Last year, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in India promised to re-home 140 elephants living in zoos across India to safari parks and sanctuaries where the normally free-roaming animals can graze openly. But this week, The Times (UK) reported that, several months later, not a single elephant has been transferred.

The Central Zoo Authority issued an order to India's 26 zoos to shift the animals to more spacious environments where they would be supervised by elephant keepers. Elephants in 16 circuses across India were also to be moved to new location after an evaluation revealed sub-standard living conditions.

At the Aurangabad Municipal Zoo, one elephant - an animal that in the wild would spend up to 18 hours a day roaming, feeding, bathing and socialising - had both front legs tethered permanently with a spiked chain.

That information is all the more shocking as India's zoo elephants fare relatively well. The worst treated are those kept in circuses, followed by temple elephants, working elephants and those used for begging. 

Saturday June 20th is The International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos - so please join me in writing to the Central Zoo Authority of India to keep its promise to the elephants.