SEATTLE - King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector today dismissed the lawsuit brought by a local animal rights group, Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN), and two private citizens against Woodland Park Zoo and the City of Seattle.

In its lawsuit, NARN attempted to force transfer of the zoo’s Asian elephant Bamboo away from the Northwest and the human-interactive lifestyle she has known all her life to a private elephant facility in Tennessee. NARN made various allegations related to the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and unspecified public trust obligations. They also charged that the City of Seattle illegally “gifted” the animals to the zoo.

Judge Spector ruled in favor of the zoo and the City on all issues, granting the zoo’s and the City’s Motion to Dismiss claims arising under the ESA, the SEPA, the public trust doctrine, and dismissed all claims against the zoo’s Board of Directors and key staff. The judge also granted the City’s motion to strike declarations of NARN’s attorney, and its Amended Motion to Dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and failure to state a claim.

“ Bamboo and all our elephants are healthy and thriving,” said Jan Hendrickson, chair of the zoo’s Board of Directors, “and we hope everyone comes to visit them in our award-winning Elephant Forest exhibit. It’s unfortunate that we had to divert valuable human and financial resources to address these misguided attempts to move Bamboo. This was an expensive and inappropriate use of our judicial system.”

Zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen added, “Our zoo is known around the world as one of the world’s finest. We are proud of the care and treatment afforded all our zoo’s animals, including our beloved elephants. We remain committed to ensuring the long-term well being of our elephants and to conservation programs that protect these magnificent animals in the wild.”

For more information on this issue, visit www.zoo.org.

Accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting a standard for zoos all over the world. With conservation, education and excellent animal care at the core of the zoo’s mission, the zoo is helping to save endangered species in Washington state and around the world including tree kangaroos, snow leopards, red-crowned cranes, African wild dogs, western pond turtles and Oregon silverspot butterflies. By inspiring visitors and others to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.