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 Bronx Zoo currently holds 2 Asian elephants in captivity, including Patty a wild-born female elephant. A key issue at this facility is a lack of space for the elephants confined there.
Featured Elephant: Patty
Patty is a wild-born Asian elephant currently held captive at the Bronx Zoo in New York, NY. Patty was captured in India when she was three years old and imported to the United States in 1973 with several other young elephants. The Bronx Zoo purchased Patty for $6,000. For over half a century Patty has been confined to the same small, barren enclosure at the zoo.
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.