Animal rights advocates disapprove of elephant sale from Vallejo to Six Flags

Posted | Contributed by Chitown

Vallejo City Manager Joe Tanner met for two hours Monday with animal rights activists, who asked him to remove the elephants from the sale of Discovery Kingdom to Six Flags - long owned by the city - based on allegations that the park has treated the animals inhumanely. But in a late-night interview, Tanner said lawyers exhaustively reviewed Vallejo's contract with Six Flags - which set the terms for the sale years ago - and found no loophole to remove animals from the deal.

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Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

"It's so sad to come back 11 years later and nothing has changed," Anderson said.

Huh? Based on what? Standing on the midway and seeing the animals? I'm willing to accept the possibility that the park doesn't treat the animals well, but only if you give me some proof. Something you saw 11 years ago but didn't say anything about it does not scream credibility.

If the residents of Vallejo are that concerned about the animals then they can mount a campaign of pressure to get Six Flags to get rid of them. I think that a good point was made in the article that amusement parks really don't need elephants (or animals in general) to drive attendance. I can't believe there is enough benefit for Six Flags to keep the animals there. Perhaps they are going to send them east?

I don't know if they would really want to get rid of the animals. That has always been the core of the park.

As far as how the animals are treated, is there a state agency that monitors animal living conditions in zoos and parks?

That park is nice, I dont think that I could see it without the animals. I think the only way these people would be happy if the animals were sent back into their natural habitat.

This group has been pressing this issue for a while now. They have tried to the U.S. Depart. of Ag. involved and every other animal rights group invovled. No one has involved themselves.

I think that a good point was made in the article that amusement parks really don't need elephants (or animals in general) to drive attendance.

Tell that to Geauga Lake.

These animal rights activists have no idea what those elephants would do if they were not cared for. they'd DIE! they have no in the wild skills, nor would they survive w/o humans assisting them. Activists always point to the bull hooks that trainers use to manipulate the elephants, these neither injure nor harm the animals in any way, they're like grabbing a kid by the ear.

Uh, taking elephants to a sanctuary is different than dumping them in the wild in Africa. There are caretakers to make sure their needs are met; the difference is that the elephants have much more room compared to the tiny areas they get in most zoos.

I really liked this park...but taking the animals away would seem to deal an enormous blow to the place.

Could the animals at SFMW have more *space*? I kinda think so...

Are they in any way mistreated? Not based on anything I witnessed or have read...

I may not have liked everything about Six Flags when it owned GL/Sea World, but they did take good care of the animals.

I know a number of biologists who would disagree. A lot.

How about if the elephants were just promoted to the Six Flags' Board of Directors? It would solve both problems. :)

How come there is no proof of how the elephants are treated? I would think that if great adventure handles its animals well then shouldnt this park also do that ?

Also up until a day or two ago wasnt this park only something like half owned by six flags?

Geauga Lake anyone? I think animals drive attendance a lot more than you would think.

The sale is complete:

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_6516041

More of a story about the city's financial condition than Six Flags.

Although it looks like SixFlagsKingdaKa's unreasoned comment was generally ignored, I want to address the issue he/she raised about bull hooks not being painful. First of all, how on earth would you know? Scientists can't figure out (even when they try, which is rarely) how to measure an individual's experience of stimuli. Certainly, we hope it feels like pulling an ear, which is why we think that's what it feels like. Secondly, to address another question about there being a state agency that makes sure animals are treated humanely -- um, nope. Let's not be too naive. Animals can't speak or vote, so why would politicians ensure laws are either created or enforced to protect them? Now, if there is a groundswell of political pressure to do so, it would happen...

Now, if there is a groundswell of political pressure to do so, it would happen...

Let's hope not.

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