for the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) PAWS assures unambiguously that: (1) PAWS will not trade, share or sell a donor’s personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations. (2) In special circumstances, PAWS will only share personal information once the donor has given PAWS specific permission to do so. Read more here.


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 ASIAN AND AFRICAN ELEPHANTS


The five elephant habitats at ARK 2000 provide the elephants with hundreds of acres of varied natural terrain to roam, lakes and pools to bathe in, and elephant barns equipped with heated stalls and a indoor therapy pool.
Learn More »

 

 

 

Take the Pledge for Bears!

At PAWS, we care for bears every day. (One of our bears, Ben, is pictured above.) Bears get far less notice than exotic animals like elephants and tigers – although once you learn more about bears, they’re just as fascinating.

As part of our Take the Pledge for Bears campaign, PAWS has been drawing attention to an animal that deserves more of our respect and protection in the wild and in captivity. For example: Each month in our newsletters during 2023, we provided interesting and sometimes little-known facts about bears – their intelligence, agility, and complex behaviors.

Read our 2023 newsletters here.

Captive bears are overlooked animals – and they suffer more than you know. YOU can make a difference!

Click here to learn more, sign our petition, and take the pledge for bears!

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Pictured: PAWS' rescued tigers Morris and Rosemary

 

You Can Help Captive Tigers!

By far, the largest number of animals rescued by PAWS are tigers – making them one of the animals most desperately in need of your help. We have rescued tigers from cub petting operations, circuses, roadside zoos, and private owners.

Caring for tigers is expensive. It costs $20,000 to care for one healthy tiger for a year – about $400 a week per big cat. That’s why we need your help.

Your donation to PAWS works in two important ways:

You provide rescued tigers with large habitats filled with trees, grass, pools, and native vegetation. Our expert staff provides daily care, veterinary attention, nutritious food, and 24/7 monitoring.

You support PAWS’ efforts to end the exploitation of tigers for entertainment. Click here to learn more.

 

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PAWS Co-Founder Pat Derby:

Remembering a Legendary Figure for Captive Wildlife

On February 15, 2013, we mourned the passing of Pat Derby, who co-founded PAWS with partner and PAWS President Ed Stewart. Pat truly was legendary, known for her ferocity in the battle against animal abusers and her relentless drive to end the exploitation of captive wild animals used for entertainment – whether in circuses, film and TV, the exotic “pet” trade, or zoos.

Pat’s early career as a well-known Hollywood animal trainer planted the seeds for her later rescue and advocacy work. No longer able to tolerate the behind-the-scenes abuse of captive wildlife used for film, TV and advertising, Pat wrote a tell-all book, The Lady and Her Tiger (1976). For the first time, the public got an inside look at a shocking world they never even knew existed. This launched her life’s work to educate the public about the suffering of wild animals for entertainment, and to rescue and provide sanctuary for those in need. In 1984, Pat and Ed founded PAWS to fully realize that vision.

PAWS continues this important work under Ed’s able leadership, always working harder and reaching higher in order to change the world for captive wildlife. While she may not have considered herself to be a legend, no one who met Pat could ever forget her and her great passion for animals. She left an indelible mark on the world and our hearts – and she will never be forgotten.

PAWS ARK 2000 SANCTUARY


At PAWS ARK 2000 Sanctuary rescued animals live in peaceful, 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 actively concerned individuals are becoming aware of the problems inherent in the breeding of wildlife in captivity and the use of animals in entertainment. Learn More »

 

 

PAWS Celebrates 40 Years

2024 marks a milestone anniversary for PAWS: 40 years of rescuing captive wildlife in need and providing these animals with lifelong sanctuary.

At the same time we have been fighting to end the suffering of captive wild animals used for entertainment and profit.

Of course, we could never have come this far without your support!

The late Pat Derby and I knew this when we established PAWS in 1984. If we were to bring about real change for captive wild animals, we could not do it alone.

I truly appreciate each and every one of you. And I want you to know how very important you are to the animals we care for at the sanctuary – and those yet to be rescued from exploitation and abuse.

In 2024, PAWS will work even harder to further our mission of rescue, sanctuary, advocacy, and education. We’re counting on you to be right there alongside us as PAWS begins another vital chapter in our lifesaving work for wild animals.

Thank you from all of us at PAWS – staff, Board, and volunteers!

Ed Stewart

PAWS Co-founder, President and CEO

 

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African elephants Mara (left) and Thika use their trunks to grab leaves high up in trees. Thika uses the fence to increase her reach.

 

The Powerful, Multi-Use

Elephant Trunk

Caring for our seven Asian and African elephants – Lulu, Toka, Gypsy, Thika, Mara, Prince, and Nicholas – we are reminded of just how amazing these animals are. We see the evidence of it each and every day, including when it comes to the wonder that is the elephant’s trunk.

Elephants use their powerful trunks – the fusion of the elephant’s upper lip and nose – for everything from drinking water, foraging, bathing, smelling, exploring, tossing dust and mud onto their bodies, picking up and manipulating objects, blowing objects away or sniffing them in, signaling aggression, producing sounds, tactile contact with other elephants, and other behaviors.

At the ARK 2000 sanctuary, we have witnessed the incredible physical strength of an elephant, who can pull down huge tree limbs and move them around with ease (we’re thinking about you, Mara!). That’s no surprise when you consider that an elephant’s trunk is capable of lifting over 700 pounds.

The trunk itself can weigh up to 300 pounds, and its musculature makes it extraordinarily flexible. There are eight major muscles on either side of the trunk (which does not have bones), and one central muscle between nasal passages. However, there are about 150,000 fascicles (bundles of muscle fibers surrounded by connective tissue) that work together with the major muscles and give the trunk its great flexibility.

One of the differences between Asian and African elephants – which are two different species – is the number of “fingers” at the end of the trunk. These fingers allow for great dexterity.

Asian elephants have one “finger” that can be used to curl around and scoop up food, whereas African elephants have “two fingers” that allow them to firmly grasp items such as blades of grass. The skin of the trunk tip actually differs from that of the surrounding skin, with a high density of nerve endings, making it very sensitive.

Elephant trunks also have numerous whiskers, with the most found near the sensitive tip. Elephant whiskers do not actually “whisk” (quickly and repeatedly sweep back and forth) like a rat, nor are they as exquisitely sensitive. The flexibility of the trunk allows the whiskers to do their job of providing sensory input, although their role is more for sensing coarse tactile stimuli.

The trunk gives elephants great reach. We often see the elephants at PAWS extend their trunks high up into the trees in their habitats to grab leaves or acorns. Elephants can extend their trunks quite far – about six to 6.5 feet or even longer. That’s why we always take serious precautions around our elephants in order to protect caregivers.

Water is essential for an elephant – for drinking and bathing – which is why our elephants always have access to fresh water. Elephants drink water by sucking it into their trunk and spraying it into the mouth. Researchers found that an elephant can suck up three liters of water per second – a speed 30 times faster than a human sneeze. They also can dilate their nostrils to create more space in their trunks and hold up to 5.5 liters of water.

The trunk’s multifaceted use and flexibility are truly a wonder and part of what makes elephants such interesting and exceptional animals.

Do you have a question about elephants, tigers, or bears? Send it to us and we may write a newsletter item based on your question. Send your questions to PAWS Director of Science, Research and Public Policy Catherine Doyle at cdoyle@pawsweb.org.

Article references include: The functional anatomy of elephant trunk whiskers, Deiringer et al. (2023); Suction feeding by elephants, Schulz et al. (2021); Frequently Asked Questions About Elephants, Shoshani & Foley (2000).

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Have You Taken the Pledge

to Help Elephants?

PAWS has launched a new campaign called Take the Pledge! to bring attention to the use of elephants for tourism and elephant “encounters” overseas and in the U.S. The only way to stop this form of exploitation is through education and by decreasing demand for these attractions. Read more about PAWS' "Take the Pledge" campaign here.

 

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VIEW OUR AMAZON WISH LIST

 

 

PAWS
Performing Animal Welfare Society
PO Box 849, Galt, CA 95632

(209) 745-2606 Office/Sanctuary
(209) 745-1809 fax
info@pawsweb.org

 
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