MEDIA ADVISORY

Date: August 4, 2009

Contact: Catherine Doyle 323-301-5730

IDA seeks investigation of repeated zoo cover-ups, lies, distortions, misleading of City Council and violation of California law

Los Angeles, Calif.–On Wednesday, In Defense of Animals (IDA) will release a complaint filed with the Los Angeles Civil Grand Jury that seeks an investigation of L.A. Zoo wrongdoing in its quest to gain City Council approval of a $42 million elephant exhibit renovation.

WHAT: Press conference releasing complaint to Civil Grand Jury against LA Zoo
WHEN: Wednesday, August 5, at 1 p.m.
WHERE: L.A. City Hall on the 1st Street steps (south end of City Hall)

"The Los Angeles Zoo, a city agency, has engaged in a pattern of practice that includes repeated cover ups, illegal withholding of public records, tampering with public documents, and misleading City Council members in a way that may well have changed the outcome of the vote to keep elephants at the Zoo," said Catherine Doyle, who filed the citizen complaint as a Los Angeles resident and IDA elephant welfare specialist.

Chief among the charges against the zoo are:

• Cover up of the fine paid to settle USDA citations for failing to provide adequate and timely veterinary care in the deaths of Gita the elephant and a chimpanzee named Judeo.
• Violation of the California Public Records Act, withholding at least 15 pages of documents related to the USDA findings and fine, in response to an IDA request.
• Tampering with public documents by censoring Gita's medical records to remove references to possible continuation of a terminal medical condition.
• Misleading City Council and the Mayor as to the severity of Gita's zoo-induced medical problems.

"The Zoo's actions are an affront to transparency in government, and violate the public trust," Doyle concluded. "We have faith that the Grand Jury will hold the Zoo accountable for its reprehensible and irresponsible actions."

For more information, please visit www.HelpElephants.com