Pittsburgh Zoo sued by animal-rights group, suit claims ‘grossly inadequate’ conditions
By Caitlyn Scott
Click here for updates on this story
PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — The operator and head of the Pittsburgh Zoo is facing a lawsuit filed by a Washington, D.C.-based animal rights nonprofit, which is asking for the release of the zoo’s elephants from captivity.
Court documents obtained by Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Tuesday said the lawsuit was filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday.
The lawsuit alleges that the elephants’ space at the Pittsburgh Zoo is “grossly inadequate.” It urges the court to release the animals to a sanctuary or consider them as a candidate for rewilding.
“It is simply not possible to meet an elephant’s physical, social, and emotional needs with a few acres; without adequate space, no zoo can suitably manage and care for elephants,” the lawsuit said. “The Pittsburgh Zoo specifically is a grossly inadequate space that cannot satisfy (elephants) Angeline, Savannah, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri’s needs in any vital areas.”
Pittsburgh Zoo is currently the home to five elephants; Angeline, Victoria, and Zuri were all born into captivity at the zoo, and Savanna and Tasha, who were wild African Savannah elephants removed from their herds, according to the lawsuit.
This past week, the zoo announced plans to improve herd dynamics and care for its elephants, saying sisters Victoria and Zuri will soon be heading to the zoo’s Conservation Center in Somerset County.
“Every decision at the zoo is centered around the well-being of our resident animals,” President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Dr. Jeremy Goodman, said in a release last week about the new changes. “The plan for our elephants strengthens our ability to continue to provide world-class care while advancing our conservation mission.”
Goodman is named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The Nonhuman Rights Project, which portrays itself as an organization dedicated to securing legal rights for animals, also issued the following announcement on its website about the lawsuit, saying:
“The Nonhuman Rights Project has submitted a habeas corpus petition demanding the right to liberty for five elephants held captive in the Pittsburgh Zoo. Leading experts in elephant cognition and behavior support this lawsuit. The elephants are suffering and need to be freed.”
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 has reached out to the zoo for comment, which said, “We will follow up once the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has additional information to share on this matter.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.