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
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium currently holds 5 African elephants in captivity. 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: Tasha
Tasha has spent close to half a century in captivity—her life marked by exploitation, unnatural conditions, and the systematic stripping away of her autonomy. Born around 1976, living freely with her familial herd in South Africa, Tasha was taken from her home and family as a young calf. In 1979, she was imported to the United States and thrust into a life of captivity and suffering. She is currently held captive at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium in Pittsburgh, PA. Tasha and the other elephants confined with her all suffer from the 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.
