Zoo's Senior Vet Speaks to CBC Metro Morning about Tuberculosis

On 26-Sep-2012, Dr. Graham Crawshaw, senior veterinarian at the Toronto Zoo, spoke with Piya Chattopadhyay on CBC Metro Morning regarding tuberculosis at PAWS.

To hear the audio interview: click here.
To hear the audio interview: click here (cbc.ca).

The Globe and Mail also reported:

Dr. Crawshaw said he is not satisfied PAWS has sufficient quarantine measures in place to protect the Toronto animals. “Based on what I know, I cannot recommend it,” he said about the planned move. -- source: Globe and Mail (25-Sep-2012)

See also: Toronto Zoo Releases Documents About Elephant Issues
See also: Tuberculosis is a Deal-Breaker

Toronto Zoo Releases Documents About Elephant Issues

At a press conference held on 25-Sep-2012 at the Toronto Zoo, the Toronto Zoo released a press package titled "Several Outstanding Items Remain Including Major Health Concerns Regarding the Transfer of the Toronto Zoo Elephants".
CEO John Tracogna and senior veterinarian Dr. Graham Crawshaw identified four major issues:

1. Permits
2. Final Transportation Plan
3. Crates and Training
4. Medical and Health Records

View the Toronto Zoo's press release for full details about each of these four major issues.

Included in the press package were several supporting documents from 3rd-parties.

See: Toronto Zoo press package, 25-Sep-2012 (includes supporting documents)
See: Toronto Zoo press release, 25-Sep-2012 (on Canada Newswire)

See also: Zoo's Senior Vet Speaks to CBC Metro Morning about Tuberculosis

Public Gave Input at Toronto Zoo Board Meeting

At the meeting of the Board of Management of the Toronto Zoo on 25-Sep-2012, the residents of Toronto were given the opportunity to make deputations. Four speakers were scheduled; however, only Lisa Selby and Peter Cusimano made presentations.

Lisa Selby from Zoos Matter spoke about medical issues, and Peter Cusimano spoke on the issue of due diligence.

• Speakers list
• Submission by Peter Cusimano

City Council to be Asked to Cancel Elephant Move to PAWS

The following is an excerpt from Newstalk 1010:

Next month, when the [Toronto Zoo] board updates the [City Council] executive committee on the status of the move, councillor Giorgio Mammoliti says he will introduce a motion asking council to cancel the move to PAWS altogether. -- source: Newstalk 1010
See also: Toronto Zoo Releases Documents About Elephant Issues

Time to Terminate Agreement with PAWS

The time has come for the Toronto Zoo to terminate its agreement with PAWS. Questions arising from the due diligence process cannot indefinitely remain unsatisfactorily answered.

The Toronto Star is reporting today that "over the past several months, the zoo has accused Zoocheck/PAWS of failing to hand over all the medical records it is seeking. A major concern has been reports of tuberculosis at the U.S. facility."

There are also reports that the Zoo has not signed off on a transportation plan. The plan calls for flying these three elderly elephant for several hours in a cargo plane's cargo bay which is only partially pressurized. It is recommended that the humans wear oxygen masks. Is it safe and humane to fly three elderly elephants in a partially pressurized cargo bay where it is recommended that humans wear oxygen masks?

If the due diligence process cannot be satisfied within a reasonable time then the proper thing to do is for the Toronto Zoo to exercise its legal right to end the agreement to send the elephants to PAWS.

Section 17 of the agreement states:

17. If, as a result of its due diligence review of ARK 2000 and PAWS, the CEO is not satisfied that ARK 2000 and/or PAWS are suitable or financially viable to care for the Elephants, the CEO shall report to the Board and to Toronto City Council of this decision and the reasons therefor. If the CEO's decision is affirmed by the Board and Toronto City Council, the Board may terminate this Agreement upon written notice to PAWS in which event this Agreement shall be null and void and neither party shall have recourse against the other party.

The Toronto Star in its editorial on 29-Aug-2012 stated, "City council made a Jumbo mistake last year when it voted to send three elephants to an unaccredited sanctuary rather than an accredited zoo. In doing so, politicians rejected a decision by the zoo’s board and advice from the zoo’s own experts."

It is time to do the right thing and terminate the agreement and look at alternatives.

See also: Tuberculosis is a Deal-Breaker.
See also: Toronto Zoo Releases Documents About Elephant Issues
Update: Council Could Make a New Elephant Decision in Next Month

Tuberculosis is a Deal-Breaker

Are City councillors listening to the USDA and Toronto Zoo professionals?
The following excerpts are from the Toronto Star:

Toronto Star (24-Sep-2012):

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also found that two other elephants that died at PAWS within the past two years also tested positive for [tuberculosis] TB, according to necropsy reports. -- source: Toronto Star (24-Sep-2012)

Toronto Star (19-Jun-2012):

Like Rebecca, Sabu, an Asian male, also had mycobacterium tuberculosis in his lung tissue. USDA spokesperson David Sacks said Tuesday the agency considers that to mean positive and “infectious’’ cases of [tuberculosis] TB. -- source: Toronto Star (19-Jun-2012)

Toronto Star (14-Jun-2012):

City councillors who support sending the Toronto Zoo's African elephants to the PAWS sanctuary in California insist the three should go despite a lab test this week showing that an elephant at the [PAWS] U.S. facility tested positive for [tuberculosis] TB. -- source: Toronto Star (14-Jun-2012)

Document links:

• California State Health documents
• PAWS photos
• PAWS elephant history

     -- source: Zoos Matter

The Future of Toronto Zoo Governance

Highlights of the Toronto Zoo Board meeting on September 5, 2012:

Video - CTV news coverage:

(UPDATE: Video no longer available.)
Click image to play video. News item starts at time marker 3:30.

Official Report:

Click report cover image to view official report:
The Future of Toronto Zoo Governance

Decision Document:

For the offical record of what the Board of Management of the Toronto Zoo decided at the meeting, see:

• Minutes
• Decision Document
• Agenda Item History

The Globe and Mail - Shakeup distances zoo from city council:

“We have to take the politics out of this board,” said Toronto Councillor Mark Grimes, describing the involvement of city council in the decision to move the three elephants as a “fiasco.”

     -- source: The Globe and Mail, 5-Sep-2012

Toronto Star - Toronto Zoo board members seek to end city funding:

If approved by the city, the plan will create an oversight body called the Toronto Zoological Society headed by a 24-member board which will include leaders from the corporate world and the community, but no city councilors.

     -- source: Toronto Star, 5-Sep-2012

Scarborough Mirror - Toronto Zoo’s board of directors calls for change to facility’s governance:

Toronto Council forced the zoo to accept transfer of its elephants to a non-accredited California sanctuary after the board decided on sending the animals to another zoo. Dr. Cal Bricker, chairperson of the zoo board’s governance committee, said the episode was a perfect example of people using the board “as a political forum” and creating “a large distraction from doing what we have to do” to improve the zoo and draw in more partnerships and donations. “It’s unclear who runs the zoo” at present...

     -- source: Scarborough Mirror, 7-Sep-2012

Toronto Star - Zoo must go back to future:

"The model that the current zoo board proposes is very similar to the one upon which the zoo was founded in the early 1970s. I was the first membership secretary for the Metropolitan Toronto Zoological Society, a non-profit organization that operated the Metro Toronto Zoo (as it was then called) ..." -- Catherine Brydon.

     -- source: Toronto Star, 10-Sep-2012