Trunks packed but zoos face jumbo-sized battle

CANBERRA - Environment Minister Ian Campbell gave himself a jumbo-sized political headache yesterday when he approved the importation of eight Asian elephants into Australia.

The elephants are bound for breeding programmes in Melbourne and at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, which has just completed a A$40 million ($44.5 million) compound for the endangered species.

But animal welfare groups are up in arms and have begun legal action to try to prevent the animals from leaving Thailand. They claim the Government has broken its own tough laws against trading in endangered animals.

"This is quite simply the wrong decision," said Humane Society International spokeswoman Nicola Beynon.

Campbell decided to allow the two zoos to import the elephants after finding that the proposal met the requirements of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The act gives legal force to Australia's obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Undaunted by a flood of letters and 65,000 emails opposing the move, Campbell said that the fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants remaining in the wild were threatened with extinction by a shrinking habitat and poaching.

"The zoos' breeding programme is a significant and exciting attempt to breed a species that is endangered and for which the long-term survival is under continued threat," he said.

"Every attempt must be made to ensure the survival of the species.

"Research and training, and the development of husbandry and veterinary expertise have an important role in implementing strategies to increase, maintain, or halt the decline in the world population of Asian elephants."

But the Humane Society, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare intend seeking an injunction to prevent the elephants leaving Thailand until they can appeal against the decision.

RSPCA president Hugh Wirth said elephants were large, roaming animals that walked up to 9km a day in the wild.

"Scientific evidence has clearly demonstrated that elephants in zoos breed poorly, suffer myriad health problems - including serious joint complaints - and die at a younger age than even those in [work] camps," he said.

"Keeping elephants in zoos is simply cruel. This plan places the welfare of these precious animals at risk and we will fight it to the bitter end."

Campbell said he would not back down easily. "I would just hope that they think carefully before they appeal," he told ABC radio.