Protest marks year since baby elephant's death [Raging Moonbat Alert!]

Seattle Post Intelligencer ^ | 6/6/2008 | CLAIRE TRAGESER

[markomalley]

Wind, rain and bitter cold could not keep five determined women from sending their message to Woodland Park Zoo: An elephant never forgets.

The women, representing three animal activist organizations, went to the zoo Friday morning to remember Hansa, the zoo's baby elephant, who died one year ago, and to protest the zoo's decision to once again impregnate Hansa's mother, Chai.

The activists claim that because Hansa died of herpes, Chai might also carry the disease and could pass it on if she had another child.

"If she has another baby and it dies, she won't recover," said Nancy Farnam, the campaign coordinator for the Northwest Animal Rights Network. "She'll never forget this. Setting her up to lose another child is unconscionable."

Holding bushels of pink and red carnations and a bright pink sign that read, "Hansa's Dead, Never Again," Farnam and the other volunteers waited at the zoo entrance for patrons to pass by.

"I heard there will be three different school groups here today," said Alyne Fortgang, another protester and the co-founder of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants.

When a group of high school students from the International School in Bellevue arrived, Fortgang leapt into action. She approached the group and offered each student a pamphlet and a carnation with an attached slip of paper that read, "In loving memory of Hansa."

"We want the public to know that the zoo is at high risk for herpes, and that they should demand that breeding be stopped," Fortgang said. "No more babies should die the way Hansa did."

Bruce Bohmke, the deputy director of the zoo, disagreed.

"They are not aware of the facts, or not using the facts accurately," he said. "About a month and a half ago, we met with these women and told them all about herpes, and that you can't pass herpes through artificial insemination, but that's not what they're saying today."

Bohmke said that contrary to the activists' claims, another baby from Chai would not be more likely to get sick. He also disputed Farnam's assertion that Chai is still grieving Hansa's death and will be inconsolable if another child dies.

"She's fine," he said. "After a couple of days, from what I've read, they move on."

Instead, Bohmke said that depriving Chai of another pregnancy is cruel.

"We care deeply for these elephants from the day they come here to the day they die," he said. "Any inference that we don't care offends us."

[beaversmom]

If she gets pregnant, will they protest that she have an abortion?