"Elephants are very special animals;
intelligent, complicated, intense,
tender, powerful, and funny."
- Cynthia Moss
CELEBRATING ELEPHANTS
Two Special Events
in support of Cynthia Moss's
Amboseli Elephant Research Project
(Photos and stories by Stephen Woo)
Amboseli National Park is not the largest nor the oldest
national park in Kenya; yet it's a special place because elephants live freely
undisturbed thanks largely to Cynthia Moss's dedicated research and conservation
efforts. The Oakland Zoo is not the largest nor the oldest zoo in the United
States; yet it's a special place because a few elephants are able to live
carefree lives thanks largely to a group of extremely enthusiastic, motivated,
and generous staff, curators, keepers, docents, and volunteers. This writer was
truly touched by the two special events held at the Oakland Zoo in support of Cynthia
Moss. All the people and the
Celebrating Elephants committee members who made the events such a success really believe that their
efforts half-a-world away from Kenya can and do make a difference by helping Cynthia Moss to preserve a living legacy: the Amboseli elephants.
At Oakland Zoo's PeopleSoft Center for Science and Environment
Education Dr. Douglas J. Long gave a fascinating lecture
about
Mammoths and Mastodons
on May 18, 2000. Imagine a roomful of all items elephant, whether it's a book, a
pair of earnings, or a photograph, then you would have been at the silent auction
on the same evening. Stephen Woo gave a short talk about the Amboseli Trust for Elephants
and presented to the Oakland Zoo a framed photo
collage for their exceptionally generous support of the African Elephant
Research Project.
The Oakland Zoo held its fourth annual Celebrating Elephants on Saturday, May
20, 2000 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This unique day recognized Cynthia
Moss's dedicated conservation efforts and focused on the significant role
and future elephants have in the modern world. Activities, conservation
and education stations, and a rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of
the elephant barn were available to Zoo
visitors, who had an opportunity to visit some of the elephants.
Please enjoy a picture journal of the
two events by clicking on the photo buttons on the right or the navigation bar
on the left.
