The Story:
Hanako
is a 69-year-old captive Asian elephant currently living in
unacceptable conditions in a Tokyo zoo. She was captured in Thailand as a
2-year-old baby and transported to Japan. Since then she's been living alone, in her small, barren concrete enclosure at Inokashira Park Zoo for over 61 years... and counting.
Hanako as a baby in 1949, having just arrived in Japan:
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Hanako now, in her concrete enclosure at Inokashira Park Zoo:
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But now there's new hope for Hanako...
But
now there is new hope that Hanako might be able to live our her last
years in improved conditions. My blog post exposing Hanako's story
sparked an online petition which has collected a staggering 411,000+ signatures from concerned people around the world, who are all demanding change for Hanako:
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Hanako's story has also been covered all over the world, including full feature articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, Daily Mail, Sky News, Bangkok Post, Associated Press, Japan Times and many many more newspapers, TV broadcasts, and radio shows.
What is next and how you can help:
In the past few weeks I was able to open up a line of communication with Hanako's zoo.
And now, they have agreed to meet with me. My goal is to visit the zoo
next month, with elephant welfare expert Carol Buckley and an
interpreter. Together, we aim to observe Hanako closely, and discuss in an open and collaborative way
with her keepers how we can help her live out her remaining few years
in a more humane environment. At this point, we are not sure whether
Hanako is fit physically or emotionally to travel. She is very old and
has lived at the same zoo for over 60 years. During this meeting Carol
will closely observe Hanako to determine whether she should:
1. Be moved to a sanctuary in Thailand or relocated to a better zoo in Japan.
2. Have her current conditions at the Inokashira Zoo made significantly better
(expanded for more space, add sand piles, grass & branches and a
heated pool, extra care given to her diet as she ages, etc., etc.)
This is where you come in: Your donation will directly help efforts underway now and in the near future, to help Hanako live the life she deserves. At
69 years old, Hanako is Japan's oldest elephant. We must act quickly to
change her conditions and set a new precedent for all captive elephants
... before it's too late.
Want to learn more about Hanako? Check out these links:
Other Ways You Can Help Hanako:
Perks of Your Donation:
For
generous donors, we have some Hanako perks ready for you. All of these
perks are listed on the upper right hand side of this page, but here’s a
little sneak peek:
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(Final products may not look exactly as pictured, as these are mock-ups, but will be similar.)
Thank you, for helping Hanako.
Funding details / breakdown:
-
The funds we need most immediately are those to provide
professional fees and travel expenses for our elephant welfare expert
Carol and team to go to Japan for an initial visit with Hanako's zoo. At
this time, we cannot disclose exactly how much this will add up to as
the travel dates are not finalized. But we anticipate it is a
significant and necessary cost: 1. Expert's daily professional rate +
airfare + hotel in Tokyo + daily stipends. 2. Campaign representative
Ulara Nakagawa's flight + accommodation. (She is volunteering all of her
time to this cause, including days off of her work). 3. The fee for a
professional interpreter for 2 days. (We aim to find one based in Japan
to reduce travel and accommodation costs.)
- Furthermore,
this is a slightly unusual case, as we still don't know exactly what
kind of new costs will arise after our initial visit. It's only after
the meeting and Carol's assessment of Hanako's health and ability to
withstand change that we will know for certain. However, we anticipate
these could include things like:1. travel + accommodation for follow-up
visits to the zoo (to make sure whatever route we choose is best for
Hanako are carried out) 2. more interpreter fees, and then 3. possibly
funds to renovate her current enclosure or support Hanako's travel to a
sanctuary. Both of these outcomes could be extremely expensive and a
move to a sanctuary or better zoo would require much, much more
funding — than the initial $25,000 we have set.
- All
of the 'perks' on the campaign are donated materials and services (e.g.
Signed Tarra print, my electronic journal/newseltter ).
*I will update this campaign with more detailed funding information as it develops.