Baby Elephant Died Without Her Mother’s Comfort

For Immediate Release:
August 30, 2017

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Foundation Associate Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Rachel Mathews in response to news that the baby elephant at the Pittsburgh Zoo has died:

This elephant’s short life ended without the comfort of her mother or other elephants. The Pittsburgh Zoo has publicly glossed over the apparent true extent of the health crisis that this unnamed baby must have suffered—and from taking her away from her mother to dropping its accreditation so that it can keep using weapons on elephants, its elephant program is a throwback to a crueler age. PETA is calling on the Pittsburgh Zoo to end its elephant program altogether.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment,” and more information about the Pittsburgh Zoo is available on PETA’s blog.