New report connects deaths to animal agriculture.

Meat it turns out is not only a risk factor to human health, but the air that people breathe near farms is literally killing thousands every year. Read the report, it won't make you breathe easier but it is important information to share.

Air pollution from farms leads to 17,900 U.S. deaths per year, study finds

Plant based diets crucial to saving wildlife

Feb. 3, 2021

The global food system is the biggest driver of destruction of the natural world, and a shift to predominantly plant-based diets is crucial in halting the damage, according to a report.

(https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/03/plant-based-diets-crucial-to-saving-global-wildlife-says-report?fbclid=IwAR3aa5fACvX6afol89mFRYMSglU13fD81m0--lEYOg0wCHZAHhmW8R2MQ//)

"I was a journalist who reported on captive animals - then I became one."

August 2020

Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, interviewed journalist Christina Russo, who after undergoing painful surgery and months of recovery, had a satori moment of awakening about the plight of captive animals in zoos. You can link to her story from this article.
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/202008/deeper-sympathy-the-plight-captive-animals//)

April 2020

The tiger in the room

Lately the news is abuzz about tigers. First there was Tiger King, the Netflix series that catapulted Joe Exotic, the bizarre owner of a tiger petting zoo into the spotlight. Sadly the series barely touched on the problem of exploiting tigers for profit. Then there was coronavirus, and a tiger named Nadia at the Bronx Zoo where Nadia and her fellow tigers contracted the virus from a keeper. The pandora's box of dirty secrets about tiger exploitation is now open for all to see.

Let's examine a few of those dirty secrets.

Tiger farms. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) makes use of many tiger parts. Tigers are kept in small cages and then killed and harvested for their body parts.The penis is supposed to impart virility. It is forbidden in the West but in several Asian countries, including Laos and Cambodia, it has been used in potions, balsams, liqueurs, etc. The paws are used to combat insomnia. Teeth for fever. Fat to treat rheumatism and leprosy. The nose as a treatment for superficial wounds. Bones as an anti inflammatory. The bile for convulsions in children with meningitis. The brain for laziness. Feces for hemorrhoids and alcoholism.

And then there's tiger wine, made from the bones of tigers.  

Chinese and Hong Kong governments have been trying to fight the clandestine trafficking of animals linked to TCM, but this tradition persists. Take action here.

Petting zoos. Tiger King did expose these private for profit enterprises, but failed to fully explain the crueltly to tigers. Tigers are bred several times a year and their cubs are taken from them at or near birth and given to paying customers to hold and pet. The cubs cry and suffer from being torn from their mothers. Then when the cubs are too old for petting, at around 12 weeks, they are sold or disposed of. The Big Cat Proection Act was initiated to end the private ownership of these cats. Take action here

Canned hunts. Captive hunting operations are private trophy hunting facilities that offer their customers the opportunity to kill exotic and native animals trapped within enclosures. Some facilities have even allowed their clients to kill animals remotely via the internet. Tigers and other endangered animals are sold by private breeders, circuses and zoos. Take action here.

Trophy hunting. Tigers, along with lions, elephants and hippos are popular targets for trophy hunters who often pose with their dead prey for a selfie. Despite being listed as endangered, big game hunters pay license fees of $10,000 per animal and more to kill them. Sign here to ban trophy hunting.

Disease. With the discovery of the coronavirus in a tiger at the Bronx Zoo, fear has ignited about the transmission of zoonotic diseases. Animals in zoos have no choice about who they come in contact with, and they are susceptible to many human diseases, elephants often contract TB in zoos and circuses. And it also brings home the realization that no tiger belongs in the Bronx Zoo, or in the possession of any private owner or public;y funded institution. To stop the exploitation of tigers in zoos and other entertainment venues, boycott these venues.

When we think “tiger” the first thought should be Africa or India, not the Bronx Zoo or Joe Exotic. More tigers now live in captvity than the wild. Something like 5,000 at a minimum, more likely, are in captviity, and less than 4,000 live in the wild. There are many organizations working to save wild tigers. Here is one.

The “fearful symmetry” of William Blake's tiger is now a caged shadow of its former self.

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp! 

When the stars threw down their spears
And water’d heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?**

William Blake

May, 2017

Thinking of adopting a plant-based diet? Jenreviews outlines the science that supports that decision.

20 Health Benefits of Going Vegan, According to Science (+6 Delicious Vegan Recipes)

February, 2017

RIP Packy

Oped in the Oregonian

By Guest Columnist Courtney Scott

In a recent opinion piece, ("What Packy Taught Us," Feb. 14)

Oregon Zoo Director Don Moore leaves out the most important lesson that Packy provided to the world. Namely, that elephants do not belong in captivity.

They don't belong in circuses - Ringling Bros. has finally admitted that and retired their elephants. And they don't belong in zoos. For nearly all of Packy's 54 years he was confined to a one-acre exhibit with a cement-floored barn and viewing cage. Packy could be seen pacing in his cage and yard, which is similar to how prisoners pace in their cages. Packy's medical records showed that he had arthritis, joint disease, foot disease and for the last three years, tuberculosis. These ailments aren't seen in wild elephants. TB is only seen in elephants who have contact with humans.

However, as Team Packy stated, Packy was not showing signs of suffering from the TB, and elephants can often live a long time with this disease. He was improving after being taken off TB drugs, which were severely affecting his health. So it is debatable that Packy had to be killed at this time. The decision to put him down raises the question of whether the zoo plans to bring in more elephants to replace him. Moore has often spoken about the need to save elephants in Borneo and the zoo even brought over an expert from Borneo to speak about the plight of elephants there.

As to the lessons about elephants that the zoo has learned, there are a number of wild elephant experts who are already informed about the attributes Moore mentions. They have studied elephants where they live in their range countries for many years and know that elephants can communicate with one another through seismic vibrations, exhibit empathy towards other species, are self aware, mourn their dead and show so many more wonderful behaviors. Elephants do not behave the same in captivity as they do in the wild, so what people learn from zoo elephants is not always helpful to understanding how a wild and free elephant lives and behaves.

Oxford researcher Dr. Keith Lindsay said at a recent animal welfare conference that the money that is spent on elephant exhibits in a zoo - for instance the $58 million that taxpayers spent on Elephant Lands - could fund an elephant refuge in Africa for eternity. The same applies to elephant sanctuaries in Southeast Asia.

Confining these massive, highly social and intelligent animals for life to learn a few lessons about their behavior is cruel and inhumane--and unnecessary. Our hope is that Packy's sad life and untimely death will awaken the world to the need to end the breeding of elephants in zoos, so that no more Packys are born into lifetimes in captivity. We also advocate that the Oregon Zoo halt any plans to import more elephants from the wild. The zoo already has an elephant from Malaysia, Chendra, who exhibits profound stereotypical behavior. In Packy's honor, she should be sent to sanctuary. In addition, we strongly urge the zoo to halt its use of bullhooks as many other zoos have already done, including all zoos in California.

We support the Oregon Zoo's program to conserve Northwest species and we encourage the zoo to continue along that path. But it is time for the world to recognize the truth about life and death for elephants in zoos.

Packy deserves that.

January, 2017

Ringling Brothers: the end of an era

Ringling Brothers Circus Will Shut Down Forever

August 8, 2016

Does killing wolves save cattle and sheep?

Wolves have been targeted by livestock ranchers for ages. They are routintely shot on the ground or gunned down from helicopters. Despite their still recent delisting from the endangered species list, wolves are again under the gun for their supposed role in killing sheep and cows on rangelands. But is this reputation for predation on lifestock really earned? And are there are other ways to protect sheep and cows other than killing predators such as wolves? National Geographic explores this subject. Why Killing Wolves Might Not Save Livestock

"A new study has found that—paradoxically—killing a wolf can increase the risk that wolves will prey on livestock in the future."
National Geographic

*And something to ponder--what if the number of cattle and sheep being raised for meat was dramatically reduced because there were far fewer meat eaters? Logically, the targeting of wolves and other predators would dramatically diminish.

July 20, 2016

Is it time to close zoos?

Since the death of Harambe the gorilla in the Cincinatti Zoo recently, the internet is afire with calls to close zoos. Are zoos necessary to conserve species? Is confining large exotic animals like elephants a necessary price to pay for educating children about these animals? Here is one article that explores that question by quetioning human entitlement to seeing wild animals in captivity.

Entitlement of zoos

September 6, 2015

Why do we have such a powerful connection and appreciation for elephants? This has been true throughout human and elephant history. Maybe because in so many ways, elephants are like us.

Elephants are More Human than We Realize

Watch the video of Courtney Scott's introduction and the Q&A after the film screening presented by the Animal Ministry of the Unitarian Church in Portland, OR, Feb. 20, 2016.

Introduction of the filmmaker

Q&A

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From Suffering to Satori has been accepted to screen at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles running from September 10-20. The Awareness Film Festival is organized by Heal One World, a non-profit charity whose mission is to inform and inspire audiences through a program of films on Ecological, Political, Health/Well Being and Spiritual topics.

From Heal One World: "We are honored to have the opportunity to spotlight film-makers committed to making positive change throughout the world."

Screening at:

12 noon, Saturday, September 19

LA Live Regal Cinema, 1000 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90015

followed by Q&A with Producer/Director Courtney Scott

Awareness Film Festival

Tickets

MEDIA KIT

To download the media kit, click here.

Media Kit Images

View the images

"Voices for the Animals" radio program on KBOO Portland

Filmmaker Courtney Scott hosts new radio program

Interview with Katie Cantrell, founder Factory Farming Awareness Coalition

Interview with the producers of Tyke Elephant Outlaw

Interview with David Grimm, author of Citizen Canine

KOIN 6 News: Courtney Scott on the death of the elephant Rama

KXL FM: Courtney Scott on Lars Larson radio program

Interview with FOZE president about the elephants at the Oregon Zoo

OPB "Think Out Loud": Should Packy Stay at the Oregon Zoo?

Interview with Courtney Scott, a zoo and Metro official On Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregonian Op Ed by Courtney Scott: Free Packy and the other Oregon Zoo elephants.

Oregonian: Elephant Activists...urge voters to write in Packy.

The Dodo: Beloved Zoo Elephant Euthanized.

Statesman Journal: Bob Barker joins call on Oregon Zoo to retire Packy.

The Oregon Zoo vs. Lily Tomlin: Celebrity activist wants to free the elephants

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Seven years ago, I never dreamed I would be directing and producing a film—much less, about animal rights. The lives of animals were about the furthest thing from my own personal radar. But in 2003, while directing my TV series—“Mad as Hell TV!”—I met someone who would change my focus forever. Matt Rossell worked undercover for two years at a research facility that tested on rhesus monkeys. The video he shared shocked me. My eyes were now wide open—and nagged by the question of how our society can do this to other sentient beings—I began to investigate how animals are routinely brutalized for food, fashion and entertainment—and in the name of science. It was my passion to get an answer to this question that gave me the courage or boldness to direct and produce my first feature film.

My strategy for making “From Suffering to Satori” was straightforward. Go and interview every authority on animal rights and every animal industry official who would talk to me. I succeeded with many, but others involved in animal industries declined to be interviewed for this film. My goal was to remain neutral, in order to give all sides a fair shot at presenting their views. I think that many who do use animals to make their products or to sell tickets to their entertainment venues honestly believe they are not harming animals. When I discovered just how much harm was actually being inflicted,I was forcibly propelled into the role of advocacy for their welfare. I, however, did not become an animal rights activist and refrained from becoming involved in any animal rights organizations. That is, until the production was wrapped and in the can. Now, I do advocate in particular for elephants, whose long lives and long memories are liabilities in confinement.

This film would probably not exist without the generous support of many friends and colleagues. Among them, the late Sid Jones, who scored the film, wrote the instrumental piece, “Liberation Waltz,” that worked perfectly to emphasize the theme of finding a new way of seeing, a new way of relating to all creatures who share this planet with us. Cinematographer Frank Mahoney helped to evoke the often lonely and isolated experience of bull elephants. Still Photographer Ninette Jones captured the haunting image of Packy, the Oregon Zoo's star elephant, and the playful character of sea lions. Camera operators and audio techs in LA, NY and Portland all worked hard to bring the vision of the film to fruition.

When I started weaving the elements of the interviews together with my editing team of Cat and Sid Jones, I found a unifying theme of disconnect, that is endemic to our society and, at the same time, a longing to connect with all life. It is a strange dichotomy that may have no philosophical solution. But in the end, I came to believe that everyone, no matter where they stand on animal rights, can make a difference in the lives of animals. Even a small step towards compassion can have a huge impact on an animal's life. And that is a step worth taking.

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Back in the 1950's and 1960's my father was a traveling salesman for a large meat packing company that has since merged into the largest international pork producer in the world. I didn't question why meat was the main course for every meal. And even though I rebelled against everything else my parents taught me, I stuck with the basic meat and potatoes diet for years after growing up and leaving home.

Flash forward to the 1970's when the term “health nut” was born and I took red meat off the table. Three decades later, I made the final leap to become totally meat-free. Meanwhile, I often pretended to be a vegetarian. I was being what we now call PC.

I didn't like seeing the big cats pace in their cages, so after a few trips I stopped going to zoos. And I didn't really enjoy circuses, the clowns were more scary than funny. Beyond that, I never thought about what the lives of animals are like behind the scenes. What happens when the visitors go home and the animals are locked in their cages at night? Who thinks of that? No one that I knew anyway.

And then, much later, I met someone who would turn my head totally around. All my assumptions came tumbling down as I started asking myself some hard questions. Is animal testing really necessary? Is the harm inflicted worth it? How do foxes, kept in the bitter cold all winter to grow their fur thicker and then are killed and stripped of their skin feel about that? How does an elephant who is one of the most intelligent and far roaming creatures on earth survive in the tiny zoo enclosure? How do ocean dwelling orcas and dolphins endure marine mammal parks where they are crowded into tanks the size of swimming pools?

The more I researched, the more troubled I became. How can humans, who have achieved such wonders continue to treat the least powerful species with such cruelty or as in my case, such disregard?

“From Suffering to Satori” is my journey to answer that question. The decision to make the film was the easy part. Now came the big challenges. How do I ramp up my technical skills, to make them worthy of the big screen? The learning curve was steep but I did have a head start from all my years producing television shows.

My strategy was to go out and interview everyone I could on either side of the animal rights debate, and in the process I ran into some difficult recording situations. Chris DeRose, founder of Last Chance for Animals, has a small office located directly above one of the busiest streets in Los Angeles, so the audio was far from ideal. Luckily, Chris' schedule allowed me to later re-interview him in a quiet setting. I often had to find creative places—a friend's house, a city park replete with traffic noise, the outside corral of a famous horse trainer, a kennel full of boisterous barking dogs and inside a noisy downtown Manhattan humane society where the cats and dogs were allowed freedom to roam. My camera person was assailed by cats who were scratching at her heels while we recorded and another cat jumped into the frame repeatedly. My camera crews were very helpful in making the best of these obstacles.

In the process I met some amazing activists. I got to see first-hand how a horse “whisperer” tames a wild and rambunctious horse with a few hand gestures. I heard the daring tale of escape from a gun-toting Class B dealer and was stunned to learn of the harassment and imprisonment that often accompany those who work for animal freedom. I also met some who work for animal industries who were trying to do what they could to make life better for the animals in their care. I made my first trip to a dairy and was taken aback by the cruelty that often goes unrecognized. And I witnessed first-hand the healing power of animals for those who are sick, elderly or just lonely.

I discovered that there are hot beds of animal activism throughout the nation, and I attempted to reach as many activists as possible in the seven years that it took to produce the film. During that time, my two-man crew filmed in Oregon (Portland, Silverton and Junction City), California (San Francisco, Santa Rosa and Santa Barbara) and in New York City. Despite the mind-boggling number of ways that I discovered that animals are routinely abused, it was encouraging to see and meet so many dedicated activists fighting to change the way they are treated.

A challenge that I hadn't foreseen was in 2011 when my friend Sid, who wrote the score for the film and helped to edit it, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He was able to finish the score before he died, though Sid, being a perfectionist about his music, wanted to work with it some more, maybe add some percussion. But his illness and then death one year later, prevented him from exploring that.

Sid was planning to do the post audio production on the film so his death was not only a huge personal loss, but also forced me to dramatically upgrade my audio production knowledge. Through trial and lots of error, I forged ahead with the able assistance of technical advisor Frank Mahoney and audio specialist PC Peri.

In the end, I found that unlike so many seemingly intractable problems that we face, such as racism and war, to make a change in the lives of animals is relatively easy. Though in my case, it took half a century to make it. Once I saw just how simple and how profound a difference making that change could be, I made it in an instant.

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The question that drove Courtney Scott to produce, write and direct her first feature film, “From Suffering to Satori,” was how do we justify the pain we inflict on other species? This film tracks one woman’s pursuit for answers to this perplexing question. More than just another film about animal rights, “From Suffering to Satori” challenges our most deeply-held convictions about our relationship with animals and our pervasive dominance over all creatures, great and small.

“From Suffering to Satori” takes us on Scott's journey of discovery, where along the way we learn about how animal industries often rationalize their treatment and confinement of animals. For instance, as one zookeeper justifies it: “In many ways, elephants are not that much different from people. If you didn’t make them walk, they would prefer to be essentially couch potatoes.” An attorney who filed a lawsuit against a zoo counters that: “Elephants in a 100 ft. square area that have nothing to do are no different than elephants in a 1 acre or 2 acre area. They still have nothing to do.”

Scott's gentle approach succeeds where other films of this nature may not—by slowly and carefully peeling back layers of often hidden truths, using a soft narrative voice to describe harsh realities. The brutal, sad and sometimes heart-warming stories Scott portrays will resonate with audiences long after the final credits roll. This film doesn't demand a reaction, but instead invites viewers to draw their own conclusions and make their own choices on animal rights—even if it's a small step, to ease animal suffering.

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“Part of my goal is I don’t like the lies, I believe we have to show the truth and the truth is that elephant that’s standing before you has got nothing to do with a wild elephant–nothing at all--that is a broken being...”

Armaiti May - Member, Vetenarians for Animal Rights

"You can help stop the suffering of animals just by cutting your meat consumption in half. It's not saying you shouldn't go vegan; it's helping people make that change on their own terms.”

Betsy Wasco - Attorney, Member, Christian Vegetarian Society

“By not eating meat and flesh, by not consuming dairy products, by not condoning scientific experimentation on animals...when I do things like that, I'm acting in a manner consistent with my thoughts and feelings. It feels great. It feels great.”

Brooks Fahy - Executive Director, Predator Defense

“A lot of these people are anti-science, anti-anything but killing. It's kind of a dominion thing, where we feel we need to control everything.”

Bruce Wieland - Marketing Director, Farm Animal Campaign, PETA

"Dairy cows may suffer the worst of all...for a dairy cow to be useful, it has to be kept perpetually pregnant, so that cycle is repeated and repeated, until the cow's body breaks down and it is no longer useful.."

Cat Jones - Founder, Sea Lion Defense Brigade

"There are hundreds of millions of dollars in the fishing industry, not to mention the power industry, that are putting a lot of pressure to find any kind of scapegoat,anyone but themselves."

Chris DeRose - Founder, President, Last Chance for Animals, author, In Your Face

“The AETA (Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act) makes everything we do our investigations, the demonstrations, the civil disobedience, makes everything we do not only a felony, but a terrorist act.”

David Casselman - Attorney, founder, wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia

During cross examination, LA Zoo staff stated that bull elephants like Billy like to be alone. “I called them on that and they said yes that’s true, and I said have you ever seen a wild bull elephant? No. Have you ever studied wild bull elephants in any capacity? No. Has anybody at the zoo studied wild elephants? No. Has anyone onsulted with anyone outside the zoo who studied wild elephants? No. Then I brought in the world’s foremost wild elephant expert, Joyce Poole from Norway, who said it’s absolutely ludicrous to claim wild bull elephants live alone.."

Elaine Close - Coalition to Abolish Animal Testing

“As an activist if I try to talk to people about animal experimentation, they will literally back away from me and say 'I believe in animal research'. And that's not science.”

Garth Griffin - Supervisor Biologist, NOAA

"Our monitors are starting to document a large number of predation events between California sea lions and at risk or in this case ESA listed salmon stocks."

Howard Lyman - Author, "Mad Cowboy", former cattle rancher

“Look what happened in the Oprah suit...the industry is willing to spend millions and drag you through court. We were in court for 6 years. It cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars for standing up and telling the American people the truth.”

Jack Devine - Founder, Macaw Landing Foundation

"Smuggling macaws is the second most lucrative trade after narcotics in South America. A hyacinth is actually worth more than cocaine provided by the pound."

Jerry Vlasak - MD, Press Officer, North American Animal Liberation Front

"...about 85% of all the data in animal research is thrown away, it's not even published. And of the 15% that is published, almost none of it turns out to be useful for human health purposes."

John Deck - Deck Family Farm

"When you look at humane practices, it often runs counter to the financial bottom line, so what we've had in this country is this race towards producing a lot of food very cheaply."

John McDougall, MD - Dr. McDougall's Health & Medical Center

"If men really knew that they would become less virile, less attractive, more at risk of disease...by eating that beefsteak, or piece of chicken or fish, they wouldn't do it. But I don't have millions of dollars a year to advertise that."

Kyle Bisson - Elk hunter

“I hunt for food. I like the flavor of the venison and I like to put the meat on the table.”

Matt Love - Historian, writer

“These people who have been sitting on this hatred, now they are going to be unleashed because no jury on the coast is ever going to convict these people. If they're killing them in the Columbia Basin, who's going to convict someone who's doing it on their own in Tillamook Bay?”

Matt Rossell - Campaigns Director, Animal Defenders International (ADI)

"We're all part of the same web of life. What we do to harm animals eventually comes back to hurt us."

Ray Greek - MD, Americans for Medical Advancement

"There are a lot of special interest groups who profit from this and they do have an effective lobby on Capital Hill."

Robert Cheeke - Vegan body builder

“...when I said I am going to go from this skinny kid to this strong bodybuilder and be in muscle magazines and be on this vegan diet, that’s going to get people to take notice and it did... In fact it's been the most effective method I've ever taken to promoting veganism, and reducing animal cruelty has been precisely that, leading by positive example.”

Stan Kramien - Magician, former circus owner and animal trainer

“I suddenly got religion...elephants are very smart, very bright, they are close to being human, and they don't deserve that kind of treatment.”

Tony Carr - Former lab tech, Oregon National Primate Research Center

" Issues of ethics have been systematically marginalized in science to the point that they effectively don’t exist."

Tony Vecchio - Former Director, Oregon Zoo

"I know there are lots of kids in Portland that this will be their only chance to see an elephant, and I take that responsibility very seriously. We're the place where kids will get to see a live elephant."

Wally Sykes - Founder, Trap Free Oregon

"They want people to fish, they want people to hunt, they want people to trap and they want people to buy licenses."

The following individuals and organizations declined to be interviewed on camera for this film:

Jim Newman, Press Officer, ONPRC (Oregon National Primate Research Center)

Kim Smith, former Director, The Oregon Zoo

Oregon Trappers Association

Patti Strand, National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA)

Teresa Platt, former Executive Director, Fur Commission USA

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Packy is the Oregon Zoo elephant featured prominently in this documentary

On April 14, 1962,the birth of the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in 44 years created a frenzy of excitement and made headlines everywhere. He weighed in at 225 pounds and immediately captured the hearts of visitors from around the nation and the world. His mother Belle and father Thonglaw were both captured in south Asia. At the young age of 8, Belle became pregnant and two years later the baby who would be named Packy took his first steps. The new baby elephant brought in scores of visitors, dramatically increasing ticket sales. Packy toys, books and clothes became a fad and sold like hot cakes.

Later, when Packy matured he started entering cycles of musth, which is a periodic condition in bull elephants, characterized by highly aggressive behavior and accompanied by a large rise in reproductive hormones. He was bred with his sisters at first and Packy sired 7 calves, only one is still alive alive, Shine, the matriarch lives at the Oregon Zoo. Rama, his son, was euthanized at age 31 in March of 2015 at the Oregon Zoo. Breeding at zoos is problematic by the zoos' own admission as half of the babies born are male, and zoos have a hard time managing males, due to their aggression during musth. and the fact that males have to be segregated from females, so more space and management is needed to control them. Packy showed aggression to Pet when they were put together as a breeding experiment. He also has repeatedly kicked on doors.

Every year, the zoo celebrates Packy's birthday with a big party that packs in tons of visitors—lines can go around the block. There's a special cake for Packy and elephant ears for the kids. Packy was given the key to the city on his 50th birthday and made an honorary Rosarian, a Portland group of distinguished citizens.

The rest of the year Packy can be found pacing behind the steel bars of the “viewing cage” or pacing in the front or back yards of his 1.2 acre habitat. When Packy bobs his head repeatedly, many visitors think he is “dancing”. However according to elephant experts, he is expressing intense emotional stress, which is called stereotypical behavior, endemic to elephants in captivity. In the wild, Packy would be spending time with other male elephants in a bachelor herd, returning to visit and mate with females in the matriarchal herd, foraging on trees and roots, and roaming freely on his own.

None of these activities is possible in a zoo, so the zoo attempts to simulate the wild by bringing in tree branches and other forage material for the elephants' “enrichment”. And the Oregon Zoo constructed a new 6.25 acre habitat, Elephant Lands, which was completed in late 2015. However when you subtract the visitor and staff areas, this space is actually a little over 4 acres for the elephants, and that 4 acres is subdivided into 1 and 2 acre habitats. Zoos don't always admit that space is the biggest problem for elephants, but nonetheless, some do expand the size of the habitats, even if that expansion is inadequate.

In 2013, Packy was the second elephant at the zoo to contract tuberculosis. The first was Rama, and the next was Tusko, who sired baby Lily who was born in 2012 to Rose-Tu, creating another big burst in ticket sales. Packy experienced serious side effects from the TB drugs, which is often the case with Asian elephants. His liver was compromised and he lost so much weight that he had been characterized as “emaciated” several times. It is also possible zoo staff were withholding food from him during musth, as that was the case with Hugo, who died in 2003. During Hugo's autopsy, it was found that he had zero body fat. Zoo personnel had withdrawn food to try to control his aggression.

On his 52nd birthday in 2014, Packy did not make an appearance. He was brought out on the following Monday so he could eat his cake and news cameras could catch the action. Packy has not made many appearances since then, and the zoo has made a statement that Packy is old and not doing well on his medications, so it sounded like perhaps the zoo was preparing the public for his demise.

Activists tried for 8 years to get Packy released to a sanctuary, where he could have lived out his days and healed from his TB in a warm dry climate. That future was never realized and Packy become the poster child for what is right about breeding in captivity according to the AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) and the zoo, and everything that is wrong with breeding to elephant advocates.

On February 9, 2017, Packy was injected with a lethal drug, and after a long 30 minutes, he died. Controversy swirls around the decision to kill Packy. According to Packy's keeper the decision was “..not based on science, safety or Packy’s best interest. It is a risk based decision made by politicians, attorneys and other officials who fear the future repercussions of keeping him alive.”

The Zoo management said it is because Packy's health was deteriorating due to his active strain of TB. Free the Oregon Zoo Elephants, In Defense of Animals and several news media obtained medical records--which do not contain any explanation for the decision to put him down. The story continues to be investigated.

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* The infant-mortality rate for elephants in zoos is almost triple the species’ rate in the wild. “Glamour Beasts, the dark side of elephant captivity,” Michael J Berens, The Seattle Times, Dec. 2012 * For every elephant born in a zoo, on average another two die. “Glamour Beasts, the dark side of elephant captivity,” Michael J Berens, The Seattle Times, Dec. 2012 * Zoo visitors often mistake elephants’ head bobbing as “dancing.” In fact, it is stereotypical behavior caused by extreme stress; not behavior seen in the wild, according to wild elephant experts. Dr. Joyce Poole, letter of support for Billy - the lone male elephant at the Los Angeles Zoo. (Help Billy campaign.) * Many zoos have a contractual arrangement with the training company, Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT), which trains and sells elephants to circuses. Baby Lily who was born in 2012 to Rose-Tu and Hugo, and destined through a contractual agreement, to be sent to HTWT in 2012, but public outrage forced the Oregon Zoo to buy back her contract along with Lily’s father, Tusko. “Read the Oregon Zoo's Contract With "Have Trunk, Will Travel,” the Portland Mercury, December 2012

Costa Rica to Close Zoos

In July 2013, the government of Costa Rica announced controversial plans to close the country's two public zoos, citing concerns about animal captivity and welfare. More than 400 animals currently residing in the zoos will be transferred to private animal-rescue centers around the country, where those that are able will be rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

Update August 29, 2015 - The Environment Ministry failed its court battle to close the zoos, but said it is appealing the ruling, but no date has been set for the appeal.

"We are getting rid of the cages and reinforcing the idea of interacting with biodiversity in botanical parks in a natural way....We don't want animals in captivity or enclosed in any way unless it is to rescue or save them." Environment Minister René Castro said at a press conference to announce the planned closures in July. National Geographic, August 2013

CIRCUS ANIMALS

• More than 35 nations around the world have in place either nationwide or local bans restricting the use of animals in circuses. Worldwide circus bans, ADI
• In the U.S., Representative Jim Moran of Virginia recently reintroduced the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act to Congress, aiming to end the “inhumane” treatment of animals for entertainment across the nation.
• The City of Oakland, CA just passed a ban on the use of bullhooks, to which Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced it will stop coming to Oakland in 2018. San Jose Mercury News, Dec. 2014

Trapping

Exposing the Myths, the Truth About Trapping, Born Free USA Number of animals used to make an average-length fur coat:



State leghold trapping bans

• FL (1973) — Steel traps banned except by permit for animal damage control.
• RI (1977) — Steel-jawed leghold traps banned except by permit for animal damage control.
• NJ (1984) — Use, sale, manufacture, possession, import, and transport of steel-jaw leghold traps banned.
• AZ (1994) — Leghold traps, instant kill body-gripping traps, and snares banned on public lands except for human health and safety, rodent control, wildlife research and relocation.
• CO (1996) — Leghold traps, instant kill body-gripping traps, and snares banned except for animal damage control, human health and safety, rodent control, wildlife research and relocation.
• MA (1996) — Steel-jaw leghold traps, padded leghold traps, Conibear traps, and snares banned except for human health and safety; Conibears only allowed by permit for damage control.
• CA (1998) — Use of body-gripping traps for recreation or commerce, and commerce in raw fur from animals trapped with body-gripping traps, banned; steel-jaw leghold trap banned for all purposes except padded leghold trap for human health and safety.
• WA (2000) — Use of body-gripping traps for recreation or commerce, and commerce in raw fur from mammals trapped with body-gripping traps, banned; use of body-gripping traps banned except Conibear trap in water, padded leghold trap, and foot snare allowed by permit for human health and safety, endangered species protection, wildlife research, or for unrelieved damage control.

Pigs

• More than 1 million pigs die each year from the conditions of transport. In winter, some pigs die frozen to the sides of the trucks. In summer, some die from heat exhaustion. Some fall and suffocate when additional animals are forced to pile in on top of them. Some die from heart attacks. Pigs Transport and Slaughter, PETA
• A typical slaughterhouse kills up to 1,100 pigs every hour. So despite the Animal Welfare Law that calls for humane slaughter, the sheer number of animals killed makes it impossible for them to be given humane, painless deaths. Because of improper stunning, many pigs are alive when they reach the scalding tank, which is intended to soften their skin and remove their hair. Pigs Transport and Slaughter, PETA
• On November 5, 2002, Florida voters approved the ban of intensive confinement of pigs in gestation crates. This was the first measure in the United States to ban the caging of pigs in gestation crates. Arizona voters overwhelmingly passed a similar measure in 2006 that outlawed the cruel confinement of breeding pigs as well as veal calves. Both states had overwhelming support from concerned citizens who wanted to put an end to animal cruelty in agricultural settings. On June 28, 2007, Oregon became the first state ever to pass legislation banning the use of cruel confinement of pigs in gestation crates. The ballot initiatives and state legislation are ample evidence that the movement to ban gestation crates is gaining momentum and increasing in popularity. Animal Law Resource Center
• Chickens and other fowl are not protected under the Animal Welfare Law, so there are no safeguards against inhumane slaughter. The State of California will end the sale of eggs from out-of-state battery cage facilities beginning January 1, 2015. The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, also known as Prop 2, was brought into law through a successful November 2008 state-wide ballot measure. It phases out the use of battery cages by Californian egg producers by January 1, 2015, while the new assembly bill extends that ban to out-of-state producers selling to consumers in California. Text of Act

Dairy Cows

A normal lifespan for cows is 20 years. In dairies, they are so intensively milked, their lifespans are only 4-5 years. Those considered no longer useful are slaughtered, and many downer cows (those that are no longer able to stand) most often end up in hamburger for school lunch programs Read court case here

There is a high prevalence of a mammary gland infection called mastitis in dairy cows, which results in a large amount of pus in milk. A little over a quart of California milk contained 298 million pus cells in 2003; 11 million more pus cells than it contained the year before. Pasteurization results in dead pus cells. One Green Planet

Florida's milk has the highest count: 548 million pus cells per liter, or nearly 130 million per 8- oz glass. Even that is well below the USDA's allowable U.S. standard of 750 million pus cells per liter, above which milk must be consumed in the state in which it is produced. One Green Planet

Primates Used in Research

Matt Rossell, who worked as a lab tech at OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University), recorded undercover video that revealed stressed-out behavior by the primates—including self-mutilation that resulted in deep wounds. In 2000, Rossell and Dr. Isis Johnson-Brown, a former United States Department of Agriculture Inspector, reported that the USDA was in collusion with primate research centers to hide animal abuse from the public. That May, 26 OHSU animal technicians signed a complaint to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) against the laboratory. However, despite these claims and video evidence, OHSU was cleared of all charges of abuse by the USDA in 2001. Matt Rossell, Campaigns Director, ADI, PETA investigation in 2007 reveals ongoing abuses

Orcas

The film “Blackfish” spotlighted the on-going ordeal of captive orcas, especially the orca Tillicum at SeaWorld. Lolita’s story is not as well known. On August 8, 1970, Lolita was caught in Puget Sound, WA. One of seven young whales sold to marine parks around the world from a roundup of over 80 orcas, she was purchased by Miami Seaquarium veterinarian Dr. Jesse White. On arriving there, Lolita joined another male orca named Hugo, who was captured some time before Lolita.

She and Hugo lived together as close companions for 10 years in what is known as the Whale Bowl, a tank the size of a hotel swimming pool. Hugo died March 4, 1980, after repeatedly smashing his head into the walls of the tank in what has been described as an act of suicide. He died from a brain aneurism. Now Lolita is the remaining survivor of the 58 whales kidnapped over the years from Puget Sound. Despite lawsuits by ALDF, Animal Legal Defense Fund, PETA, and three individuals, she has not been granted her freedom. However, in Februrary 2015, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that Lolita and other orcas are now protected under the Endangered Species Act. Activists are hoping this means she will soon be released back to the wild.

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“From Suffering to Satori” marks **Courtney Scott’s filmmaking debut, at the age of 67, after spending ten years producing and directing public affairs programs for television.

In 1970, following graduation from Sonoma State with a BA degree in Psychology, she fell into a career as a copywriter, first as a copywriter in direct mail adverting in Los Angeles, then at ad agencies in San Diego. Almost immediately, Scott began winning awards, including the prestigious Los Angeles Belding and NY Art Directors honors for her work for clients such as The San Diego Zoo and National University.

Later, after a move to an agency in San Francisco, she decided to switch careers and attended photography classes at City College. She then embarked on a new career in commercial photography and enjoyed success working with a roster of corporate and portrait clients. In the late 90's she moved into video production for clients and then into television where she honed her skills as a writer, director and producer. During that time, she produced and directed the following programs:

NATIVE VOICES, a half-hour TV program that explored the relationship of Native Americans and the environment. Included were interviews with Cheech One Road, a local radio producer and writer and Dorothy One Road, a Sioux who grew up in the traditional native culture. Music provided by famed native songwriter/performer Jim Boyd. Written and produced by Courtney Scott and Ann Mitchell. Won Best Environmental video at the 1995 Northwest Video Awards

MONEY, THE ROOT OF POLITICS, a one hour program that tackled the thorny issue of campaign finance and the effect of money on politics. The program interweaved clips from famous films about politics, IE: Jimmy Stewart's famous filibuster scene in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” It also featured interviews with campaign finance reformers including Ralph Nader and US Rep. Peter De Fazio, and a Democratic Party official who was responsible for raising campaign funds. One of his quotes was, ”Congress members spend six hours a day raising money.” Written and produced by Courtney Scott in 1996

BEYOND THE FRONT PAGE, a one hour public affairs series that ran for one and a half years from 1996-1998. This was an interview-intense program that featured a variety of local activists on many issues. Jeff Lamb, former president of Oregonians for Voices in Annexation, and Harry Lonsdale, former candidate for US Senate are two examples. Written, directed and produced by Courtney Scott and Carolyn Brunett.

MAD AS HELL TV1 Starting in 2000, Scott began work on her longest-running series of one-hour programs, that combined a mixture of politics, performance art and music that she wrote, directed and produced—and co-hosted with nationally-syndicated radio personality and writer Clyde Lewis. Clyde wrote many of the political skits for the series. Guests included a range of activists in many fields, including author Kris Milligan, writer/filmmaker Daniel Hopsicker and campaign finance activist Doris Haddock (Granny D) The interviews were interwoven with music, poetry, acting skits and performance art from a variety of local artists, including hip hop artist Mic Crenshaw. This program aired from 2002 through 2007.

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There are many excellent articles, books and organizations that provide information and suggested strategies for ending animal suffering. Here is just a short list that gives you an overview of the many animal abuse issues that writers and activists are tackling.

Articles

Cruelty Free Shopping Guide

Glamour Beasts The Dark Side of Elephant Captivity

Fear Factories The case for compassionate conservatism—for animals

The Zoo Debate – Do zoos have a role in the 21st Century?

Animal Exchange--AZA’s monthly newsletter--how they earmark aged animals for disposal to unsavory dealers -- end up in canned hunts, roadside zoos and even slaughtered as exotic meat

Books

Animal Rights Current Debates and New Directions edited by Cass R. Sunstein, Martha C.Nussbaum 2004 Oxford University Press

Beyond Beef, Jeremy Rifkin 1992 Penguin Books

Dominion, The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy by Matthew Scully 2002 St. Martins Press

Eternal Treblinka Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust by Charles Patterson, Lantern Books 2002

In Your Face From Actor to Animal Activist by Chris DeRose

Inhumane Society The American Way of Exploiting Animals
Dr. Michael W. Fox, DVM

Redemption The Myth of Pet Overpopulation And The No Kill Revolution In America Nathan J. Winograd

The Dreaded Comparison/Human and Animal Slavery Marjorie Spiegel
1996 Mirror Books

The Zoo Dilemma Virginia McKenna (Author), Will Travers (Author), Jonathan Wray (Editor)

Striking at the Roots A Practical Guide to Animal Activism, Mark Hawthorne O Books 2008, an imprint of John Hunt Publishing

When Elephants Weep The Emotional Lives of Animals Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and Susan McCarthy 1995 Dell Publishing

Why We Love Dogs Eat Pigs and Wear Cows Melanie Joy, Ph.D.

Organizations

Alternatives to animal testing

Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing

Replacement of Animal Procedures: Alternatives in Testing, Research, and Education

Americans Europeans Japanese for Medical Advancement

Animal Liberation Front

Animal Defenders International

Free the Oregon Zoo Elephants

In Defense of Animals

Last Chance for Animals

Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary

Mercy for Animals

No Kill Advocacy Center

Out to Pasture Sanctuary

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Predator Defense

Sea Shepherd

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I am very excited to announce a new way to stream my film. Ecostreamz is a streaming site where you can watch some of the finest, award-winning, independent documentary films and get inspired. Thank you Ecostreamz for including this film in your repertoire of inspiring films.

From Suffering to Satori

Screening at:

Historic Elliot Chapel, 1225 SW Salmon, Portland, OR 97205. The Animal Ministry of the Unitarian Church is sponsoring a screening of the film on Saturday, Feb. 20, 6:30pm.

Doors open at 6pm. Free and open to the public.

7pm, Sunday, November 1, 2015

Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St.

Portland, OR 97209 (doors open at 6pm)

followed by Q&A with Producer/Director Courtney Scott

Mission Theater

This screening is a benefit for Free the Oregon Zoo Elephants (FOZE) a 501(c)3 non profit organization.
(http://freeoregonzooelephants.org/)

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Courtney Scott

courtney@scottwork.com

503-288-6142

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