Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 11/10/2008 06:24 PM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 11/10/2008 08:41 PM
Expires: 01/01/2013 12:00 AM
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PAWS Agrees to Build a Permanent Home for Seized Bull Elephant, Ned
San Andreas, CA....Plans are already underway at PAWS to expand the ARK2000 Bull elephant habitat. On Saturday, November 8, Ned, a severely underweight 21-year-old captive born, male Asian elephant, was confiscated by the USDA. He was confiscated from a circus trainer for failure to comply with the Animal Welfare Act....
PAWS has agreed to provide a permanent home for Ned as soon as he is strong enough to make the trip to California. An expansion of the existing bull elephant barn and habitat at ARK 2000 will begin immediately. Ned will occupy the Galt sanctuary's bull elephant area until construction is complete in San Andreas.
Ned's history is as follows:
Ned was born in 1987 in Tampa, Florida, one of the few elephants born in captivity to survive into adulthood.
His parents were Josie and Vance, both captured as babies in Southeast Asia.
Ned and his parents were the property of elephant trainer and circus performer, Roman Schmitt.
Mr. Schmitt was manager of the Busch Gardens' elephant breeding program.
At the age of two, Ned was sold to a circus elephant trainer named Buckles Woodcock.
Ned performed in the Big Apple Circus.
When the Big Apple Circus removed elephants from their line-up, Mr. Woodcock transferred Ned to Lance Ramos, another circus trainer and performer.
Recently, it was reported that Lance Ramos and Ned were performing in California with the Royal Hannaford traveling circus.
PAWS was founded in 1984 to protect and provide sanctuary to abused, abandoned and retired performing animals and captive wildlife. The 2300 acre ARK 2000 Sanctuary was constructed in 2002.
The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has lobbied USDA and Congress since 1987 to end the use of elephants in traveling shows.
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