Five African elephants — Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri — have spent years living in captivity at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium under conditions that animal rights experts now describe as stressful, psychologically damaging, and inhumane.

Now, a lawsuit filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project asks the Allegheny County Court to recognize these elephants’ right to liberty and either release them to a sanctuary or consider them for rewilding.

We stand with that call — and we demand justice for these intelligent, social beings.

Elephants are among the most cognitively and emotionally complex animals on Earth. In the wild, they roam vast landscapes, form deep family bonds, mourn their dead, and engage in sophisticated communication. In captivity, they suffer from confinement stress, chronic health issues, and shortened lifespans.

Even respected elephant researchers, including those cited in the lawsuit, describe the Pittsburgh Zoo’s environment as harmful to the elephants’ mental and physical well-being.

This is not conservation — it’s incarceration.

We call on:

• The Zoological Society of Pittsburgh to release Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri to an accredited sanctuary;
• The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium to pause any planned transfers or breeding until the legal case is resolved. 

Other zoos — including in San Francisco and Detroit — have already phased out elephant captivity in favor of more ethical care models. It’s time for Pittsburgh to do the same.

Sign this petition to stand with Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri — and demand they be freed to live with dignity, safety, and space.