Three years old. $6,000.
That’s the age Patty (pictured above) was when she was torn from her herd in India along with other calves, and that’s the amount the Bronx Zoo paid for her in 1973. It’s half a century later, and Patty remains in captivity in the “Wild Asia Monorail” elephant exhibit.
Young elephants are as emotionally reliant on their families as we are, so the trauma isn’t hard to imagine. And this was only the beginning.
Read Patty’s story on our blog.
Elephants Patty and Happy are both deprived of their freedom and the company of other elephants at the Bronx Zoo. A new bill we helped develop, Intro 963, aims to change this and end elephant captivity in New York City for good. So far the reception to the bill has been overwhelmingly positive. If passed, it will be the first bill in the US to ban elephant captivity, including in zoos. You can help by sharing Patty’s story, especially with any New Yorkers you know. We’ve also posted about Patty on our Facebook and Instagram channels, with more to come.
|
