Born Free works tirelessly to stop the poaching of elephants for the ivory trade and the insidious trade in elephant ivory. But, elephants face yet another threat — and it’s happening right here in the U.S.

Elephants (and other captive wild animals) suffer miserably in captivity, whether it’s close zoo confinement, devoid of all their natural needs, or degrading animal performances, where they’re forced to execute abnormal tricks: an inherently abusive experience for these smart, sensitive, gentle beings who belong in the wild.

Unnatural Entertainment

Born Free has produced an insightful 30-second video (voiced by actress Selma Blair) that shines a spotlight on this utterly unnatural form of “entertainment.”

Raising Awareness for Elephants 

Elephants are not meant to be held captive. They are not meant to perform. They are not meant to balance on balls or barrels. They are not meant to stand on their heads. They are not meant to give massages, or play basketball, or catch apples in their mouths.

They are meant to be in the wild with their grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and cousins, free to live as nature intends, doing what they choose to do, each and every day.

If you care about the welfare of elephants as much as I do, share this video with as many people as you can. It’s a simple yet powerful way to raise awareness of the plight of performing elephants. Every single “view” has the power to open someone’s eyes to the heartlessness of captive performance — and to make someone think twice before supporting this exploitative practice.

Also be sure to visit out What Elephants Like website designed for all ages, because we believe it is important for parents today to talk with their children about wildlife conservation and animal welfare. It never needs to be graphic or scary, as you can see from this new website, where we also feature the book What Elephants Like in animated, print, and coloring-book style.  This book is a fantastic tool to teach compassion to the young generation – future conservationists.  I have shared it with my daughter and I hope you’ll share it with your kids.

For the protection of elephants, today and every day…

Image source: Arno Meintjes/Flickr