Dear Packy:
Today would have been your 61st birthday (14 April 1962).
As with all elephants born in captivity you never knew the life that you so deserved to have.
Baby Packy and his Mama Belle
You could have experienced the freedom of roaming the massive grounds of a sanctuary at any point in your captive life (the closest existence a captive elephant has to live life as an elephant) but selfish humans intervened and you were denied that.
We are sorry we couldn’t have done better for you and other captive elephants in your lifetime.
Because of you we keep advocating for the release of other zoo elephants, as we did for you.
When will humans realize that zoos are such a thing of the past? Wildlife sanctuaries (elephant sanctuaries) are the only alternative for captive or abused elephants to give your species any quality of life.
But then, sadly, during your life, you already knew that…
Forever your humble servant,
Savannah Crisp
Images: cc wikimedia Packy Oregon Zoo (1)
& CCFlickr by 1950sUnlimited Packy and Mama, Belle at Portland Zoo (2)
Sources:
(1) https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=oregon+zoo+elephant&title=Special:Search&profile=
advanced&fulltext=1&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=
1#/media/File:Oregon_zoo_elephant_P1537.jpeg
(2) https://www.flickr.com/photos/blakta2/8444936755/sizes/o/
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** RE: the Category AbZOOlutely Not** or The Controversy of Zoos & Others Keeping Elephants in Captivity. While there are some Zoos & others that demonstrate exemplary methods of elephant care, unfortunately, they do not represent the “lion’s share”.
Our elephant Packy (here in 2006) at the Oregon Zoo in Portland