Elephants trade sunny Florida for snowy Rochester, New York

For Immediate Release: April 22, 2015

(Jacksonville, FL) — Last week, two African elephants were transferred from the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York.

The two female elephants, Moki and Chana, joined two elephants already at the zoo in Rochester.

Sadly, this is only the most recent move for the two elephants. Moki and Chana arrived in Jacksonville from the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kansas in October 2006. In return, the Jacksonville Zoo moved a different pair of elephants (“Missy” and “Kimba”) to Kansas. The swap was an (unsuccessful) experiment designed to encourage Moki and Chana to breed with a male elephant at the Jacksonville Zoo.

“Too often, zoos trade elephants like baseball cards, without the best interest of the individual elephant in mind,” said ARFF Campaigns Coordinator Nick Atwood. “The two Florida elephants have a future of harsh winters to look forward to. In Rochester, Moki and Chana will likely spend more time confined indoors, especially during the winter months.”

# # #

“Man vs. Greyhound” Event Cancelled

For Immediate Release: April 2, 2015

(Longwood, FL) — Students from Lyman High School will no longer participate in “Man vs. Greyhound,” an annual event in which football players from the school raced greyhounds at the Sanford-Orlando Kennel Club. The event raised funds for greyhound adoptions, but was opposed by animal welfare activists.

Local residents Bryan and Carla Wilson, who became greyhound advocates after adopting a rescued greyhound, appealed to the school not to associate itself with the cruel greyhound racing industry. Between May 2013 and July 2014, 19 dogs were reported to have died at the Sanford-Orlando Kennel Club — one of the highest death rates among Florida tracks. The Wilson’s provided the school with over 100 fundraising ideas for the students, so they could continue to support greyhound adoption.

This week, Lyman High School Principal Brian Urichko confirmed that the event would not go forward in 2015 with students from the school. (The school mascot is a greyhound.)

“Having had the pleasure of sharing a home with a rescued greyhound and working with local adoptions, we know how special these dogs are and how horrible the racing industry is,” said Bryan Wilson, who also acts as Central Florida Coordinator for the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. “We are thankful that Lyman made the decision to cancel the Man vs Greyhound event. The students not only had no business at a gambling institution, but no business being used as a public relations props by SOKC.”

# # #