If Virginia is for Lovers, Why is Asha Still Alone?

This month, our spotlight for In Defense of Animals’ Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants is trained on the #2 worst offender (and #1 offender of 2014), Natural Bridge Zoo in Rockbridge County, Virginia.  32-year-old female elephant Asha lives a most unnatural life. If nothing changes, Asha will soon be the last elephant left in Virginia, neglected at this roadside atrocity.

Elsewhere in Virginia, the City of Norfolk prevented a cruel elephant circus from performing earlier this week, and the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk is shutting down its elephant exhibit of its own volition. They recognize that the two female elephants there need more social companionship and a warmer climate and are sending them to Zoo Miami (not a sanctuary but a step in the right direction).

Virginia Zoo acknowledges that keeping just two elephants together is inhumane – poor Asha is suffering completely alone.

Asha continues to live her life with no other elephants in her life – and she is still forced to carry zoo visitors around for rides in the hot sun. In 2015, UDSA inspectors cited the zoo for 56 violations of the Animal Welfare Act. In April, the zoo’s permit to publicly exhibit wild animals was suspended. Unfortunately, its permit was reinstated, and by the end of May, lonely Asha was back to work for yet another summer season of being exploited for the masses. This January, the zoo was cited yet again, for even more animal welfare violations.

So why is this archaic house of animal horrors still allowed to hold wild animals?

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