Dear John,

This summer the Commerford Zoo—a traveling circus based in Goshen, CT that continues to refuse to release Minnie the elephant to a sanctuary—resumed exhibiting at fairs across the northeast United States. We have been closely monitoring the zoo at each venue, keeping an eye out for Minnie (who has not been seen in public for over two years) and any possible violations of federal and state laws.

This past week, the Commerford Zoo began exhibiting animals at the New Jersey State Fair. New Jersey was the first state to ban the use of wild animals in traveling animal acts when it passed Nosey’s Law in 2018. On social media, we urged our supporters to contact the fair and ask that they not allow the Commerford Zoo to continue exhibiting there for three important reasons: 1) because they have been cited more than 50 times for violations of the Animal Welfare Act 2) because they forced the now deceased elephants Beulah and Karen to travel and give rides while ill and 3) because they are currently holding Minnie, the sole surviving elephant in their custody, alone in a barren barn on their property. Many people reached out to the fair on social media and by email to speak up for Minnie and the other animals exploited by the Commerford Zoo. 

At the same time, our friends at Animal Defenders International noticed that the Commerford Zoo had transported to the fair two animals, a zebra and an oryx, whose exhibition is prohibited under Nosey’s Law. ADI immediately notified the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, which went out to the Commerford Zoo’s exhibit at the fair to enforce the law, beginning with an investigation. We are still waiting to hear what action the agency took.

Over the next few months the Commerford Zoo has scheduled exhibitions at several fairs in different states. Three venues—the Big E Fair in Massachusetts, the Goshen Fair in Connecticut, and the South Carolina State Fair in South Carolina—still allow for the use of elephants in traveling acts. We are greatly concerned that the Commerford Zoo may once again force Minnie to travel in a small trailer and force her to labor at these fairs. As you may remember, Minnie’s elephant companion Beulah collapsed and died at the Big E Fair in 2019 while the Commerford Zoo was forcing her to work for their financial gain while she was suffering from a uterine infection. 

You can help Minnie by sending an email to these fairs and ask that they not allow the Commerford Zoo to exhibit animals at their event. Click here to to read our blog with a sample email and contact info.

Thank you!

Courtney Fern
Director of Government Relations, the NhRP