Tuberculosis Risks In the African Elephant Herd At PAWS Sanctuary

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Amber Banks
6 years ago
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1 Tuberculosis Risks In the African Elephant Herd At PAWS Sanctuary

2 45,000 population Calaveras County There are 2 confirmed cases of human tuberculosis in Calaveras County There is one known case of tuberculosis transmission to a human at PAWS, which is located in Calaveras County. We can assume of the two cases in the county one of them is the known case at PAWS The strains of these human cases do not match any know strain of tuberculosis which has been cultured in the tuberculosis+ elephants at PAWS The tuberculosis strain in humans in this county does have a match to an elephant. An elephant named Calle which is now deceased from tuberculosis. Calle has never lived at PAWS or in Calaveras County. PAWS is the only facility in Calaveras county which houses elephants BUT Calle did live with elephants which have died from tuberculosis. There is a documented tuberculosis connection and avenue of transmission which could have carried Calle s strain of Calle lived with: tuberculosis to Calaveras County and PAWS. Annie and Gita and for a short time with Tinkerbelle. Calle and Annie DIED from tuberculosis Gita went on to live at LA Zoo with an African elephant named Ruby. LA had a mysterious outbreak of tuberculosis among multiple species in Annie dies from tuberculosis at LA Zoo in 1997 After Gita died with no cause of death determined Ruby went on to live at PAWS sanctuary. She shared a barn with both African and Asian elephants. For a short time Tinkerbelle also lived in this barn at PAWS There are NO tissue cultures available for Ruby and Tinkerbelle. Ruby died in March 2011 with no cause of death determined. She had suspicious masses upon necropsy which were NOT CULTURED.

With a population of just 45,000 and only one facility housing elephants, as of February 2013 there were 2 confirmed cases of human tuberculosis in Calaveras County There is one known case of

3 With a population of just 45,000 and only one facility housing elephants, as of February 2013 there were 2 confirmed cases of human tuberculosis in Calaveras County There is one known case of tuberculosis transmission to a human at PAWS, which is located in Calaveras County. We can assume of the two cases in the county is the one known case at PAWS. SABU REBECCA ANNIE Here are the genotypes of the known strains of tuberculosis at PAWS sanctuary (not all deceased elephants had tissue cultures done most notable Ruby and 71 (African elephants) and Asian Tinkerbelle) Rebecca and Sabu both had 2nd strains of tuberculosis different from diagnosed tuberculosis from 10 years previous. Rebecca s 2nd strain had no match in the global tuberculosis databases. It is new to elephants. Neither of the two 2nd additional strains match Calle s tuberculosis. But somehow Calle s strain of tuberculosis has managed to infect two people in Calaveras County and one of those human cases as indicated in California State Health documents accessed via freedom of information IS LOCATED AT PAWS SANCTUARY. How did it get there? And were any of the deceased elephants where no tissue cultures were done at time of death infected with this strain? Why is this important? It is important because there is a direct connection of this strain of tuberculosis and the potential elephants carrying or infected by it to the PAWS Sanctuary. Most importantly one of those elephants is the African species, two if you include Lulu. The Toronto Zoo elephants are African elephants and they are being sent into a herd with infinite tuberculosis unknowns. There is evidence that despite many negative trunk wash results elephants at PAWS were in fact full blown infected with tuberculosis. Rebecca was one of those elephants.

BELOW IS THE GENOTYPE (GENETIC MARKERS) FOR THE STRAIN OF TUBERCULOSIS FROM CALLE AN ELEPHANT WHICH NEVER LIVED AT PAWS AND NEVER LIVED IN CALAVERAS COUNTY *Information gathered from USDA/APHIS

4 BELOW IS THE GENOTYPE (GENETIC MARKERS) FOR THE STRAIN OF TUBERCULOSIS FROM CALLE AN ELEPHANT WHICH NEVER LIVED AT PAWS AND NEVER LIVED IN CALAVERAS COUNTY *Information gathered from USDA/APHIS documents accessed via Freedom of Information requests. CALLE TWO DOCUMENTED HUMAN CASES OF TUBERCULOSIS IN CALAVERAS COUNTY HOW DOES CALLE S STRAIN OF TUBERCULOSIS GET TO CALAVERAS COUNTY? CALLE NEVER LIVED IN CALAVERAS COUNTY. SHE LIVED AT: HAVE TRUNK WILL TRAVEL LA ZOO AND DIED AT SAN FRANSISCO ZOO SHE ALSO LIVED WITH: ANNIE DEAD AT LA ZOO FROM TB GITA DEAD AT LA ZOO *WITH NO CAUSE OF DEATH DETERMINED AND NO TISSUE CULTURES TINKERBELLE DEAD FOOT AILMENTS DEAD AT PAWS FROM SAN FRANCISCO ZOO/NO TISSUE CULTURES *GITA LIVED WITH RUBY FOR 2 YEARS AT LA ZOO

5 FOIA INDICATES THAT NONE OF THE ELEPHANTS AT HAVE TRUNK WILL TRAVEL HAD/HAVE MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS

8 According to the zoo s official statement made on September 25, 2012 not all medical records on African elephants requested by the zoo had been provided by PAWS. There is documented proof that the African elephants shared a barn with Asians for over 6 years. One supporting statement written by Pat Derby herself: An excerpt from the eulogy that was written for Tinkerbelle, Asian elephant who lived with TB+ elephant named Calle prior to her arrival to PAWS. Tinkerbelle lived for only 3mnths at PAWS and then passed away. "After her companion, Calle, died, Tinkerbelle was alone at night when her keepers left for the day. At ARK 2000, she slept in the barn with five other elephants - Minnie, Rebecca and Annie, the Asian elephants, and 71 and Mara, the African elephants. Nights in our barn are filled with rumbles, squeaks, trumpets, snores and flatulence which delighted the newcomer who soon joined in and became the loudest of the group. Tinkerbelle and our Asian elephants bonded quickly and she slept close to Annie every night." Ruby had a similar quarantine procedure and was introduced into the African herd after just 10 days despite coming from a facility which: Had a tuberculosis outbreak in multiple species Lived with Gita, an Asian elephant which died and had previously lived with Annie (dead from tuberculosis) and Calle (dead from tuberculosis) and Tinkerbelle (@San Francisco Zoo) Was treated for tuberculosis as precautionary at LA Zoo which had a tuberculosis outbreak in Shared a barn at PAWS with other elephants known to have had tuberculosis or been exposed to tuberculosis

9 FOIA indicates in correspondence between PAWS vet Dr. Gai and State Health officials that the sanctuary had no idea Rebecca was TB+ until after her death. All trunk wash tests FAILED. California State Health and local Calaveras County Health Departments HAD NO IDEA Annie was TB+. Jane is correct. No PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) was worn when Rebecca was alive as we did not know until her death that her TB had recrudesced. The independent report on PAWS bio-security protocols which Toronto Council chose over the Toronto Zoo s Due Diligence Report was in fact commissioned by PAWS agents in Canada, Zoocheck Canada. See more supporting evidence here. All information used to determine the outcome of her report was provided to her by PAWS. It was paid advocacy incapable of being impartial due to the lack of complete facts and information. *Documented evidence of this available upon request

10 The human strains of tuberculosis in Calaveras County do match to an elephant named CALLE. Calle never lived in Calaveras county but she is connected to PAWS elephants LA ZOO HAVE TRUNK WILL TRAVEL *ANNIE D-TB GITA D-NCOD/D-NTC CALLE *ANNIE RUBY CALLE RUBY CALLE 1996/1997 (Partial) RUBY GITA LIVES WITH ANNIE & CALLE A TOTAL OF 8 YEARS. BOTH CALLE & ANNIE DIE FROM SAN FRANSISCO ZOO TINKERBELLE TUBERCULOSIS RUBY LIVES WITH GITA FOR 2 YEARS CALLE PAWS D-TB TUBERCULOSIS OUTBREAK AT LA ZOO -MULTIPLE SPECIES AFFECTED *NOTE NOT THE ANNIE WHO LIVES AT PAWS AND WHO IS NOW TB+ **RUBY IS THE ONLY AFRICAN ELEPHANT IN THIS GROUP SHE DIED AT PAWS IN 2011 JUST 3 MONTHS AFTER REBECCA DIED FROM TUBERCULOSIS HOW DID CALLE S STRAIN OF TUBERCULOSIS END UP IN CALAVERAS COUNTY? RUBY D-NCOD/D-NTC TINKERBELLE D NOV TO MARCH RUBY AND OTHER AFRICAN ELEPHANTS SHARE ONE BARN LEGEND: CODE PLACED AT LOCATION OF DEATH D-TB DECEASED TUBERCULOSIS D-NCOD DECEASED NO CAUSE OF DEATH DETERMINED D-NTC DECEASED NO TISSUE CULTURES D DECEASED OTHER CAUSES

Ruby moves to PAWS in 2007. Lives in shared barn until new barn built in late 2009. Rebecca dies TB+, Annie is TB+, Wanda is TB reactive.

MARA(AF), LULU(AF),MAGGIE, RUBY(A 71F), Tinkerbelle moves to PAWS in 2004. Lives in shared barn with both Asian and African elephants.

Gita dies in 2006 with no cause of death confirmed and no tissue cultures TINKERBELLE(AS) CALLE(AS) *ANNIE(AS) CALLE Tinkerbelle lives with Calle For 7 years at San Francisco Zoo.

11 Ruby moves to PAWS in Lives in shared barn until new barn built in late Rebecca dies TB+, Annie is TB+, Wanda is TB reactive. Ruby dies 2011 with no confirmed cause of death or tissue cultures done RUBY(AF) MARA, LULU MAGGIE GITA(AS) PAWS ARK2000 ANNIE(AS), GYPSY(AS), Rebecca (AS) WANDA(AS), TINKERBELLE(AS) 71(AF), MARA(AF), LULU(AF),MAGGIE, RUBY(A 71F), Tinkerbelle moves to PAWS in Lives in shared barn with both Asian and African elephants. Tinkerbelle dies IRINGA, TOKA, THIKA Despite being African Ruby Lives with Asian Gita for 2 years at Los Angeles Zoo after the death of African Tara in 2004 Ruby is treated as precautionary for TB. Gita dies in 2006 with no cause of death confirmed and no tissue cultures TINKERBELLE(AS) CALLE(AS) *ANNIE(AS) CALLE Tinkerbelle lives with Calle For 7 years at San Francisco Zoo. Activists demand her transfer to PAWS rather than lobby for humane euthanasia due to chronic foot infections. No tissue cultures are available for Tinkerbelle despite her obvious exposure to TB Calle goes to Have Trunk will Travel then to San Francisco Zoo. She dies from tuberculosis in 2004 TB Gita Lives with *Annie and Calle at Los Angeles Zoo for 3/2 years. Both Calle and Annie eventually die from tuberculosis. THE CYCLE OF TUBERCULOSIS CONNECTIONS TO AFRICAN HERD AT PAWS ARK2000 POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION ROUTE OF CALLE S TUBERCULOSIS TO CALAVERAS COUNTY

12 None of the PAWS elephants where genotypes and tissue cultures are available have Calle s strain of TB. FOIA indicates that there are now cases of human TB at PAWS If PAWS is in Calaveras County and Calaveras County has/had two cases of human tuberculosis and the strains of those cases match the elephant named Calle then the cases of human TB at PAWs are the cases with Calle s strain of Tuberculosis. So how did Calle s strain of Tuberculosis end up there? There are only 3 possible elephants which could have brought that strain of tuberculosis to PAWS. Tinkerbelle Lulu Or Ruby Lulu and Ruby are African elephants. Ruby is deceased, causes unknown, no tissue cultures were done. Neither had tissue samples sent for culture at the time of their deaths. Tinkerbelle, Lulu and Ruby lived in the one barn which was shared by both elephant species until late PAWS own writings, blogs and newspaper articles indicate that both Ruby and Tinkerbelle were able to touch the other elephants through their barn stalls during the time of their quarantine. Ruby was introduced to the African herd after only 10 days of this quarantine She had just left the LA Zoo where her Asian elephant pen mate Gita died with no cause of death determined. Gita had previously lived with two female Asian elephants, both died from tuberculosis, one of those elephants was Calle. Tinkerbelle lived with Calle at the San Francisco Zoo Current African elephant Lulu who lives at PAWS also came from the San Francisco Zoo

14 BELOW YOU CAN SEE INFORMATION ACCESSED VIA FOIA FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY WHAT THE TORONTO ZOO VETS SAW IN THE NECROPSY REPORTS OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANTS WHICH MOTIVATED THE ZOO STAFF TO ASK FOR THE TISSUE CULTURE REPORTS.

15 ZOOCHECK AND PAWS WERE HESTITANT TO SHARE THE AFRICAN HEALTH RECORDS, THIS WAS NOTED IN MEDIA NEWS ARTICLES. THEY CITED LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE DECEASED AND LIVING AFRICAN ELEPHANTS PREVIOUS OWNERS. WHY WOULD THE PREVIOUS OWNERS OF THESE ELEPHANTS BE AFRAID FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THE CONTENTS OF THE HEALTH RECORDS AND NECROPSY REPORTS? THEY DEMANDED NO COPIES BE MADE AND THAT ZOOCHECK S JULIE WOODYER BE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF REVIEW THEY EVEN REQUESTED THE MEETING AND REVIEW OF DOCUMENTS BE VIDEOTAPED INITIALLY THEY ONLY WANTED TO ALLOW THE CEO JOHN TRACOGNA TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENTS CITING THESE NUMEROUS LEGAL OBLIGATIONS THEY DID NOT WANT TO ZOO S SENIOR VET STAFF TO REVIEW THE HEALTH RECORDS? WHY ALL THE SECRECY? THE TISSUE REPORTS WERE NEVER PROVIDED TO THE ZOO BY PAWS AND FURTHER FOIA REQUESTS OF THE USDA, CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME AND CALIFORNIA STATE HEALTH INDICATE THAT NO SUCH TISSUE CULTURES WERE EVER DONE. PAWS STATED PUBLICLLY IN THE MEDIA THAT THEY HAD NO MORE INFORMATION AND THAT ALL THE HEALTH AND NECROPSY DOCUMENTS HAD BEEN PROVIDED. THEY HAD NO TISSUE CULTURES FOR RUBY THE MEDIA AND TORONTO CITY COUNCIL WHO ARE NOT EXPERTS IN THE SCIENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS DO NOT QUESTION THE GLARING OBVIOUS CONCERN OVER THESE MISSING CULTURES. THAT THERE IS AN UNQUANTIFIED RISK FOR TUBERCULOSIS WITHIN THE AFRICAN HERD AT PAWS. AND THAT WITHOUT THE TISSUE CULTURES ON RECENTLY DECEASED AFRICAN ELEPHANTS THEY CANNOT PROVE THERE IS NO TUBERCULOSIS WITHIN THE HERD MEANING THERE IS A RISK FOR THE TORONTO ZOO ELEPHANTS

16 TWO YEARS IN A ROW WITH ELEPHANT TB CASES IN THEIR COUNTY, ONLY PAWS HOUSES ELEPHANTS IN CALAVERAS COUNTY

17 FOIA S DATED FEBRUARY 9, 2011 In the Dr. Cork Report, commissioned by Zoocheck and adopted by Toronto Council in lieu of the Toronto s Zoo s Due Diligence report and Site visit concerns there has never been a positive trunk wash at PAWS until Annie became TB+ in June of As Rebecca was TB+ and trunk wash was unable to detect this it is clear that the trunk wash is NOT A GOLD STANDARD to indicate tuberculosis And PAWS disease prevention protocols FAILED to prevent the spread of disease. What is gold standard is a tissue culture. With so many cultures missing from deceased elephants at PAWS how can we determine bio security safety for Toronto Elephants?

18 WITH A 2-20 YEAR INCUBATION PERIOD FOR TUBERCULOSIS AND CONSISTANT NEGATIVE TRUNKWASHES WHAT GOOD ARE NEGATIVE TRUNKWASH TESTS FOR THE CURRENT AFRICAN HERD AT PAWS IN GUARANTEEING THE SAFETY FOR TORONTO ZOO ELEPHANTS FROM THIS DISEASE? REBECCA HAD NEGATIVE TRUNKWASHES UP UNTIL HER DEATH AND FAILED TO DIAGNOSE TUBERCULOSIS. AS A RESULT ON SITE TRANSMISSION OCCURRED. ADDING TO THE UNCERTAINTY ARE THE LACK OF TISSUE CULTURES FOR RUBY AND 71 (African elephants) AND TINKERBELLE. RUBY AND TINKERBELLE HAD DIRECT CONTACT AND CONNECTIONS TO TUBERCULOSIS THE TORONTO ZOO SENIOR VETS ASKED FOR AND NEVER RECEIVED THESE CULTURE REPORTS AFTER THEY OBSERVED VIA NECROPSY REPORTS THAT DURING NECROPSY RUBY WAS FOUND TO HAVE A MEDIASTINAL MASS WHY WAS THIS NOT CULTURED CONSIDERING RUBY S OBVIOUS HISTORY AND EXPOSURE TO THE DISEASE AND REBECCA S RECENT DEATH FROM TB? THERE IS A RISK FOR TUBERCULOSIS WITHIN THE AFRICAN HERD WHICH PAWS CANNOT PROVE DOES NOT EXIST BECAUSE THEY DON T HAVE THE TISSUE CULTURES TO PROVE OTHEWISE. THERE IS NO LOGICAL EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THEY DIDNT DO THEM EXCEPT FOR THE POSSIBLE FEAR OF DOCUMENTED TB WITHIN THEIR AFRICAN HERD WHICH MOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE DISQUALIFIED THEM AS A POTENTIAL HOME FOR THE TORONTO ZOO ELEPHANTS. THIS IS ALL DOCUMENTED AND SUPPORTED WITH FOIA FROM CALIFORNIA STATE HEALTH, USDA/APHIS. UNIVERSITY OF CALAGARY, CITY OF TORONTO AND TORONTO ZOO FOIA

19 Councillor Josh Matlow says: If the elephants could choose for themselves don't you think they would chose to take this risk? No, actually no human or animal would choose to be deliberately exposed to a deadly, debilitating and painful disease. Would you do this to your family pet? Councillor Raymond Cho says: Our elephants are so old anyway so what difference does it make if they die from tuberculosis? Well in fact not all of our elephants are so old and tuberculosis would most certainly speed up time of death for our elephants in a painful and horrific manner as treatment requires hundreds of pills inserted orally and rectally daily for upwards of one year. Tuberculosis decreases animal welfare and quality of life. Councillors DeBaeremaeker and Berardinetti repeatedly denied the presence of tuberculosis at PAWS. They and Zoocheck careful chose their words for the media saying things like No living elephant at PAWS has tuberculosis. On an episode of The Agenda which aired in the late Spring of 2012 Councillor Berardinetti admits, after months of claiming there was no tuberculosis at PAWS that in fact she and other Councillors knew that there had been TB on site but they clearly failed to tell the media of the public about this. These same Councillors worked with Zoocheck to develop a media strategy to malign and disparage zoo staff to sway public opinion. This strategy included telling the public that zoo staff were motivated by potential job losses if the elephants left. All keepers would be deployed to new assignments. Zoocheck spoonfed these media statements to the Councillors who then shared them with the media. More FOIA s between Zoocheck and Councillors here and here and here. Further discussions here and here. Councillors also allowed Zoocheck to write the legislative motion which was initially presented to council. All designed to pit public opinion against our zoo and it s staff. Not only does this break the codes of conduct for Councillors it is a breach of public trust which could have devastating and deadly results for our elephants. *All above statements documented and available in hard copy form by request only

23 The 28 hour law was first enacted in 1873 and applied exclusively to rail transportation of cattle, sheep, swine and other animals, requiring that animals not be confined for more than 28 consecutive hours without being unloaded for feed, water and rest. It was amended in 1994 to include transportation by express or common carriers involving confinement in a vehicle or vessel. In response to a legal petition from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), USDA agreed in September 2006 that the term vehicle applies to trucks in addition to other forms of common conveyance. (The law does not apply when animals transported in a vehicle or vessel have access to food and water and have adequate space to lie down and rest.) The Toronto Zoo Elephants will not have adequate space to lie down and will be chained on three legs. This law applies.

24 PAWWPZTaskForceLtr pdf As of May 22, 2013 Annie is STILL CULTURE POSITIVE for Tuberculosis She is not responding to treatments. This is multi-drug resistant tuberculosis It is untreatable and means certain death If the Toronto Zoo elephants contract these strains they will die You are sending our elephants to a facility with MDR-Tuberculosis Proven TB risks within the African herd No tissue cultures on a dead African elephant with high risk exposure to TB Where they didn't even know Rebecca was TB+ until AFTER she died Where there has been human transmission of this disease on site You will crate and chain them and ship them 4000km despite the zoo s original plan not to transport them such a great distance. Zoocheck and PAWS promised air transport to alleviate these concerns and they have failed to provide this. They said there was no TB on site and there was And still you support the risk to these animal s lives instead of sending them on a 36 hr trip to The National Elephant Center Where the elephants roam freely on 225 acres 20 out of 24 hours a day and live within multigenerational family groups as they would in the wild PAWS has: only 80 acres and 3 ageing elephants Innate irreversible TB exposure risks within the African herd They are restricted from bringing in any more Asian elephants due to tuberculosis they have stated publicly our elephants will be the last elephants they acquire so as each animal dies off eventually our youngest elephant WILL BE ALONE They will never be alone at the National Elephant Center.

Performing Animal Welfare Society San Andreas, California

ATTACHMENT 1 Performing Animal Welfare Society San Andreas, California 2012-11-18 Introduction: The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) opened in 1984 and is a private not-for-profit organization