More zoos are making the compassionate decision to relocate captive elephants to sanctuaries.
The Oakland Zoo is relocating Osh, a 30-year-old African elephant, to a wildlife sanctuary. He will finally get to live out his days without being exploited for entertainment. Osh will likely be reunited with Donna, a 43-year-old African elephant, at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. The elephant exhibit at the Oakland Zoo will permanently close.
World Animal Protection US applauds this decision and encourages more zoos to send elephants and other wild animals to sanctuaries where they can live out the remainder of their lives as naturally as possible.
Unlike zoos, sanctuaries are nonprofit institutions that prioritize animals above all else. They offer space, freedom, and a semblance of the life these animals were meant to live. While sanctuaries can never fully replace the wild, they are a far better alternative to the confines of a zoo.
At The Elephant Sanctuary, Osh will be able to interact with his own species on his own terms, while spending his days roaming vast expanses of land and engaging in natural behaviors.
Osh’s move to a sanctuary should not be seen as an exception but as a standard to strive for. Elephants, like all wild animals, do not belong in captivity. They are not here for our entertainment. World Animal Protection has long advocated for the end of wild animals in captivity, and it’s time for zoos to phase out the keeping of elephants and other wild animals and shift their focus to conservation efforts that protect animals in the wild where they truly belong.
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