SLIDE 2

This picture is the only place I know of in North America that has a normal social structure for elephants. And in this picture are three elephants all with different mothers who are within six months of age. They are Rama, Lu-chi and Sun-surin. This picture was taken in 1983. And it's an example of what I think we should be doing with elephants. We should be exhibiting them in normal social environments. This picture is the only place I know of in North America that has a normal social structure for elephants.

In this picture is an older female elephant, her two mature daughters, and the three of their most recent calves. That's a normal social structure. And I think in zoos we need to provide that for our elephants. I think it's wrong for us to have elephants in zoos that don't have the opportunity to reproduce, that don't have the opportunity to socialize within a family group, and that don't have the opportunity to raise their young. It's a tremendously enriching life for an elephant to have that opportunity.

We watched that with Shanthi and her calf, and how she was just as content as anything to be a mom and to be around that baby. And we want to continue that; we want to have more babies here, and we want to build a normal social structure for our elephants. I think if we do that, and provide them with the stimulation that's proper, they can have a good life here in the Zoo.