eleblog

“When you think of “snowbirds” and “retirees” in Florida, you may have to expand your definition to include elephants, chimpanzees and other wild creatures.” - ScrippsNews

“Representatives from the National Elephant Center, a coalition of zoos from around the country, had preliminary talks last month with the county about its planned facility in western St. Lucie County. The organization’s board of directors will meet this week to discuss the center’s progress.” - TCPalm

“A 300-acre compound where elephants can roam and graze while their handlers are trained will be built in western St. Lucie County, officials said Wednesday.” - Palm Beach Post

“The circus is in town and late Monday night the plucky pachyderms of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus lumbered off the train in Orlando.” - Central Florida News 13

“Conservationists and scientists from around the world gathered for the 2007 International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium, in Orlando, Florida. The Symposium was hosted by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation(R) and the International Elephant Foundation (IEF), and was held in conjunction with a two day global Conference on Elephant Tuberculosis Research. The Conference brought together experts in human and animal medicine, including veterinarians, pathologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, internists, geneticists, and animal management experts, to discuss the current state of tuberculosis (TB) research for elephants.” - Earth Times

“Elephant Encounter, a Florida-based business, is bringing two elephants to the Washington County Fair next week for what owner Bill Morris says is an educational program. The show has drawn criticism from animal activists.” - TriCities.com

“Janice Aria, manager of animal stewardship for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, says the Asian elephants were first added to the endangered species list three decades ago. “It is a very grave situation. They estimated there are only 35,000 to 50,000 remaining in the wild. And the situation in the wild gets more grave each year for the elephants. There is tremendous economic development in their range countries. Unfortunately, the elephants don’t fit in.”" - VOA News

“Brian Franzen doesn’t own a house. The only building on his Florida ranch is an elephant barn.” - JournalStar.com

“The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s bull elephant is a father, but he won’t be around to help with those 4 a.m. feedings.” - PittsburghLIVE.com

“In the Wyoming badlands, an area of severe erosion, researchers have found fossils of an elephant shrew, which is in the same family as elephants, aardvarks and sea cows, said Jonathan Bloch, a paleontologist with UF?s Florida Museum of Natural History.” - The Independent Florida Alligator

“Spelman said the zoo’s new Asian animal display, now under construction, will provide ideal habitats for Asian elephants, the return of the zoo’s Asian rhinos from a Florida breeding site, and room for a new Asian otter display where those animals may successfully breed. ” - nbc4.com

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said a plan to import 11 African elephants to San Diego and Florida will be good for the Swaziland parks where the animals are located and won’t harm the elephants, as critics have charged. ” - SignOnSanDiego.com