No elephant deserves to live in captivity
The issue
It is absolutely impossible to meet the needs of wild animals in circuses. This applies in particular to the largest among them: elephants. The size of their enclosures and the constant travelling are also problematic ‒ along with many other issues. Increasing numbers of circuses have decided not to display wild animals any longer. The result: they have not suffered a slump in visitor numbers.
Just as elephants do not belong in circuses, they do not belong in zoos or in captivity in general. A poignant example of this is Mara. The female Asian elephant has spent almost 50 years – her entire life – in captivity, in zoos and circuses. Since 1995, she has been confined in a zoo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Our project
Due to the intensive and persistent work of Fondation Franz Weber (FFW), in May 2020, Mara was transferred to an elephant sanctuary in Brazil, the Global Sanctuary for Elephants. Two years later, in May 2022, the two Asian elephant cows Pocha and her daughter Guillermina were also released from their 200-square-meter small cement pit in the Ecopark Mendzoa (Argentina) and moved to the elephant sanctuary in Brazil.
FFW is working relentlessly to transfer all remaining elephants in captivity in Argentina to the elephant sanctuary in Brazil. The next planned move is the one of the African elephant cow Kenya, currently still kept in the Mendoza Ecopark.
In Switzerland too, FFW is active in this matter. For example, we supported the petition petition “No Wild Animals at the Circus!”. 26 countries in Europe have already approved restrictions or bans on the use of wild animals in circuses.
Our goals
- Transferring all eight elephants still captive in Argentina to the elephant sanctuary in Brazil
- Ban on wild animals in Swiss circuses
- An end to elephant breeding in zoos
News
Animal protection
The elephant Ceyla-Himali had by no means reached a ‘venerable’ age
Animal protection
Experts Call on U.S. to ban imports of live elephants
Animal protection
Media Release: Zurich Zoo loses its 6th young elephant in 3 years – a reappraisal is necessary
Facts and Figures
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