Prince (formerly Chang Dee), an Asian elephant, was born at the Portland Zoo on May 24, 1987. At 16 months of age, when calves are still dependent on their mothers, the zoo separated the pair, sending Prince to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (which no longer has animal acts). On July 21,…

Nicholas, a bull elephant born on December 15, 1993, arrived at PAWS’ Galt sanctuary on April 2, 2007, at the age of 13. With his arrival, PAWS became the first sanctuary to care for a bull elephant. Nicholas was born at a circus breeding facility and separated from his mother before the age of two.…

Gypsy, an Asian elephant born in the wild around 1967, was taken from her family in the wild as a young calf. For the next 40 years, she endured the harsh realities of circus life, being traded between at least six different shows. Circus life is grueling. Elephants endure relentless travel, covering thousands of miles…

Toka, an African elephant born in Mozambique in 1970, was captured in 1972 after her mother was killed in a culling operation. She was sold to the Toronto Zoo by an animal dealer and arrived in September 1974, as one of the first elephants at the newly opened zoo. In May 2011, the Toronto Zoo…

Thika (pronounced “Teeka”), an African elephant, was born on October 18, 1980, at the Toronto Zoo to mother Tequila and father Tantor. She lost her father in 1989 at just 20 years old and her mother in 2008 at age 38, breaking the natural bond female elephants share with their mothers for life. Thika had…

Mara, an African elephant born in the wild around 1980, tragically lost her mother and family when they were killed in a government culling operation, which she surely witnessed. At just two years old, she was captured and sent to the Catskill Game Farm in New York, then sold to a European animal dealer who…