Sponsors (2)
The bill shifts elephants from zoo display to accredited sanctuaries to improve animal welfare and public education, but does so at meaningful financial, logistical, and research-access costs borne by zoos, sanctuaries, taxpayers, and some local communities.
Elephants held by zoos and safari parks will be moved to accredited sanctuaries that prohibit breeding and entertainment and must meet Animal Welfare Act standards, improving long-term living conditions and welfare for those animals.
Authorized wildlife sanctuaries may receive federal grants to help cover the high costs of long-term elephant care, reducing financial strain on nonprofit sanctuaries.
Schools, universities and the general public will benefit from expanded public education materials and outreach about elephant welfare, increasing awareness and potentially reducing demand for captive elephant displays.
Zoos, safari parks, and local businesses that rely on elephant exhibits will face immediate transfer costs and likely lost attendance revenue, creating financial strain that could lead to program cuts or closures.
Accredited sanctuaries will incur substantial ongoing care costs (reported up to roughly $100,000 per elephant per year), increasing funding needs and potentially requiring sustained public or private subsidies.
Tight transfer timelines combined with limited sanctuary capacity risk some elephants lacking timely placement or receiving inadequate care, creating welfare emergencies and costly emergency relocations.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Bans exhibiting, housing, managing, and breeding African and Asian elephants in U.S. zoological and safari parks and requires transfer to accredited nonprofit sanctuaries within three years.
Official title: To amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit keeping elephants in captivity at zoological parks or safari parks, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 15, 2025 by Nicole Malliotakis · Last progress May 15, 2025
Bans the display, housing, management, and breeding of African and Asian elephants in U.S. zoological parks and safari parks, with the prohibition starting one year after enactment and a three-year deadline to transfer elephants now held in those facilities to accredited, nonprofit “authorized wildlife sanctuaries.” Establishes standards for what qualifies as an authorized sanctuary, requires the Secretary to enforce transfers, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to complete a feasibility study within one year, may create grants to support sanctuaries that accept transferred elephants, and to produce public education materials about elephant welfare benefits.