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
- Bronx Zoo
- Rosamond Gifford Zoo
- Seneca Park Zoo
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo currently holds 8 Asian elephants in captivity, including Doc a 46-year-old male. 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: Targa
Targa is a female Asian elephant who has spent her entire life confined at zoos and circuses in the United States. Four generations of her family have lived and died in captivity. Targa is currently held captive at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo along with her daughter Mali, grandsons Tukada and Yaad, and four other adult elephants, where they are forced to endure harsh winters, including snow and freezing temperatures. All eight elephants are crammed into an exhibit allegedly containing a total of 7 acres, comprising an elephant barn, a water feature, a yard, and other holding and maintenance facilities. It is unclear how much usable space they have. The zoo forces reproductive age elephants to participate in a captive breeding program and has a history of separating bonded elephants and calves from their mothers at a young age.
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.
