Scott Blais—CEO and Board President of the newly-formed Global Sanctuary for Elephants—discusses his more than 20 years experience working with elephants, including co-founding, in 1995, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. 
He addresses some of the traits and dynamics that make the elephant, for many people, 
such a singular and alluring animal. Blais also explains some of the pivotal things he learned about captive elephants during his 16-plus years at The Elephant Sanctuary, starting with how crucial it is to provide those pachyderms with space to roam and—within reason—provide them the choice of what to do to. Blais notes that he’s incorporated these lessons and experiences into the shared vision he and his Global Sanctuary for Elephants co-founders have cultivated for their chief mission of developing and supporting elephant sanctuaries internationally. Their initial project is Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, a nonprofit created in anticipation of the ban on performing elephants there, and seeking to create a facility to house those retired elephants. (Blais points out that five countries in South America have already outlawed performing elephants.) Before the end of the conversation, he also touches on the emotionally-charged and controversial recent relocation of the three Toronto elephants to the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary in Northern California, the Los Angeles City Council’s recent decision to ban bullhooks, and more. (www.sanctuaryforelephants.org, https://www.facebook.com/globalsanctuaryforelephants)
ALSO: We spoke briefly with Jeanne Dubi, President of the Sarasota Audubon about their forthcoming, inaugural Celery Fields Bird-A-Thon, an educational bird watching contest for students taking place Nov. 9. (www.sarasotaaudubon.org)
COMEDY CORNER: Bob & Ray’s “Elephant Protest” (www.bobandray.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Ylvis “The Fox (What Does The Fox Say),” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock”
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
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