Elephants are some of the most intelligent and deeply feeling animals on Earth. In the wild they live in large multi-generational matriarchal herds, roam vast distances each day and cover hundreds of miles over the course of each year. Elephants also form deep bonds, have been shown to mourn their dead, and demonstrate an ability for self-recognition only previously seen in humans, chimps, and dolphins. Above all else, these giant, majestic beings rely on connection and communication with other members of their species to thrive.
In captivity they are denied everything they need to experience full and meaningful lives. In zoos and safari parks across the United States elephants are often kept in isolation or at best in very small groups. They never have access to the space they would enjoy in the wild or in sanctuary, and in the worst cases they are subjected to repeated breeding attempts by institutions that see these profoundly sentient beings as nothing more than money-making machines to be used and abused for profit.
Studies have shown that the infant mortality rate for baby elephants born in US zoos is as high as 40%, three times higher than the infant mortality rate of elephants in the wild. The babies that do survive will spend their entire lives behind bars as these programs are not designed to repopulate the wild but to keep elephants on display. In elephant breeding programs in the United States, male elephants are repeatedly violated through either manual rectal massage or electroejaculation, performed via their rectums, to collect sperm that is then used in artificial insemination attempts in female elephants who sometimes endure these invasive procedures hundreds of times. Elephants kept in captive environments often demonstrate clear signs of psychological distress such as swaying back and forth, which unaware visitors may not recognize as a sign of deep suffering.
Despite clear scientific evidence that elephants suffer in captive environments and growing international awareness that zoos and safari parks are not appropriate places for these animals, the United States continues to lag behind other nations. While dozens of countries including Austria, Greece, Israel, Mexico, Peru, and Singapore ban keeping elephants in zoos and safari parks, zoos in the United States imported wild-caught elephants from Africa as recently as 2016 and may revert to importing wild-captured elephants due to the continued failure of breeding programs. Prolonging the suffering of elephants in captivity cannot be allowed to continue.
Thankfully Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York has introduced a groundbreaking bill in the United States House of Representatives, which would “amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit keeping elephants in captivity at zoological parks or safari parks, and for other purposes,” banning the breeding of elephants in these settings within one year of the passage of the law and mandating the transfer of all remaining captive elephants to sanctuaries within three years. This bill represents an opportunity for the United States to take its place as a leader in compassionate wildlife management and would be life-changing for the elephants currently trapped in these inappropriate captive environments.
The “Captivity of Helpless Elephants Reduction Act of 2025” or the “CHER Act of 2025” (H.R. 3456) was named in honor of singer Cher, who has been a stalwart champion of elephants. The bill currently has only two cosponsors, Representative Nicole Malliotakis [R-NY-11] and Representative Suzan K. DelBene [D-WA-1], and it will take a powerful show of public support to ensure this critical legislation advances. Please join Species Unite in advocating for elephants by urging your member of Congress to cosponsor the CHER Act to help ensure these amazing animals are finally awarded the freedom they deserve.
If you live outside the U.S., you can help by sharing this petition on social media to raise awareness of this urgent issue.
