10 Worst Zoos for Elephants 2025

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Elephant Breeding Secrets Zoos Don’t Want You to Know

 

When Packy was born at the Oregon Zoo in 1962, he was the first elephant calf born in North America in over 40 years. His birth skyrocketed ticket sales and triggered a nationwide breeding frenzy. Today, a new baby boom is in full swing, with 12 calves born in 2025 alone, luring in unsuspecting visitors by the millions. 

But zoo baby fever is a sickness that plunges elephant lives into tragedy. Each new calf draws crowds, but behind the smiles and photo ops lies a cycle of exploitation, heartbreak, and death.

Zoo-born elephants are twice as likely to die as wild-born calves before age 2. Source: In Defense of Animals analysis; Turkalo et al. (2018); Moss et al. (2011)

One in four elephants born in zoos dies before age 5 — a rate far surpassing wild mortality. By age 2, the death rate for zoo calves is double that of the wild, even though captives are protected from drought, predation, and poaching.

Visitors pay to watch playful youngsters, while older elephants sway from zoochosis caused by brain damage, shuffle with crippling osteoarthritis, and are dosed with painkillers for incurable, often fatal foot disease. A data review by In Defense of Animals found that over a third of elephants born in zoos since 2004 have died prematurely. Most captive-born elephants fail to reach even half of their natural life expectancy.

Independent studies consistently show that elephants in zoos suffer persistent, chronic health and psychological problems, even at facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Breeding underpins, perpetuates, and causes it. A new report exposes the devastating results of captive breeding worldwide.

The disruption caused by zoos to the sexual development of both male and female elephants results in a population whose breeding, sexuality, and sociality bear no relation to that of wild elephants

— The Unnatural Lives of Elephants in Zoos: the Case of Dublin Zoo
Doctors Rob Atkinson, Andrew Kelly, and Keith Lindsay

Bred to Breaking Point

Zoos increasingly rely on artificial insemination, an invasive procedure forced on females again and again. It produces three times as many males, who are notoriously difficult to manage in captivity and lead some of the most tormented, tragic lives in zoos. 

Males are shipped between zoos to breed, which traumatically breaks bonds with friends and family. This shuffling increases mortality by 50 percent. 

For females, zoo breeding is a miserable punishment. Chai, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, endured 112 brutal insemination attempts — often tightly restrained with chains or in an “iron maiden”. All failed, so she was shipped to Dickerson Park Zoo in St Louis to mate with a live bull, despite the risk of contracting deadly elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). She returned pregnant, but her baby was infected and died at six years old.

Rare documentary footage shows one zoo’s distressing birthing process in 2012. Chained elephants give birth onto concrete, and the stricken mothers are immediately separated from their newborns.

Too Young To Breed, Too Young To Die

Zoos are so desperate to have babies that the AZA allows females to be bred as early as 8 years old, far younger than 12-14 years old which is typical in the wild. 

The pace is relentless. In the wild, mothers wait four to six years between calves. In zoos, some are impregnated within a year of giving birth.

Male elephants in zoos enter musth as young as 11 years old, when wild bulls commonly enter sexual maturity in their 20s or 30s. 

The relentless demand and stress of captivity causes miscarriages, stillbirths, and deadly diseases like EEHV. 

Zoos mislead the public by claiming EEHV is found equally in the wild. In truth, it is not a threat to wild elephants, but in zoos, it kills. Breeding spreads the virus from zoo to zoo as elephants are traded on breeding loans. 

A few zoos are testing an experimental vaccine, but even if it works, it would only prolong the suffering of elephants kept in unnatural conditions that make the disease deadly in the first place. While zoos highlight dangers elephants face in the wild, zoos themselves are far more deadly to elephants.

Breeding for Commerce, Not Conservation

No elephant born in a North American zoo has ever been released to the wild. The AZA’s Species Survival Plan (SSP) is not a conservation program, but an attempt to maintain a fresh supply of elephant prisoners for zoos. The SSP leaves a trail of dead infants and traumatized parents in its wake. 

Captive breeding funds a conservation con that diverts millions of dollars toward zoo infrastructure and away from genuine efforts to protect wild elephants where they live.

A Better Way Forward

In 2025, the Louisville Zoo made the compassionate choice to close its exhibit and retire its last two elephants to sanctuary, earning our deep gratitude and Path to Progress designation. More than 40 North American zoos have already shuttered their elephant exhibits. We hope more follow this progressive path.

The only way to stop the captive industry is to stop the breeding.

— Brett Mitchell, Elephant Reintegration Project, South Africa

Baby booms are a bust for elephants. It is time for zoos to stop breeding and give elephants back the freedom to be elephants, unrestricted by deprivations and the demands of bearing another generation into despair. After enduring so much suffering, they deserve no less.

A Special Plea for Sanctuary for Lucy at Edmonton Valley Zoo

Although the Edmonton Valley Zoo is not actively breeding elephants, it has twice attempted to breed Lucy, who remains in the frozen clime of northern Canada, alone for decades. We urgently call on the Edmonton Valley Zoo and the Edmonton City Council to end Lucy’s lonely existence by sending her to a warm, spacious true sanctuary where she can live out her final years in peace and comfort.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo has made our list 11 times, No. 1 worst in 2021. But if the zoo retires Lucy and closes its exhibit, making it the 41st zoo to make that compassionate choice, we will be delighted to honor it with our Path to Progress award. The time to act is now.

 

Celebrity Support To Release Elephants From the 10 Worst Zoos

Television and radio broadcaster Kirsty Gallacher and Miss World Chile Ignacia Fernández are supporting In Defense of Animals’ exposé of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America. These dedicated animal advocates join a star-studded coalition including Bill Maher, Ricky Gervais, Sarah Silverman, Jorja Fox, Mayim Bialik, Moby, James Roday Rodriguez, and Harley Quinn Smith, who have all pledged their support to In Defense of Animals to end the captivity of elephants in zoos.

 

 

10 Worst Zoos 2025:

1. Houston Zoo, Houston, Texas
2. Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, Kansas
3. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska
4. African Lion Safari, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
5. Denver Zoo, Denver, Colorado
6. Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Powell, Ohio
7. ABQ BioPark, Albuquerque, New Mexico
8. Oklahoma City Zoo, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
9. Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Fresno, California
10. Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Path to Progress Award: Louisville Zoo, Louisville, Kentucky

Hall of Shame: Oregon Zoo, Portland, Oregon

2025 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America

#1 Worst Zoo - Houston Zoo, Houston, Texas

Houston Built an Exhibit — Not for Elephants to Live but to Breed

The Houston Zoo is ranked No. 1 Worst Zoo for Elephants in North America for its prolific and lethal breeding of Asian elephants: 25 births to date, with 17 dead. Appearing six times on the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list, it holds one of the worst elephant breeding records of any zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).

The Houston Zoo has lost six calves to elephant endotheliotrophic herpesvirus (EEHV), but openly admitted it will continue breeding calves to study the virus, even as the calves died. This research does nothing to conserve wild elephants who aren’t threatened by EEHV, according to this study, but continues to build a pile of dead calves.

Since 1980, the Houston Zoo has built its entire breeding program on bull Thai, who sired 21 calves – 15 of whom died. Faced with repeated losses, the zoo turned to extremely invasive artificial insemination (AI), carried out using restraints. At just 10, Tupelo was forced into early motherhood through AI.

Houston’s elephant breeding is sanctioned under the AZA’s Species Survival Plan, promoted as conservation. In reality, calves are bred only to die young or be relocated, like Baylor, who was shipped to Denver Zoo to serve as a research subject. Shanti’s rejection of her calf, Bella, who later died, is a stark reminder that family bonds are perverted and broken by zoo captivity.

It’s time to halt the Houston Zoo’s monstrous breeding program and send the elephants to a true sanctuary, starting with 60-year-old Thai, who deserves retirement from his burden as the zoo’s prime breeder.

#2 Worst Zoo - Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, Kansas

A Breeding Bonanza to Boost Attendance

A passel of babies to push up ticket sales. Photo: In Defense of Animals

Sedgwick County Zoo has turned its elephant exhibit into a breeding mill, prioritizing publicity and profit over welfare. In just six months of 2025, five African elephant calves were born to mothers Simunye, Arusi, Zuberi, Xolani, and Talia. These mothers are from the "Stolen 18," a group controversially imported in 2016 which earned this zoo the No. 1 spot on the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list.

The babies’ father, Callee, was shipped in from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo in 2023. He has been used to sire nine calves across multiple facilities, revealing the zoo industry’s true intention of producing marketable babies, not genetic diversity

By touting its “baby boom” with a fundraiser and attendance spikes, the zoo has exposed its true priorities and fulfilled the business ambitions of former director Mark Reed, who openly stated elephant births would “skyrocket the attendance like nothing ever has here.”

Instead of protecting elephants, Sedgwick County Zoo is fueling a cycle of confinement, rampant breeding, and relentless commercialization, making it one of the worst zoos for elephants in 2025. Sedgwick County Zoo must stop its breeding spree and retire its elephants to a true sanctuary where they will never bear offspring condemned to short, sad, imprisoned lives.

#3 Worst Zoo - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska

A Manufactured Family: Stolen Lives, Scheduled Births, and the Illusion of Choice

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium returns to the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list for the fourth time. After sending its last elephant, Shenga, to the Cleveland Zoo 15 years ago, the zoo spent $73 million to expand its African elephant exhibit and launched an aggressive breeding campaign. Five calves were born in just over two years to Emma, Jayei, Lolly, Claire and Kiki, who are all members of the “Stolen 18,” who were taken from their families in Africa.

The zoo presents a picture of animal “choice,” but in captive breeding, elephants cannot choose mates; pairings are assigned, pregnancies are closely monitored, and young females are often bred before reaching full maturity. Lolly gave birth at only 11 years old, far younger than the typical 14 years seen in wild populations. The misleadingly named “Elephant Family Quarters” exhibits a highly managed group, not a natural family.

Breeding loans move males from zoo to zoo, breaking bonds, causing transfer trauma, and shortening lives through stress. Warren died at age 9 during a tusk procedure. The zoo then brought in Louie as a backup breeder from the Toledo Zoo. When he failed to reproduce, Louie was sent to North Carolina. Callee sired all five calves and was then transferred to Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas, uprooted to repeat the process elsewhere, a common fate for male elephants in captivity.

These five will never return to the wild to enjoy true autonomy, choice, or freedom. It’s time for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium to choose compassion over control. End the brutal breeding program, retire the elephants to sanctuary, and follow the example of more than 40 zoos that have closed their elephant displays.

 

#4 Worst Zoo - African Lion Safari, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Profit Over Preservation at North America’s Biggest Collection

Babies are born into a barren existence and frozen out of a free life. Photos: African Lion Safari/Facebook, In Defense of Animals

For the second time, Ontario’s African Lion Safari lands on the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list. Despite boasting about its breeding program and housing 15 Asian elephants, the largest collection in any North American zoo, the facility continues to fail these complex, intelligent beings.

Elephants at African Lion Safari endure an intensive breeding cycle. Johnson has fathered nearly every calf born since 2014, creating a dangerously narrow gene pool. Females are bred at an unnatural pace, which puts immense strain on them and their calves. While wild elephants typically bear calves every four to six years, Lily and Natasha were pregnant again within a year of giving birth. Three young elephants have died from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV).

Records show 25 individuals have been relocated — transfers known to cause trauma and premature death. Following pressure from In Defense of Animals, the zoo canceled a controversial deal to sell two elephants, Emily and Nellie, but continues to cause harm by breeding and trading.

Zoos like African Lion Safari promote a conservation con, selling breeding as creating a "backup” population, yet elephants born in zoos will never be released to the wild. This focus drives ticket sales but diverts funding from genuine efforts to truly protect elephants and their natural habitats.

If African Lion Safari truly wants to lead in elephant care, it must end its breeding business and join more than 40 zoos that have stopped exhibiting elephants. Lawmakers should reintroduce a bill in the spirit of the Jane Goodall Act to ensure no more elephants are born into captivity.

 

#5 Worst Zoo - Denver Zoo, Denver, Colorado

Males Exploited to Fill Sperm Banks

The stark reality of life in a zoo: isolation and boredom. Photos: In Defense of Animals

Denver Zoo earns its second spot on the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list in two years for subjecting its six Asian bull elephants to highly invasive sperm extraction procedures and confining them in a profoundly unnatural all-male exhibit.

Life for these bulls bears no resemblance to natural elephant society. Contrary to Denver Zoo’s claims that its “...habitat fosters active, engaged, and healthy animals while providing them with daily opportunities for varied social experiences,” bulls at this zoo are bored, stressed, and often isolated.

Denver Zoo is a sperm factory that uses its bulls as living sperm banks to produce calves for other zoos. Bodhi’s semen was used to produce Winnie at Houston Zoo; Jake’s was sent to St. Louis Zoo, where Jet was born. The oldest bull, 54-year-old Groucho, has sired seven babies — four died at birth, and one at age 3 — a stark reflection of high infant elephant mortality in zoos.

Collecting semen from elephants is invasive, unnatural, and often distressing. Bulls are restrained and deeply anally penetrated by a zookeeper’s arm, and manually manipulated. The ordeal is repeated until enough semen is produced for artificial insemination.

After declaring “... there will be a growing need for other institutions to house multiple male elephants,” Denver Zoo shipped 15-year-old Chuck to Houston for breeding in 2024. The need exists because artificial insemination often produces an excess of males, who are notoriously difficult to manage. The result is a network of stressed, displaced bulls who die sooner when they suffer transfer trauma and broken bonds from being hauled from zoo to zoo.

Duncan, Bodhi, Billy, Jake, and Baylor should be spared further invasive sperm extractions. They all deserve a true sanctuary, and Groucho should be retired immediately so he can enjoy his last years in a spacious, peaceful pastoral setting.

 

#6 Worst Zoo - Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Powell, Ohio

Accelerated Breeding & Baby Lab Pump Up Profits

A sad beginning, confined for life in a barren environment. Photo: Emily Nolan

The Columbus Zoo is back on the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list for the second time. The zoo uses every new birth of its Asian elephants as a marketing opportunity, showing off baby Rita Jane in August, and hailing the October birth of Oliver, a male calf, as a “historic milestone.” While the zoo funds conservation projects in the wild, it falsely insists “every calf born is part of that global effort.” Captive breeding does nothing to protect wild elephants. It merely ensures generations of misery for the seven Asian elephants confined at the Columbus Zoo.

The zoo relies on artificial insemination, an invasive procedure forced on females repeatedly. Phoebe has been impregnated again and again, even after losing several calves. In nature, elephants give birth every four to six years, but the Columbus Zoo breeds Phoebe on a brutally accelerated schedule, with pregnancies just two or three years apart. To conceive Ellie, who died only 20 days after birth in 2018, Phoebe was inseminated with sperm from two different bulls. She then endured numerous inseminations to produce Frankie in 2021. The following year, her son Beco died from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Despite all this, the zoo has bred Phoebe yet again this year.

Rather than stopping its fatally flawed breeding program, the Columbus Zoo used Beco’s death as a fundraising opportunity to build an EEHV research lab. It also now promotes “collaborations” to develop a vaccine while driving transmission and producing more babies destined for lifetime imprisonment.

The Columbus Zoo must end its reckless breeding, stop misleading the public, retire the elephants to a sanctuary, and close its exhibit once and for all. No more elephants should be born only to lead short, miserable lives in the Columbus Zoo.

 

#7 Worst Zoo - ABQ BioPark, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Reckless Breeding Program Ends in Four Dead Elephants

Meeting behind the fence line. Photo: In Defense of Animals

ABQ BioPark returns to In Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list for a third time, following its 2023 appearance. The zoo keeps Albert in isolation and continues to breed Rozie, even though all four of her babies have died.

Three of Rozie’s calves were killed by Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), a disease that becomes deadly in the stressful, unnatural conditions of captivity. After her daughter Jazmine died, officials admitted their true motive, calling the loss “particularly painful” because Jazmine was going to be a breeder. They said her death “doubles down” the zoo’s commitment to breeding Asian elephants, proving that producing profit-boosting babies outweighs welfare.

While Rozie received special attention as the zoo’s primary breeder, Albert’s brother Samson was sent to the Oregon Zoo for breeding in 2018. These traumatic transfers cause life-shortening harm. Associate Director Bob Lee, connected to the Oregon Zoo and Association of Zoos and Aquariums, has downplayed ABQ BioPark’s shocking calf deaths as normal and even necessary. Instead of recognizing the alarming, systemic crisis, he cloaks self-serving breeding in a conservation con. ABQ BioPark could have ended breeding when the EEHV risk became clear. It could have chosen companionship, dignity, and real welfare over ticket sales. It didn’t.

It’s time for ABQ BioPark to end its reckless and morally bankrupt breeding program. Spare Rozie from the loneliness and heartbreak of further exploitation. Shut down the elephant exhibit, as more than 40 zoos have done, and finally put elephants’ lives before profit.

#8 Worst Zoo - Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Squeezing more babies into an artificial world cut off from nature

Babies behind bars. Photo: Elephant Guardians of Los Angeles

Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens appears on In Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list for the sixth time, most recently in 2023. Its Asian elephant program is still plagued by early breeding, calf deaths, and breeding-driven transfers that cut lives short.

Asha has been bred relentlessly, yet only three of her five calves have survived. In 2015, Asha’s calf, Malee, died from EEHV. In 2018, she gave birth to Kairavi, who later tested positive for the virus. In 2022, she gave birth to Rama. Asha birthed a stillborn calf in 2024, but instead of letting her have a natural rest, the zoo subjected her to another pregnancy almost immediately, with another baby due in September 2026.

This year, her daughter Achara gave birth to Xerxes at only 10 years old — far younger than the average first-birth age in the wild of 14-17, increasing risks for both mother and calf.

Oklahoma City Zoo shuffles elephants between facilities, a practice that destroys bonds and causes life-threatening stress for these deeply social beings. Bowie was hauled from Fort Worth Zoo in 2022 to breed with Achara, while Chandra and Asha came from the Tulsa Zoo and Rex from African Lion Safari. Despite repeated tragedies, Oklahoma City Zoo continues to use each new birth as a publicity event to boost attendance.

Oklahoma City Zoo’s record shows that its recent “baby boom” comes at the expense of the elephants’ health and social needs. The zoo’s commitment to EEHV prevention rings hollow, since it spreads the disease with breeding loans. The zoo’s real commitment is to a profitable baby business. The zoo must prioritize elephant welfare by sending its captives to sanctuary and ending its failed and dangerous breeding program.

#9 Worst Zoo - Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Fresno, California

An Ongoing Cycle of Secrecy & Shame

Fenced out of foliage. Photo: In Defense of Animals

Fresno Chaffee Zoo has made the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list for a third time. It was previously cited as the “Zoo of Death” for serious conditions that led to the tragic deaths of Kara, Amy, and Miss Bets from EEHV between 2017 and 2019. Now the zoo's reckless breeding of kidnapped wild African elephants raises fresh concerns.

Thando and Davu were born in August 2024, just 10 days apart. Thando was born to Nolwazi, and Davu was born to her daughter, Amahle, who was only 14.

The zoo stripped both females of natural mate choice, breeding both with the same bull, Mabu. The resulting calves are half-siblings, yet Thando is also Davu’s uncle.

The mothers are members of the “Stolen 18,” a group of wild African elephants imported from Eswatini in 2016. Mabu was taken from the wild as a calf in 2003 and has been treated as a sperm bank. He is shuttled between zoos to breed. This practice is known to cause transfer trauma and shorten lives.

Fresno Chaffee Zoo operated behind a veil of secrecy. It has refused to provide public records about its breeding practices. The public is kept in the dark about whether invasive artificial insemination was used to force these pregnancies.

The zoo’s elephant exhibit has been challenged in court. Its undersized enclosure and shock-wired trees were among the poor conditions that prompted a lawsuit and earned it a dishonorable mention in 2022.

Fresno Chaffee Zoo has snatched every freedom from these wild-born elephants to create unnatural family trees. Captive breeding does not save elephants in the wild; it simply restocks ticket-selling exhibits. The solution is to stop Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s unethical breeding program immediately and send the elephants to a sanctuary.

#10 Worst Zoo - Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa, Oklahoma

7 Elephants, 7 Tales of Torment

Life behind bars and fenced out of freedom. Photos: Elephant Guardians of Los Angeles

Tulsa Zoo earns a place on the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list for the second time. Its much-hyped 10-acre “preserve” was already insufficient before Billy and Tina were clandestinely shipped there from the Los Angeles Zoo. From their profound zoochotic behavior, it appears their situation is even worse at their new zoo. And it's no better for the other five elephants at the zoo, who have advanced zoochosis.

In Defense of Animals’ investigator was told Tulsa’s three bulls cannot share space safely, so they are rotated between the exhibit and cramped holding yards. There, they are seen pacing, bobbing, and swaying in despair. Despite the overcrowding, Tulsa Zoo could further crowd the facility by adding more elephants to create a “multi-generational herd.”

Tulsa’s breeding history is tragic. Tooma, stolen from her family in the wild, died at just 21, five months after giving birth to Maverick. He survived only seven years before EEHV killed him. Asha came to breed with Sneezy and was sent back to the Oklahoma City Zoo pregnant. Her calf Malee died from EEHV at 4 years old in 2015.

Sneezy, the zoo’s long-time male, has been repeatedly used to supply semen to other zoos. Yet all four of his calves have died, fueling a cycle of heartbreak.

In May 2025, when the Los Angeles Zoo secretly sent Billy and Tina to Tulsa, it betrayed decades of public pleas for sanctuary. They join Hank, who was shuttled between four facilities before landing in Tulsa and is now slated as a sperm donor for AI (artificial insemination). Billy, who has already been subjected to more than 50 invasive sperm extractions, could face more. Breeding loans are common, but a new scientific review shows frequent relocations cause transfer trauma and raise the risk of premature death.

Path To Progress:

Louisville Zoo, Louisville, Kentucky

Mikki & Punch Share a Beautiful New Life in Sanctuary

Left, Punch. Right, Mikki. Photos: Louisville Zoo/Facebook

In June 2025, the Louisville Zoo took a dramatic and compassionate turn, retiring its last two elephants to sanctuary. It also closed its elephant exhibit, making it the 40th zoo to do so. The zoo made our list of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants three times, but we are delighted it will never make an appearance again. Now, 55-year-old African elephant Mikki and 40-year-old Asian elephant Punch are exploring, foraging, and making friends in their vast new space at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. We honor the Louisville Zoo for ensuring that these two bonded friends stay together in their new home.

Louisville Zoo has reached the point where it is imperative that we secure a place for Mikki and Punch where they can retire together, and their complex social needs are fully met throughout their golden years.

— Dan Malone, Louisville Zoo Director

This decision highlights the fact that even older elephants like Mikki can be successfully transported and retired to a sanctuary. Many elephants in their 50s, 60s, and older are living their golden years in a spacious, serene, and pastoral setting. Often, it's the first time they have been able to walk on grass, browse on a multitude of plants, trees, and roots, choose their friends, and most importantly, decide exactly how they spend their days.

Mikki and Punch, friends for life, were gifted with a wonderful opportunity to share new experiences and revel in their newfound freedom. We congratulate the Louisville Zoo for providing this bright new future to its elephants. This is the second year we have honored a zoo for its progressive treatment of elephants with a Path to Progress Award; last year, it was the Oakland Zoo. We look forward to presenting it to many more zoos.

Hall of Shame:

Oregon Zoo, Portland, Oregon

Six Decades of Breeding Death & Despair

Left: Belle and her baby, Packy, in 1962. Photo: Oregon Zoo. Right: Rose-Tu and her baby, Tula-Tu, in 2025. Photo: In Defense of Animals

The Oregon Zoo lands on our 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list for the 14th time after its most recent listing in 2023. It enters the Hall of Shame for fueling an Asian elephant breeding frenzy that has spread torment and multiple early deaths. In February, the zoo celebrated the birth of Tula-Tu in a shower of ticket stubs, but the ghosts of Oregon’s breeding program loom large. Nearly 25% of the zoo’s calves have died before their first birthday, and only two of 29 elephants born there have reached age 50.

Packy’s birth 63 years ago was hailed as the first elephant born in the U.S. in four decades and launched a frantic industry-wide push for calves at great cost to elephants. Packy’s father, Thonglaw, died at just 27. He suffered years of painful electric shocks to control him during musth. Packy himself endured tuberculosis, foot disease, chaining, and electro-ejaculation procedures. He was even bred with his own sisters. Three of his babies died before they were 6 months old.

The Oregon Zoo stood unrivaled as the foremost breeder throughout much of the 20th century, earning it the title of the elephant breeding capital of the world.

— Debbie Ethell, Elephant Mountain

Packy’s financial value came into question when he could no longer breed, and the zoo killed him in 2017, despite keepers’ pleas to save him. Just one year later, 6-year-old Lily died from EEHV, a painful hemorrhagic virus that is deadly to captive calves.

Today, elephants are treated as inventory, shuffled between zoos for breeding and mortally severing their deep social bonds. Samson was moved from African Lion Safari to Albuquerque, then to the Oregon Zoo. Samudra is slated for transfer to St. Louis. Contracts even assign property rights of unborn calves.

All elephants born in zoos suffer severely from being denied the ability to engage freely in natural behaviors. Samudra resorted to eating a 7-foot hose — behavior that indicates his deep frustration from his inability to forage on vegetation.

It is time for the Oregon Zoo to end its reckless breeding and send the elephants to a sanctuary — starting with Chendra, the only Borneo pygmy elephant in America — and follow more than 40 zoos that have closed their elephant exhibits.

What You Can Do

Thank you for learning about the plight of elephants incarcerated in the 10 Worst Zoos. In Defense of Animals has been publishing the annual 10 Worst Zoos list for 20 years. See which zoos were listed in previous years, learn how we determine which zoos are featured, and discover how the list makes a difference for elephants in captivity here.

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