skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The owners of Have Trunk Will Travel, the California company at the center of this week's controversy over ownership and possession of the Oregon Zoo's newborn calf, sent this letter Thursday morning to the Seattle Times, disputing what they call "inaccurate and inflammatory news reports.":
December 6, 2012
Letter to the Editor
Seattle Times
Have
Trunk Will Travel would like to correct the inaccurate and inflammatory
news reports that led people to believe that we were going to take
Rose-Tu's calf from her. This unnecessary controversy has taken away
from the joy and celebration of the birth of the beautiful, healthy
elephant calf born to Rose-Tu and Tusko. She is being nursed and
nurtured by her mother. That is a great accomplishment. This birth
epitomizes what we work toward and what we care about.
Have Trunk Will Travel is a member of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums Species Survival Plan. We partner with zoos and others and
work together to enhance the propagation and survival of this endangered
species. The breeding loan agreement we have with the Oregon Zoo is
common among elephant holding facilities. We cooperate and collaborate
with many zoos.
We, along with our dedicated staff, care for our
elephants every day. We donate our time and money for the elephant
causes we believe in. We are proud to work with and for our elephants
and earn the revenue it takes to care for them and to support our
breeding program and the conservation work we contribute to.
We
regret that misinformation has caused our partners and the public
distress. The heavily edited video purporting abuse of our elephants
taken by an animal rights extremist group is being run along with the
story. The seven year old video is a blatant attempt to malign our
character and reputation. The video was at the heart of a lawsuit
brought against us by an animal rights extremist group. That case was
dismissed with prejudice. No legitimate animal welfare agency or
elephant management group has given the video any credence.
Everyone
at Have Trunk Will Travel is grateful for the outpouring of support
from our friends, fans, the elephant and zoo communities and especially
the Oregon Zoo. We look forward to meeting the new baby.
Gary and Kari Johnson
Have Trunk Will Travel, Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment