http://www.pawsweb.org/news_and_alerts_ned.html
Word has it, unconfirmed that Ned will eventually be going to this facility in California, as the facility in Tennessee is not able to hand male elephants. I wonder how many private places that had them were/are able too. I was involved belly deep in a Government seizure and possibly I look at the whole situation a whole lot differently than a lot of other folks. My way of thinking has been formulated on only one factor, and that is what was better for the animal, and they did not go to a worse place. Normally, when something like this happens there is a flurry of speculation/opinions, and then it dies away. I think the most important thing that needs to be addressed, if there is to be any understanding/change at is is WHY. WHY did it happen? WHY did it get to this point? I have a couple of things that I hope will get addressed:
1. Why was there pictures of Ned on two circus blogs working, that have now disappeared? Dan the Booker cleared up the Maine Dates for us, so maybe he can start by telling us why the Ned pictures have disappeared of of his blog?
2. Did Wayne McCary see Ned working on the Maine date, that he produced up until this year, as I have been told? Word is he was there, but he has not confirmed or denied. How does that bode for OABA's mission statement and the mission statement of the new Federation du Cirque?
3. I don't know if I would blame the person to took him to the dates, as being the most responsible. If he had not been offered the date, chances are the elephant would not have been in the public eye.
4. If as has been stated that elephants are herd bound, why was this elephant not left with his herd mates? Word has it because he is castrated, and was of no use to a breeding program where the others went. If he is castrated, what is the issue with him staying in Tennessee? He is not really a "male" in the true sense of the word.
5. PAWS I was under the impression, would have a facility ready for Nic within a couple of months of his arrival. Their site has not been updated for quite some time, and just recently because of the Ned issue has updated. I was stunned to learn the facility has not been completed, and that was the why they were awarded the care of Nic and Gyp initally, over Tippi Hendrens facility.
Does anybody know what is really going on, or as I stated earlier does everybody just wash there hands of it as quick as possible, and move on?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Nic and Gyp
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
6 comments:
Wade,
Your questions are timely and appropriate. We won't truly be on the way out of this tangled web without a clear understanding of how it occurred.
I am certainly no expert nor have I any involvement in this matter. I have no judgment to profess about it nor am I perfect in all that I do. I like to believe that people inherently do the best they can. I simply want to understand how Ned came to be in the state he is in and what is being done to help him.
Everyone could learn from the circumstances if they could be known. Keep on being the squeaky wheel. K
Kitty,
Thank you, but rest assured the "squeaky" wheel is a hateful place to be sometimes. One of the hardest things for me to accept in a lot of this, is the people themselves passing judgment, or not passing judgment know so little about the animals we are discussing. It still bothers me that many people saw that animal working, and it took the pictures of one person to shut it down. Didn't anybody else watching the show, or buying a ride for their children notice anything wrong. Why did I have to keep telling people who have looked at many many animals to look at the lion on the tape before they finally saw what was there. That is real disturbing to me. Yet they can as a rule tell you when a dog is being mistreated, or in poor shape.
Wade
The problem with being a "squeaky wheel" in this business is that, it is a tight enough club, you may not be in the business anymore. Myself, as a private contractor, would do myself little good by pointing a finger at the producers that hired him in the shape he was in. That said, I have signed my name, they know who I am, regardless of the consequences, IT WAS WRONG TO LET THAT ANIMAL WORK IN THAT CONDITION! Now saying that may cost me a few green backs somewhere down the road, but to me it is worth it to not end up lumped into the same pile with them. Wrong is wrong, no matter who is or isn't paying you. I also feel that the anonymous people voicing opinions on this matter are half hearted at best, if they truly believed what they were saying they could ante up and put a name to it. I believe most people want whats best for the most part, why cow tow to a couple of people that care for you about as much as they did the elephant?
I agree with Casey, many anonymous postings have been let through on these discussions recently. Hmmm...
A question that has not been addressed yet, does PAWS plan on cohabitating these two males, or do they have separate facilites for both? It is my understanding Ned was a fighter with other elephants. In addition, I assume it's irrelevent due to their philosophy but Ned may be dominant over Nic due to age and character, if they are kept in the same faciltiy. Would the castration affect this? Is it relevent (that Nic will ever breed)? And how does this scenario work at Ringling with both full bulls and castrated males?
Ryan,
Anonymous is acceptable as long as I know who they are, and they are not taking personal/unsubstantiated shots at an individual. They may not necessarily be anti establishment, they may be the establishment.
Wade
Anonymous,
No more posts and no more links until you sign you name.
Wade
Post a Comment