I am writing to you to express my outrage at the planned importation and incarceration of wild elephants from Swaziland, at the Dallas zoo, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and the Sedgwick County Zoo. I have read reports in the media - presumably inspired by your institution and the other two co-conspirator zoos that are participating in this deplorable action - seeking to dress this up as conservation, which it certainly is not. Based on information from myriad respected conservationists and elephant behavioural experts, it is clear that what you are seeking to do has little if any conservation value, but is rather about commerce.

I urge you to end this despicable subterfuge and allow the elephants to remain in the wild in Africa, where I understand that a viable and credible plan for them to remain there, has been put forward as part of the effort seeking injunctive relief in the US courts. If you are genuinely interested in conservation and the welfare of elephants, I propose that you donate most or all of the funds that you would be spending on your vile ‘exhibit' to efforts in Africa that are authentically about drought relief and elephant conservation.

Read the full story behind these elephants

Yours sincerely,