Joyce's History
Joyce, an African Elephant, was brought to the US from the wilds of Zimbabwe in the 1980s after most of her herd was killed in the government’s elephant culling operation. Since arriving in the US alongside 62 other orphaned elephants, including Mundi, Joyce has suffered a traumatic history of performances, isolation, and stress, regularly passed around between zoos, circuses, and other captive attractions around the US.
Barren Enclosures, Rumbling Rollercoasters
Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, Head of Animal Welfare & Research with World Animal Protection, visited the Six Flags Wild Safari to assess the environment. He raised significant concerns about the surprisingly small, barren enclosure provided for the elephants and that Joyce was isolated in an area approximately 700,000 times less than an African Elephant would have in the wild. Even more disturbing is the proximity of the rollercoasters. Noting that elephants detect vibrations over miles, Dr. Schmidt-Burbach expressed concern for the impact of the vibrations on Joyce and the other safari residents.
Since 2010, Joyce has been part of the Wild Safari exhibit at the Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in New Jersey. This is no place for an elephant.
Join us in demanding Six Flags release Joyce and the other elephants to sanctuaries and close the elephant exhibit for good.
We are asking Six Flags to:
- Immediately work with one of the three US-based sanctuaries that care for elephants to release Joyce to their care.
- Identify sanctuary placements for the remaining elephants at the Wild Safari and set timelines for their relocation.
- Close down the elephant enclosure and commit to not purchasing or breeding any new elephants for the Wild Safari.
