Dear John,

Thank you to everyone who joined today’s #FreeTheFresnoElephants Interview with Dr. Bob Jacobs, an expert in cognitive neuroethology and comparative neuroanatomy. We found especially powerful his response to the question of whether people, especially children, need to visit elephant exhibits in zoos in order to care about the species: “If you see an elephant in a zoo are you really looking at an elephant anymore or are you looking at a caricature or an artifact of the elephant? ... Are we learning a lot about elephants by seeing them at zoos? ... Or are we learning what humans have done to these elephants so that they really don’t represent the species anymore?” As mentioned in today’s Zoom, you can read his latest paper on the neural consequences of captivity for elephants and cetaceans here.

Please watch and share widely today’s interview, along the first installment of our interview series, on our YouTube channel to help spread the story of Nolwazi, Amahle, and Vusmusi’s plight at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and the ongoing practice of importing elephants to the US to live in captivity.  For the latest updates and ways to support our case and campaign to #FreeTheFresnoElephants, please head to freethefresnoelephants.com.

In addition, in case you missed it, yesterday we shared on our Instagram page a few photos that illuminate the true living conditions inside the Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s elephant exhibit. In the post, we point out the wires, spikes, and other barriers that are a defining feature of Amahle, Nolwazi, and Vusmusi’s imprisonment. You can find the series of photos here.

Lastly, if you’re in a position to do so today, please help us achieve our unique and vital work and mission by making a donation to the NhRP. With your donation, we can continue to fight for a world where it’s no longer possible to take away elephants’ freedom.

Thank you as always,
Mickey Suzuki
Development Director, the NhRP

P.S. Please join us back on Zoom next Wednesday, July 27th at 3 p.m. ET for the third and final installment of our #FreeTheFresnoElephants Interview Series with Gigi Glendinning. For further details and registration, please click here.