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
- Caldwell Zoo
- Cameron Park Zoo
- Dallas Zoo
- El Paso Zoo
- Fort Worth Zoological Park
- Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo currently holds 13 Asian 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: Thailand
Thailand is an Asian elephant (from Thailand) who has suffered under human control for 59 years. Torn from his familial herd when he was just two years old, since 1980, Thailand has spent more than four decades confined at the Houston Zoo, where he has been used for breeding, put on public display, and subjected to behavioral control. Thailand is currently confined with other elephants, including his offspring, 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.
