Woodland Park Zoo elephants being prepped for move after court dismisses injunction
Apr 15, 2015, 2:58 PM | Updated: 3:32 pm
Seattle police officers assemble near Woodland Park Zoo as Chai and Bamboo are prepped to be moved. (Josh Kerns /KIRO Radio)
(Josh Kerns /KIRO Radio)
Preparations to transfer two Woodland Park Zoo elephants to Oklahoma were being made just hours after a court refused to block the move Wednesday.
A heavy police and security presence was at the zoo Wednesday afternoon, and one security guard told KIRO Radio’s Josh Kerns the zoo was preparing to put Chai and Bamboo on a truck.
The move follows a federal appeals court panel’s refusal to issue an injunction to block the transfer of elephants from Seattle to Oklahoma City, The Seattle Times reports. The panel decision was the only thing holding the zoo back from shipping the elephants off.
The two Asian elephants will be placed with a new family in the Oklahoma City Zoo.
Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO would comment on the specifics of the transfer.
“I’m glad you have sources,” she said.
Jensen said zoo administration was confident the court would rule in the zoo’s favor. All the logistics to move Chai and Bamboo were in place, before the decision came down, she said. Particulars of the move were not given for “safety and security” reasons.
