It is hard to believe that a few folks in this "intelligent world" are actually buying into this "ban the bull hook" insanity.

IDA once again needs your help to protect elephants at a proposed Florida holding/breeding facility to be constructed by a consortium of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) zoos.

The National Elephant Center received a permit in 2010 to build the facility in St. Lucie County, Florida, however, conditions addressing animal protection were attached to the construction permit. They included a prohibition on use of the bullhook, a steel-tipped metal rod resembling a fireplace poker that is used to control elephants through painful physical punishment and the threat of it.

Rather than comply with this important protection, the AZA backers looked for a new site. To ensure that animal protectors did not interfere with their plans this time, they applied for permits for the new Fellsmere, Florida, site using a fictitious name. The word “elephant” never appears in their application and related materials.

So far, the center has received permits from the city of Fellsmere and from the St. John’s Water Management District, both of which rushed through the center’s requests. Neither held a public hearing in which elephants were discussed, thus avoiding any attempts to force the center to provide humane treatment for elephants.

The center’s management plans do not differ much from that of zoos, and include breeding and a “revolving door” approach in which most elephants will be transferred into and out of the facility, preventing the establishment of healthy social groups and potentially separating bonded elephants or even mothers from their calves.

"Bovine calves grow up to become rib eye's and not "potentially" but "most assuredly" are separated from their mother's. Where are the nitwit's addressing that? That "bond" that is all the feel good rage at the moment, is a lot, lot shorter then most folks would honestly, intelligently, and factually care to admit."

IDA is seriously concerned for the welfare of any elephants who may be placed at the center, especially as the facility would not be subject to state open records law so no information could be obtained about their health and welfare. And we are extremely troubled by the close ties between at least two of the zoos on the center’s board of directors and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

"Why not establish close ties with one of the most successful elephant breeding programs in the world? Makes a lot of sense to me?

Has anyone ever seen a horse galled by some amateur riding them in an ill fitting saddle? Let's ban saddles. Ever seen a horse with bruised bar's because of some heavy handed nit wit? Let's ban bit's. Ever seen a horse with bloody flank's because some psychopath didn't know how to use a spur properly? Let's ban spurs. While we are at it, let's ban ice picks because some lunatic used one to kill someone else, instead of breaking off chunks of ice. Then let's ban scalpels, screw the doctor's, because some sick twist used one to maim someone else. Get real folks. Time to address the problem, not the cause. Then we won't have to ban chains, because some moron put it on his dog too tight, left him tied to a tree unattended where he strangled himself to death. Then we won't be walking around with our pant's down around our knee's because we banned belt's, because someone deserving of death, beat a child with one."