She’s experienced many evenings like this one–the sun sinking into the horizon, the scent of cooling earth, long grass suffused with the last light of a hot day, burnt-orange dust creating a hazy glow around the distant shapes of trees.
Nearby, the other members of her herd are beginning to settle in to sleep. The youngest are nestled close to their mothers and aunts. Among them is her oldest daughter, who’s learned from her how to guide and guard, to detect and face dangers old and new, to navigate paths formed over centuries.
Soon, her daughter will take over. For now, she rests with the others. They’ve all walked for miles to find this place, which is somehow familiar even to the elephants who’ve never been here before. The matriarch is tired, but she still stands with strength and confidence. All she’s lived through, the good and the bad, the happiness and the hardship, she’s lived through with them. Where and when they move, they move together.
For elephants confined and exploited in zoos, there’s no fulfillment, no togetherness, and no rest from life on display. Instead of relying on deep bonds to roam and enrich vast landscapes, these elephants stand alone in front of gates, troughs, and cell doors.
Our fight for elephants’ right to liberty comes down to this: There are some things you should never do to another being, no matter your reasoning. Harms that run so deep they must not be permitted under any circumstances–regardless of who you are.
The Nonhuman Rights Project is leading a movement to redefine what it means to protect elephants and other animals, but we’re up against powerful economic, political, and cultural forces that have long normalized the exploitation of the nonhuman world and benefit from animals’ lesser legal status. If you can, please donate today, during the final few days of our $10,000 donation match, to help us grow and strengthen our work and continue to confront an unjust status quo that’s existed for centuries. We believe elephants’ future depends on it.
