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Contact: Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., toni@idausa.org, (805) 836-0496

Natural Bridge Zoo Named and Shamed on Worst Zoo List

IMAGES: http://bit.ly/22WnJl0

Rockbridge County, VA (Jan 12, 2016) – International animal protection organization, In Defense of Animals, today released its annual list of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America, with Natural Bridge Zoo scooping the shameful dishonor of being the #2 Worst Zoo for Elephants in North America. Natural Bridge Zoo has created a most unnatural life for an African elephant named Asha. This 32-year old female lives in solitary confinement and is forced to give rides to paying customers from this roadside atrocity.

Now in its twelfth year, In Defense of Animals’ respected list exposes the cruelty behind keeping the Earth’s largest land mammal captive in small, inadequate zoo exhibits that cause a lifetime of misery and lead to premature death.

“There is nothing natural about Natural Bridge Zoo which keeps elephant Asha in terrible, unnatural conditions which violate the Animal Welfare Act” said In Defense of Animals President, Dr. Marilyn Kroplick. “It is time to close down Natural Bridge Zoo and ensure that Asha, and the many other animals who remain in this terrible attraction will be placed in more compassionate care in 2016.”

Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., Elephant Scientist for In Defense of Animals said, “Evidence shows that elephants are not thriving or self-sustaining in zoos. Urgent action must be taken to stop greedy corporations from plundering elephants from the wild so they can restock elephants dying out in zoo displays faster than they can reproduce. If you want to help protect elephants, don’t visit zoos and instead help support real conservation efforts that keep animals in the wild where they belong.”

Natural Bridge Zoo in Rockbridge County has created a most unnatural life for an African elephant named Asha. This 32-year old female lives in solitary confinement and is forced to give rides to paying customers. After being spotlighted last year by In Defense of Animals for being a roadside atrocity, owner Karl Mogenson’s not-so-Natural Bridge Zoo continued to be investigated by the USDA, which cited the zoo for a whopping 44 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. In April, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries suspended the zoo’s permit, but only temporarily. As a result, poor Asha was back to work for yet another summer season, lugging humans around for rides on her back in the hot sun. Not surprisingly, the USDA cited the zoo again this month for even more animal welfare violations.

10 WORST ZOOS:
1 Dallas Zoo, Tex., Henry Doorly Zoo, Neb., and Sedgwick County Zoo, Kan.
2 Natural Bridge Zoo, Vir.
3 Oklahoma City Zoo, Okla.
4 Wildlife Safari, Ore.
5 Buttonwood Park Zoo, Mass.
6 San Antonio Zoo, Tex.
7 Oregon Zoo, Ore.
8 Monterey Zoo, Calif.
9 Buffalo Zoo, N.Y.
10 Southwick’s Zoo, Mass.

HALL OF SHAME
Bronx Zoo, NY

DISHONORABLE MENTION
Edmonton Zoo, Alberta, Canada

For more information, please visit http://www.idausa.org/2015tenworstzoos

NOTES

Images of the elephants: http://bit.ly/22WnJl0

Closed or closing elephant exhibits: http://www.idausa.org/pdfs/IDA_Zoos_closedorplantocloseexhibits_12_2015.pdf

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In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi.

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