Our projects

Through our association’s projects we have already been able to help bring about or encourage some improvements to the situation of the elephants. Among these is our contribution to the transfer of more than a dozen elephants to better conditions. Here, you can find some selected examples:

Maintenance of the Western world’s probably most comprehensive collection of data on elephants kept in zoos and circuses.

Cross-border cooperation with zoological gardens

Transfer of circus elephants to zoos (sometimes our association’s activities were decisive, sometimes we contributed to the transfer):

• Sikkim (from Giovanni Althoff to Osnabrück Zoo)
• Maya (from Giovanni Althoff to Heidelberg Zoo)
• Vicky (from Giovanni Althoff to Gdansk Zoo/PL)
• Lubni (from Folco-Althoff to La Teste Zoo/F)
• African bull elephant Cita (from Sony Frank to zoo park Cabarceno/E)
• Bala (from Circus Union to Tierpark Hagenbeck)
• Jenny (from Circus Union to Tierpark Hagenbeck)
• Asian female elephant Cita (from Circus Quaiser to safari park Gänserndor

„Mausi’s“ legacy — our efforts will go on!

Right from the start, ELEFANTEN-SCHUTZ EUROPA e. V. has been particularly concerned with the fate of elephants kept in circuses, with regard to both their overall population and the animal welfare-related situation of the individual animals. Wherever possible, our organisation’s members document the unacceptable husbandry conditions under which the intelligent giant animals are still being used commercially; we also try to sensitise both the audience and the responsible authorities to the continued problems and sufferings of circus elephants.
For this reason, our association will continue to fight for a legal ban of keeping elephants in travelling circuses. Until this aim is achieved, however, we will do everything we can to transfer to proper stationary facilities elephants who have suffered damage from having been kept in circuses!

As the confiscation of wild animals that big may fail simply because of a lack of an appropriate adopting zoo and means of transport, ELEFANTEN-SCHUTZ EUROPA e.V. is very glad to have gained the support of some zoos: zoos which feel committed to animal protection will also in future be prepared to adopt circus elephants. Where necessary, ELEFANTEN-SCHUTZ EUROPA e.V. will establish the relevant contacts.

Transfer of uncontrollable zoo elephants to facilities where they are kept without free contact (sometimes our association’s activities were decisive, sometimes we contributed to the transfer):

• Zambi (from Augsburg to zoo park Cabarceno/E)
• Ben (from safari park Monde Sauvage to Howletts Zoo/UK)
• Mondula (from Erfurt to safari park Blair Drummond/UK)
• Gustl (from Dresden to zoo park Cabarceno/E)
• Kariba (from Ströhen to Olmense zoo/B

Assistance in the transfer of further elephants

• Momo, La Grande and La Petite (from animal dealer Van den Brink to safari park Gänserndorf)

Counselling and legwork in establishing improvements of elephant husbandry

Development of a safety concept (DB system) as early as ten years ago, at a time when there were hardly any zoos where elephant cows could be kept in a safe manner.

Presentation of a husbandry concept for elephants comprising an indoor free-range enclosure and a box system, developed in the mid-eighties by Alexander Haufellner and Georg Schweiger

Counselling, by Alexander Haufellner, in the planning of a free-range elephant hall at Tierpark Hagenbeck.

Counselling in establishing minimum requirements for soon to be imported elephants (BfN (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, 2000).

Our projects