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Animal Rights Group Sues Pittsburgh Zoo Over Elephant Captivity
22 Oct
Summary
- Nonprofit files lawsuit to release 5 elephants from Pittsburgh Zoo
- Elephants reportedly suffer physical and psychological distress in captivity
- Zoo plans to move 2 elephants to breeding center, sparking legal action
On October 22nd, 2025, the Nonhuman Rights Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, has filed a legal petition in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, demanding the release of five elephants held at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. This lawsuit comes less than a week after the zoo announced plans to move elephants Victoria and Zuri to its breeding center in Fairhope.
The organization is seeking a court order to stop the transfer of Victoria and Zuri until the case is decided. The elephants named in the petition are Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri. The group argues that each of the elephants are suffering both physically and psychologically due to their confinement, saying they are being deprived of their freedom.
This is the first case of its kind in Pennsylvania, backed by elephant behavior experts who claim video footage shows signs of stress and trauma, such as rocking, swaying, and head bobbing, in the zoo's elephants. The Nonhuman Rights Project says the elephants have been routinely separated from their family members, including mothers and calves who would stay together for life in the wild. If the court does not intervene, Victoria and Zuri will soon be separated again from the herd they grew up with.
