Barbara received this today and forwarded it to Friends of the Earth.
---- you wrote:=20
> Hello Everyone,
>=20
> Suzanne received this today and forwarded it to me.
>=20
> Barbara=20
>=20
> FROM:
>=20
> Shelley Wetter
> Knysna Tonquani Lodge
> tonquani@mweb.co.za
> Tel & Fax : 044 3824355
> WHAT SHAMELESS HYPOCRITES ANDREW MCKENZIE AND THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUN=
DATION ARE. YET AGAIN THEY HAVE ISSUED A THREE PAGE PRESS RELEASE IN WHIC=
H THEY BERATE AND THREATEN THE NSPCA. IN THEIR CLEVERLY WORDED STATEMENT =
THEY HAVE AVOIDED ANY CRITICISM OF GHIAZZA, THE AFRICAN GAME SERVICES OR =
THE TRAINEES. THEY ALSO MAKE LIGHT OF THE IMMENSE SUFFERING OF THE BABY E=
LEPHANTS.
>=20
> THE LAST REPORT FROM THE RHINO AND ELEPHANT FOUNDATION WAS DATED 10 DEC=
EMBER 1999 IN WHICH THEY REPORT "THE TULI ELEPHANT SAGA HAS COME TO A POI=
NT WHERE IT NO LONGER NEEDS THE PRO-ACTIVE INPUT OF THE RHINO AND ELEPHAN=
T FOUNDATION ... THE FOUNDATION WAS ACUTELY AWARE OF THE DESPERATION AND =
FRUSTRATION WITH WHICH MANY JOURNALISTS HAD BEGUN TO VIEW THIS SAGA. MEMB=
ERS OF THE PUBLIC HAD ALSO SIMPLY HAD ENOUGH. SO TOO, QUITE FRANKLY, HAD =
WE ...."=20
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> SINCE THE CARTE BLANCHE SCREENING OF THE ELEPHANT ABUSE THE RHINO & ELE=
PHANT FOUNDATION=92S WEBSITE IS SUDDENLY ABLAZE WITH INDIGNANT COMMENTS A=
ND REPORTS. MOST OF THEM NEGATIVELY REFLECTING ON THE NSPCA.=20
>=20
> IN HIS REPORT DATED 5 JULY 1999 MCKENZIE WRITES "WHY, IMMEDIATELY AFTER=
THE INCIDENT, DID THE INSPECTOR NOT REPORT THE INCIDENT TO THE OWNER OR =
SOMEONE ELSE IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY, WHO COULD HAVE STOPPED THE ON-GO=
ING BEATINGS OF THE ANIMALS." IS MCKENZIE INTIMATING THAT GHIAZZA WAS U=
NAWARE THAT EAR ROPES WITH SHARP SPIKES AND WHIPS WERE BEING USED IN THE =
=91TRAINING=92 OF THE BABY ELEPHANTS? DID GHIAZZA BRING MAHOUTS TO SOUTH =
AFRICA TO SHOW THE TRAINEES HOW NOT TO DO IT? DID THE TRAINEES AUTONOMOUS=
LY DECIDE ON THE METHODS OF TRAINING TO BE USED?=20
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> DOES MCKENZIE AND THE FOUNDATION PRESUME THAT THE PUBLIC IS IGNORANT AN=
D THAT IT WILL BE PACIFIED BY PITEOUS COVER-UP ATTEMPTS TO DISGUISE GHIAZ=
ZA=92S DESPICABLE BEHAVIOUR AND THEIR OWN INVOLVEMENT?=20
>=20
> THEIR RECENT THREE PAGE REPORT ONCE AGAIN REPEATEDLY BERATES, CRITICISE=
S AND THREATENS THE NSPCA, BUT NOT ONCE DO THEY CONDEMN GHIAZZA, THE MAHO=
UTS BROUGHT TO SOUTH AFRICA BY HIM, OR THE LOCAL TRAINEES WHO ARE PAID A =
MEAGRE R500,00 PER MONTH TO WHIP AND 'BREAK THE ELEPHANTS SPIRIT'. NOR DO=
THEY ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PLIGHT OF THE BABY ELEPHANTS WHICH RE=
STS SQUARELY ON THE FOUNDATION=92S SHOULDERS.=20
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> BEGGING ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS :
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> WHY, IF GHIAZZA WAS INNOCENT OF ALL CHARGES AND IGNORANT OF THE BEATING=
S, DID HE OBTAIN A HIGH COURT INTERDICT PREVENTING THE MEDIA FROM OBTAINI=
NG THE IMAGES OF THE CRUELTY TO THE ELEPHANTS?
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> IF GHIAZZA HAS NOTHING TO HIDE, WHY IS HE VAGUE ABOUT THE "DISAPPEARANC=
E" OF THREE OF THE BABY ELEPHANTS?
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> WHY DID THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION=92S WILDLIFE WELFARE SPECIALIST=
PERSONALLY APPROACH THE NORTHERN PROVINCE NATURE CONSERVATION FOR PERMIS=
SION TO MOVE THE ELEPHANTS ON GHIAZZA=92S BEHALF YET THREATEN TO PROSECUT=
E THE NSPCA FOR CAUSING UNNECESSARY SUFFERING TO THE ELEPHANTS WHEN THE N=
SPCA WAS GRANTED CUSTODY FOR A SECOND TIME AND WANTED TO MOVE THE ELEPHAN=
TS TO ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS?
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> WHY DOES THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION CONTINUE TO ACT AS GHIAZZA=92S=
PERSONAL NGO AND TO FACILITATE HIS WISHES?
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> WHY IS THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION SO WILLING TO FACILITATE AND ASS=
IST GHIAZZA=92S TRADING OF ELEPHANTS AND RHINO INTO LIFELONG CAPTIVITY? I=
S THIS NOT IN ITSELF A CONTRADICTION OF THE FOUNDATION=92S POLICIES?
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> WHY, DESPITE HUGE PUBLIC OUTCRY, DOES THE FOUNDATION NOT CONDEMN GHIAZZ=
A, THE AFRICAN GAME SERVICES, THE TRAINEES OR THE MAHOUTS? IS THIS A CONS=
PIRACY?
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> DOES THE FOUNDATION HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT WITH THEIR CLEVER USE OF WORD=
S THEY WILL GARNER PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION AND=
DETRACT FROM GHIAZZA=92S ABHORRENT DEEDS OF CRUELTY AND THEIR OWN DESPIC=
ABLE INVOLVEMENT?
>=20
> WHY DOES MCKENZIE SARCASTICALLY REFER TO MS DAPHNE SHELDRICK AS AN "INT=
ERNATIONAL ELEPHANT EXPERT". DOES HIS TEXTBOOK DOCTORATE MAKE HIM MORE QU=
ALIFIED AND DOES HE HAVE AS MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH ELEPHANTS AS MS SHELDRIC=
K?
>=20
> IS THE NSPCA SUCH A THREAT TO THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION THAT THEY=
ARE WILLING TO OVERLOOK THE SUFFERING OF BABY ELEPHANTS TO WIN PUBLIC AP=
PROVAL?
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> WHY DOES THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION CALL ON THE NSPCA TO =91CO-OPE=
RATE=92 WITH GHIAZZA? THIS IS AKIN TO CALLING ON THE JEWS TO CO-OPERATE W=
ITH HITLER IN FINDING A SOLUTION TO GENOCIDE!
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> IT IS GLARINGLY APPARENT THAT THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION IS NO MOR=
E INTERESTED IN THE WELL-BEING OF THE BABY ELEPHANTS THAN GHIAZZA IS, AND=
THAT THIS ENTIRE FIASCO IS A FLAGRANT COVER-UP OF THE FOUNDATION=92S INV=
OLVEMENT. WHAT BENEFIT TO THE FOUNDATION LED TO THEIR INTENTION TO QUIETL=
Y SACRIFICE THE LIVES OF A FEW BABY ELEPHANTS?
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> WE INSIST THAT THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION IMMEDIATE DESIST IN THEI=
R PUBLIC CRITICISM AND THREATENING OF THE NSPCA WHO HAVE SOLELY BEEN RESP=
ONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THE PLIGHT OF THE ELEPHANTS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE =
PUBLIC, AND WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE ELEPHANTS, =
DESPITE TREMENDOUS OPPOSITION FROM THE FOUNDATION AND GHIAZZA=92S AFRICAN=
GAME SERVICES.
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> BOTH THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION AND GHIAZZA=92S AFRICAN GAME SERVI=
CES SHOULD BE PERMANENTLY CLOSED DOWN AND WE CALL ON THE MEDIA, THE RELEV=
ANT MINISTERS AND ALL INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIV=
ISTS TO FULLY INVESTIGATE THE RHINO & ELEPHANT FOUNDATION=92S INVOLVEMENT=
IN THIS SAGA.
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> PLEASE INSERT YOUR NAME AND FORWARD THIS MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AND ORG=
ANISATIONS AS POSSIBLE.
>=20
> Shelley Wetter
> Knysna Tonquani Lodge
> tonquani@mweb.co.za
> Tel & Fax : 044 3824355
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