International holidays - International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos

On June 20, all humane humanity on the planet celebrates Elephant Protection Day in zoos The main goal of the holiday is to inform the public about the hardships of life for elephants in captivity and to call for the release of the majestic and wise giants from forced captivity People who care about the existence of elephants cite the main argument: poor elephants in zoos live on average 34 years less than their free-ranging counterparts in the wild Elephant Day was proclaimed in 2009 Active members of the American volunteer company “In Defense of Animals” announced June 20 as the date of the fight against the illegal actions of zoo owners, cruel trainers and other people who darken and make elephant life unbearable Activists outlined their main mission as the liberation of all elephants on the globe from captivity American comedian Lily Tomlin called on people to unite in a single impulse to accomplish a good deed - to change the lives of elephants in zoos, who are subjected to torture every day Rescue them from their tiny zoo enclosures and stop this “harmful practice of keeping” forever Her initiative was supported, thanks to which many pavilions with elephants in city zoos were closed in the United States Their inhabitants were placed in nature reserves Elephants are the most “massive” representatives of the class of land mammals They can reach a height of 2 to 4 meters, and weigh from 3 to 7 tons They have intelligence and self-awareness, create large families and support each other in every possible way They do not tolerate isolation and attention deficit well Kilometers of roads pass every day, so captivity poses a danger for them due to the lack of proper space and the inability to make long journeys They may develop obesity, infertility, arthritis, and heart problems This will cause premature death Elephants often wiggle because they are bored and also to stimulate the soles of their feet to improve blood flow They often suffer from infectious diseases of the feet because they are forced to spend long periods of time on hard surfaces Elephants can eat about 30 kilograms of hay and 10 kilograms of bread during the course of a day To maintain water balance, they need about 300 liters of liquid On June 20, promotions and events are held in zoos all over the world, designed to bring to more people information about how difficult life is for wise giants in captivity Volunteers and everyone who is not indifferent to the fate of elephants participate in the social movement By this date, it is customary to publish a sad ranking of the worst zoos for keeping elephants They organize charity events to raise money to improve living conditions and provide “transfers” to transport elephants to reserves On this day you can listen to educational lectures or watch thematic photo exhibitions in galleries and cultural centers This motivates people to join forces to save elephants by joining foundations and NGOs Television channels broadcast films and cartoons about elephants to educate people about these amazing animals and their pressing problems