PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 7, 2025) — In Defense of Animals welcomes a long-overdue announcement in an interview with 91.5 KJZZ that the Phoenix Zoo will shut its elephant exhibit once Indu passes, a 59-year-old Asian elephant who has suffered decades of isolation and substandard care. This decision follows years of advocacy and the zoo’s repeated inclusion in In Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America list which today announced that Phoenix Zoo ranked #10 in 2024.

The Phoenix Zoo confirmed that it will not replace Indu with more Asian elephants and will instead convert the exhibit for the sole use of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, who currently shares the small space with Indu on rotation. Dr. Gary West, Senior Vice President of Animal Health and Living Collections at the Phoenix Zoo, stated, “We are not planning to exhibit more Asian elephants in that current space. We are going to be converting that to greater one-horned rhinoceros, which lives solitarily, and they are going to be occupying those exhibits.”

Dr. Gary West also acknowledged the zoo’s lack of future plans for elephants, stating, “There really isn’t any plans for elephants right now.” This decision aligns with a growing trend among zoos to prioritize animal welfare and close elephant exhibits, such as Oakland Zoo’s relocation of its last remaining elephant to a sanctuary.

#10 Worst Zoo for Elephants in North America: Phoenix Zoo

“We welcome this important step forward, but it’s not too late for Indu’s happily ever after,” said Courtney Scott, Elephant Consultant for In Defense of Animals. “While we celebrate a path to progress with many zoos shutting their elephant exhibits, some are missing the opportunity to give elephants a sanctuary retirement where they can live out their golden years with the companionship, space, and care they have been deprived of for so long. We urge the Phoenix Zoo to work swiftly to give Indu the chance to experience freedom and friendship in her lifetime in a sanctuary with other elephants.”

Phoenix Zoo’s decision reflects a growing trend among zoos across North America to phase out elephant exhibits, as the evidence against keeping these intelligent and social animals in captivity becomes undeniable. In true sanctuaries, elephants enjoy hundreds or even thousands of acres to roam, opportunities to form bonds with other elephants, and natural environments that reduce stress and promote physical and mental well-being. Around 40 zoos have closed or pledged to close their exhibits.

For Indu, sanctuary retirement could be life-changing. Born in the wild in Thailand, she has spent nearly six decades confined in zoos, enduring forced transfers and decades of loneliness. Indu’s current exhibit is less than 1 percent the size of the smallest wild elephant habitat. It fails to meet even minimal welfare standards, offering insufficient deep shade, no space to roam, and no pool for immersion — only a small water trough for relief in Phoenix’s scorching desert heat. Indu can often be seen rocking on the spot which is a sign of zoochosis, meaning she has suffered brain damage from her impoverished environment.

In October 2024, an In Defense of Animals investigator visited Phoenix Zoo and witnessed Indu standing in one spot swaying and appearing bored, stressed, lonely, and depressed. She also appeared skinnier than a previous visit in January 2022. The investigator went around the zoo to observe other animals and after returning to check on Indu, found her in the same spot, still swaying.

Phoenix Zoo’s two previous female elephants, Sheena and Reba, suffered years of chronic health issues in captivity, including arthritis and gastrointestinal problems, before dying prematurely in 2020 and 2021.

“If action isn’t taken soon, Indu will die lonely,” said Courtney Scott, Elephant Consultant for In Defense of Animals. “She will follow in Sheena and Reba’s footsteps with a painful decline and death in Phoenix Zoo, where glaring breaches of minimal welfare standards remain unaddressed. At 59 years old, isolated Indu could still have many good years ahead if released to a sanctuary where she can experience friendships with other elephants, roam larger spaces, forage freely, and have a chance to reverse her premature decline. We urge Phoenix Zoo to go one step further and give Indu the freedom and companionship she deserves.”

In Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list has repeatedly featured Phoenix Zoo for failing to meet the basic needs of its elephants. Indu’s sanctuary retirement would mark a turning point, proving that even zoos with a legacy of poor conditions can choose compassion and provide elephants with the dignity they deserve.

“Indu has waited long enough,” said Dr. Marilyn Kroplick, President of In Defense of Animals. “With the decision to close the elephant exhibit, Phoenix Zoo has an opportunity to be a leader in ethical change by prioritizing Indu’s welfare and sending her to a sanctuary. This would not only honor her but also set a powerful example for zoos across the country.”

2024 List of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants:

1. Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Calif.
2. Bronx Zoo, N.Y.
3. Edmonton Valley Zoo, Canada
4. Cameron Park Zoo, Waco, Texas
5. Two Tails Ranch, Williston, Fla. 
6. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, Colo. 
7. Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center, Kan.
8. Little Rock Zoo, Ark.
9. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Ohio
10. Phoenix Zoo, Ariz.
     

Path to Progress Award: Oakland Zoo, Calif.

Members of the public are urged to share the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list and demand urgent sanctuary retirement for aging elephants.

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Contacts: 

Courtney Scott, courtney@idausa.org, 503-288-6142
Fleur Dawes, media@idausa.org, 415-879-6879

Phoenix Zoo photos and video (free to use with credit per filename): https://bit.ly/PhoenixWorst24

See the full 10 Worst Zoos list: www.idausa.org/2024worstzoolist

Watch the 10 Worst Zoos video: https://youtu.be/rzt8ZNsSIeE

The 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America list was first published in 2004, and for the past 20 years, In Defense of Animals has shone a spotlight on zoos that condemn elephants to lifetimes of deprivation, disease, and early death. Over the years, the 10 Worst Zoos list has been featured by hundreds of media outlets, including the Daily Mail, Esquire, and the New York Times and it has garnered the support of celebrities like Bill Maher, Sarah Silverman, Jorja Fox, Moby, Harley Quinn Smith, and Ricky Gervais. Learn how the list is determined and explore two decades of rankings at www.idausa.org/10worstzoos.

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in California, India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi since 1983. www.idausa.org/elephants

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