Dear John,

A key part of our fight for our clients’ freedom is engaging and working with the community where they’re held captive. To this end, we do all we can to share our clients’ stories and discuss how another, more just life is possible for them in sanctuaries where they can live with freedom, peace, and dignity. In our experience, once people learn about who elephants are and what they need, they join us in wanting to bring an end to their suffering, especially when it’s happening where they live.

That’s why, in late July, we put up five billboards [[link removed]] across Fresno, California, where Amahle, Nolwazi, and Vusmusi are imprisoned in the Fresno Chaffee Zoo–which this year was named one of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America [[link removed]] . Unfortunately, a few days after we launched the billboards–which we intentionally kept as free of controversy as possible, focusing on the simple fact that elephants deserve to live freely–they were taken down without any satisfactory reason as to why.

Fresno-area residents deserve the opportunity to learn about the campaign to #FreeTheFresnoElephants.

That’s why we need your help. Our billboard campaign was anticipated to have 1.7 million unique impressions (i.e. people viewing the billboards) in Fresno. We can still reach this many people in Fresno, but to do so, we need to take the billboard campaign to social media. Please post the following on your preferred social media platforms so that as many people as possible in Fresno see our billboards and learn about the fight to free Amahle, Nolwazi, and Vusmusi to an elephant sanctuary:

Facebook and Instagram:

Post one of these photos [[link removed]] of the billboards on Facebook or Instagram. This part is important: On Instagram, type in Fresno, California in the "Add location" section. On Facebook, in the “Add to your post” box, click the three dots, then select “Check in” and type in Fresno. Paste this as the caption for your post:

Amahle, Nolwazi, and Vusmusi are languishing at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, which this year was named one of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America. In 2016, Nolwazi and Amahle were taken from their natural habitat in eSwatini and imported to the US despite global public outcry and criticism from 80 elephant and conservation experts. Vusmusi was born in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to an elephant who was pregnant with him when she was imported to the US from eSwatini in 2003, also despite global public outcry. The Fresno Chaffee Zoo plans to force all three elephants to breed, which will only create a new generation of imprisoned elephants.

Elephants don’t belong in zoos and suffer when deprived of their freedom.

Please visit freethefresnoelephants.com [[link removed]] to help #FreeTheFresnoElephants to an elephant sanctuary where they can live freely and with peace and dignity.

If you choose to write your own caption, please be sure to include the hashtag #FreeTheFresnoElephants. Do not tag the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in your post.

Twitter:

Post one of these photos [[link removed]] of the billboards to Twitter. Tag your location as Fresno, CA (this is important). Include this language in your tweet:

Elephants don’t belong in zoos & suffer when deprived of their freedom. It's that simple. The Fresno Chaffee Zoo should release Amahle, Nolwazi, & Vusmusi to an elephant sanctuary where they'll be able to live freely. Visit freethefresnoelephants.com to help #FreeTheFresnoElephants

If you choose to write your own caption, please be sure to include the hashtag #FreeTheFresnoElephants.

Thank you for helping raise awareness about the fight to free Amahle, Nolwazi, and Vusmusi to an elephant sanctuary.

Click here [[link removed]] to view and share this message as a blog post.

Courtney Fern
Director of Government Relations, the NhRP


The Nonhuman Rights Project
5195 NW 112th Terrace
Coral Springs, FL 33076
United States
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