Elephants should be free.
In zoos across the US, elephants are being imprisoned and exploited for human gain. Help us expose the reality of elephant captivity in the US zoo system and bring it to an end.
Using the map below and the elephant index on this site, learn about the over 250 elephants who are currently held captive in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and how they are suffering.
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Fresno Chaffee Zoo
- Los Angeles Zoo
- Oakland Zoo
- San Diego Zoo
- San Diego Zoo Safari Park
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo currently holds 5 African elephants in captivity, including Mabu. The key issues at this facility include an ongoing active captive breeding program and a lack of space for the elephants in their care.
Featured Elephant: Davu
Davu is a male African elephant who was born at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo on August 26, 2024 to two wild-born elephants who were captured and imported to the United States to be used in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) captive elephant breeding program. Davu’s name is the Somali word for “the starting of a new age.” There could not be a less fitting name for an elephant who is destined for a life in captivity. Davu is held captive with 4 other elephants, who all suffer from their facility’s lack of sufficient space and from being unable to engage in their natural behaviors.
Take Action Today
Free to Be Elephants is dedicated to raising awareness of the realities of elephant captivity, but our work doesn’t end there. Elephants are depending on us to correct the grave injustice of their imprisonment. Please take action today to help us secure freedom for elephants in the US.
