ZOO ELEPHANT ORGANIZATIONS
ELEPHANT GUARDIANS OF LOS ANGELES
Mission
Elephant guardians of Los Angeles is dedicated to the Elephants held at the Los Angeles Zoo. We are working towards Billy’s release to sanctuary and the end of captive elephant breeding in Los Angeles. We support freedom and dignity for non-human animals everywhere.
Projects
Elephant Guardians of LA is working with the LA City Council to get an independent vet to examine Billy to establish the need to send him to PAWS Sanctuary in Northern California. They hold regular demos and rallies at the LA Zoo and have two ongoing petitions. They have an international coalition that has signed on in in support of their goal to free Billy.
Contact: Kiersten Cluster kcluster4756@roadrunner.com
FREE THE OREGON ZOO ELEPHANTS (FOZE)
Mission
Free the Oregon Zoo Elephants’ mission is to bring about the permanent closure of the Oregon Zoo’s elephant exhibit, freeing the elephants from captivity to sanctuaries. We will do this by blocking the Oregon Zoo’s breeding program and its possible plans for elephant importation.
Projects
FOZE has two petitions sponsored by Care2, one to send Chendra to sanctuary, the other to end the use of bullhooks, to stop breeding and importing elephants to the zoo. It is also campaigning for a boycott of the zoo until the breeding stops.
FRIENDS OF LUCY and LUCY’S EDMONTON ADOVATES PROJECT (LEAP)
Mission
This advocacy group is working diligently to free Edmonton’s Zoo’s solitary elephant Lucy to sanctuary.
From the website: “Lucy is a solitary elephant living in the cold climate of Edmonton, Canada. Both of these groups’ mandate is increasing the activity and involvement of Lucy’s supporters who live in the greater Edmonton area and her supporters around the world!”
Projects
Both groups are involved in many projects, some recent ones are testifying at town hall meetings in Edmonton, sponsoring a play based on Lucy’s life, holding online auctions to support their efforts to free Lucy, and many others that are on their Facebook and website.
Contacts: Sam Whincup, Mary-Ann Holm
FRIENDS OF RUTH & EMILY
Mission
Ruth and Emily, two Asian elephants, have been held at Buttonwood Park Zoo, New Bedford, MA for the past 30 years. Deprived of a natural life, both exhibit abnormal behaviors that result from living most of their lives indoors in a concrete barn. The Friends of Ruth & Emily are dedicated to helping them make it to The Elephant Sanctuary, where they can be elephants, not specimens on exhibit.
Projects
Friends of Ruth & Emily are engaged in a lawsuit against the city of New Beford, MA to release the zoo’s elephants to sanctuary.
FRIENDS OF WOODLAND PARK ZOO ELEPHANTS (FWPZE)
Mission
FWPZE supports retirement of all elephants suffering in cruel zoo and circus confinement as well as all wild animals imprisoned in cages and tanks. We advocate for these animals to go to accredited sanctuaries so that they may heal physically and psychologically – anything less diminishes our humanity.
Projects
From the FWPZE website: “We continue to work for the release of Bamboo and Sri to an accredited sanctuary. These elephants were housed at Woodland Park Zoo but have since been transferred to other zoos and ownership turned over to the zoos in which they reside.
Alyne Fortang, co founder wpzelephants@yahoo.com
IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS (IDA)
IDA has worked for years to bring awareness to the public about elephants in zoos, through legal means and advocacy campaigns.
Projects
IDA compiles a list of the 10 worst zoos for elephants every year and is busy working on the list for 2018
CONTACTS TO COME
NON HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT (NHRP)
Mission
The Nonhuman Rights Project is the only civil rights organization in the United States working through litigation, legislation, and education to secure legally recognized fundamental rights for nonhuman animals.
Projects
NHRP is currently in litigation to free the lone elephant Happy from the Bronx Zoo.
Attorney Steve Wise: wisebottom@aol.com
PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS (PETA)
Mission for elephants
PETA works to educate the public about the plight of captive elephants in zoos and circuses, they have a legal department that prosecutes cases of abuse and works to free elephants to sanctuary.
Projects
PETA has many ongoing projects including keeping an up to date list of zoos that have closed or are closing their elephant exhibits and a comprehensive list of elephant deaths in zoos worldwide.
Contact: Rachel Matthews, Deputy Director, Captive Animal Law Enforcement RMathews@petaf.org
SAVE NOSEY NOW, INC.
Misson
The mission of SAVE NOSEY NOW, INC. is to provide education, intervention, and litigation that will ultimately lead to sanctuary for captive elephants in circuses and zoos.
Save Nosey’s efforts along with PETA’s law enforcement arm have succeeded in getting Nosey, an elephant owned by a traveling circus to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, where a local judge has ruled that she should stay.
Projects
Save Nosey is raising funds to complete a new documentary based on Lucy’s story,
Contact: Barbara Trask Lovett, president
phone: (603) 742-0848 info@savenoseynow.org
VOICE FOR THE ANIMALS FOUNDATION
Mission
VFTA Elephants’ campaign “Captivity is not Conservation” is working to educate people about the plight of zoo elephants, and in particular, Billy at the LA Zoo.
Contact: info@vftafoundation.org 310-392-5193
ZOOCHECK
Mission
Zoocheck is a Canadian-based international wildlife protection charity (#13150 2072 RR0001) established in 1984 to promote and protect the interests and well-being of wild animals. Zoocheck works with a broad range of collaborating partners around the world.
Zoocheck endeavors to promote animal protection in specific situations and strive to bring about a new respect for all living things and the world in which they live.
Projects
Zoocheck promotes better care of wildlife in zoos with education and litigation. It offers a list of alternatives to zoos. And it has a campaign to Save Lucy from the Edmonton Zoo.
Contact Julie Woodyer, Campaigns Director julie@zoocheck.com