International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos
The International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos is held on June 8 every year. It is a worldwide event aimed at raising awareness about the condition of elephants in zoos and, ideally, sending elephants in zoos to sanctuaries.
During its first year, dedicated activists in 33 cities across seven countries held outreach events and demonstrations, attracting attention from the media and educating the public about the tragic consequences of keeping elephants in tiny, unnatural zoo enclosures where they have been suffering and dying prematurely.
The event was started by In Defense Of Animals (I.D.A.), an animal rights organization that believes that elephants die prematurely in zoos and that “urban zoos simply do not have adequate space for elephants”. The organization releases a list of the ‘ten worst zoos for elephants’ annually.