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
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
- White Oak Conservation
- Zoo Miami
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park
The Zoo Miami currently holds 4 elephants in captivity, 2 Asian elephants and 2 African elephants. The key issues at this facility include participating in the international elephant trade and a lack of space for the elephants in their care.
Featured Elephant: Ongard
Ongard is a male Asian elephant who was born on September 10, 2010 at the Melbourne Zoo in Australia—one of the first elephants born there as part of the zoo’s captive breeding program. In 2018, when Ongard was just seven years old, the Melbourne Zoo separated him from his mother and half-siblings and transported him more than 9,000 miles away to Zoo Miami in Florida. His transfer was arranged under a breeding loan agreement that emphasized his genetic value to North American zoos while ignoring his need for family, autonomy, and species-specific companionship. Ongard is currently confined with 3 other elephants, who all suffer from a 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.
