The battle between the animal activist group Concerned Citizens For Jenny (CCFJ) and the city of Dallas continued Thursday as the group presented birthday cards for the elephant with just one wish: "A long, happy life at The Elephant Sanctuary in the New Year."
Jenny The Elephant turned 32 this December and CCFJ is still fighting to move her to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
"Move Jenny out of her woefully tiny, postage-stamp size enclosure that does not meet her needs,"said Margaret Morin, founder of Concerned Citizens For Jenny.
The protest comes months after the Dallas Zoo broke ground on a more than 10-acre African savanah habitat.
"We are going to set an example of how to take care of wild elephants. The public will be able to to see elephants face-to-face and see how they are in the wild," said Sean Greene, director for community relations at the Dallas Zoo.
But CCFJ argues the $25-$30 million expansion, funded by a 2006 bond, is waste of taxpayer dollars.
"Dallas loses million and millions of dollars that could be spent on social services, especially in these tough economic times," Morin said. "But instead, they are putting that money into an exhibit that no one wants."
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Greene argued that Dallas residents want the habitat. He said 2008 was a record year for the zoo, with more than 670,000 visitors.
"In this tough economic time, the zoo is still an affordable attraction to come to," Greene said.
However, Concerned Citizens For Jenny said 10 acres is simply not enough to meet Jenny's needs. The activist group said keeping Jenny in Dallas spells trouble for the elephant's health.
Greene disagreed.
"All along this has been the best place for Jenny, with familiar caregivers and it's the home she's been at for the past 22 years," he said.
The African Savanah Habitat is set to be completed in the Spring of 2010.
