DD Animal News: May 24, 2025 Born Free’s new report reveals the physical, mental, and emotional suffering of elephants kept in zoos, urging a global call to end elephant captivity.
A powerful new report by the international wildlife charity Born Free has shocked the global animal welfare community. Elephants in Zoos: A Legacy of Shame, created in partnership between Born Free USA and the UK-based Born Free Foundation, exposes the suffering elephants face in captivity across North America and Europe.
Captive elephants experience deep emotional and physical distress. Removed from their natural environments and social structures, these intelligent animals live monotonous, confined, and often solitary lives. With no space to roam or stimulation to engage in natural behaviors, they become victims of chronic stress. Many spend their days swaying, rocking, and pacing — visible signs of mental breakdown.
Stark Numbers, Silent Suffering
In 2021, 299 elephants lived in 67 North American zoos. At least 12 lived in total isolation. Europe held 580 elephants in 149 zoos. These numbers have grown not due to breeding success, but because zoos continue to import wild-caught elephants.
Captivity often causes elephants to develop abnormal behaviors. Rocking, swaying, and head bobbing — known as stereotypies — occur frequently. Experts link these behaviors to severe mental distress. Elephants in the wild never show such behaviors, which signals the impact of confinement on their psychological health.
Health Risks and High Mortality
The report highlights a staggering statistic: 40% of infant elephants in zoos die before reaching age five. Poor reproductive success and chronic illness make captive populations unsustainable.
Angela Grimes, CEO of Born Free USA, explains:
“Elephants are a prime example of how captivity causes direct and lasting harm. Our work highlights serious health and welfare concerns for elephants in zoos, as well as negative consequences on free-living populations.”
This harm isn’t accidental. The zoo environment forces elephants into conditions their bodies and minds can’t endure.
Captivity’s Wider Consequences
Captivity doesn’t just harm individual elephants. Some zoos still capture elephants from the wild to maintain their populations. This practice tears animals from their families and damages wild herds and ecosystems.
In the wild, elephants roam over 10,000 square kilometers. They live in multigenerational herds and can reach 70 years of age. In contrast, most zoo enclosures are no bigger than a football field. Elephants often live in groups of three or fewer — or entirely alone. These conditions cause mental stress and physical health problems.
Ethical and Conservation Failings
The Born Free report argues that elephants in zoos serve no real conservation purpose. Zoo exhibits do not replicate the wild or teach meaningful lessons about elephant behavior and ecology. Instead, they harm animal welfare and promote outdated values.
Grimes continues:
“Holding these majestic animals in zoos as ‘exhibits’ for public entertainment does not support elephant conservation or welfare. It is time for U.S. zoos to commit to ending elephant captivity.”
True conservation protects animals in the wild, not behind fences and glass walls.
A Legacy of Advocacy
Born Free has fought against elephant captivity for decades. Its mission began after co-founders Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers tried to rescue a young elephant named Pole Pole. Her tragic life inspired them to create Zoo Check in 1984 — now known as Born Free.
With Elephants in Zoos: A Legacy of Shame, Born Free continues its mission to give elephants — and all wild animals — the freedom and dignity they deserve.
