"The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity"

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Activists take elephant fight to court

20 July 2005

Animal welfare groups have begun court action to prevent the importation of eight critically endangered asian elephants into Australia.

Five of the animals are destined for Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo and three for Melbourne Zoo.

A coalition of animal welfare groups has taken its case to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, seeking an injunction to prevent the elephants from being transported from Thailand until the appeal is heard.

They argue there is no conservation benefit to bringing the animals to Australia to stock zoos and say there is little prospect the proposed breeding levels will be met.

"Under the Act, the Minister is prohibited from importing asian elephants for exhibition," said Nicola Beynon from the Humane Society.

Animal activists say elephant breeding programs in zoos are unlikely to produce worthwhile results.
(File photo) AFP

"He can only do it if it's for a viable, conservation breeding program. Now, the breeding program that the zoos are proposing is quite fantastical."

But federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell, who granted permission for the imports, says overseas experiences suggest otherwise.

"Metropolitan zoos around the world have shown us that elephants can be bred successfully in captivity, literally hundreds of them," he said.

It is not clear whether the legal action will stop the animals from being transported to Cocos Island, where they are to be held in a quarantine facility.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200507/s1418533.htm

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