We Asked, You Answered: Why Joyce Inspires Supporters Around the World

World Animal Protection has been campaigning to relocate Joyce, an African elephant, from Six Flags Great Adventure & Wild Safari Park in New Jersey since spring 2024. Since then, thousands of supporters have joined our call: signing petitions, attending our webinar updates, disrupting the Six Flags annual meeting, commenting on social media, and much more.  

That’s thousands of actions for one special elephant. So, what drives our supporters to support Joyce? We asked, and dozens of you answered.  

The TLDR? These are the top sentiments shared:  

• Elephants have no place being exploited for human entertainment.  

• Joyce deserves to live out her days in a more natural environment among other elephants and away from tourists.

Please note that responses below have been abbreviated for length.

Maureen:

“As my understanding and appreciation for all living creatures has evolved, so has my emotional connection to them. One only needs to observe elephants within their familial herd to acknowledge their emotional and social connection to each other. They demonstrate care, compassion and affection to their young. I have come to realize that elephants and many other animals are capable of feelings, empathy, and connection.  

So, Joyce represents all these magnificent mammals who are captured and separated from their rightful families and natural habitats. Joyce deserves to be free. So, I support all efforts to release Joyce from Six Flags. As humans we know better, so we must do better by these extraordinary creatures.” 

Carrie:

“Joyce has been failed in so many ways throughout her life— knowing how she was taken from her herd in the early 1980s and knowing that most of the herd was killed in her abduction, is so very upsetting […] She was sold to circuses and forced to perform silly tricks, that just shows human dominance over these majestic animals who are meant to be wild. All training is fear-based, with the use of bull hooks and other implements that invoke fear. This was part of her captivity was over 25 years!  

 Then sold to Six Flags Wild Safari in NJ (around 2010), where she lives next to a loud rollercoaster and has to suffer with constant unsettling ground vibrations. More than 15 years of this life? How awful for Joyce. What does Six Flags gain by her captivity? […] Time to get the remaining elephants who are in these parks and other roadside zoos into sanctuaries.” 

Sarah:

”What has inspired me to support the campaign to release Joyce is the profound injustice of seeing such an intelligent, emotional, and sentient being confined for human entertainment. 

Elephants are deeply social, intelligent animals who experience relationships, grief, joy and suffering. The thought of Joyce spending her life in captivity, deprived of the space, freedom and companionship that are so fundamental to who she is, is heartbreaking. 

I support this campaign because I believe Joyce deserves more than simply surviving captivity. She deserves to experience what freedom, dignity, and a sanctuary life can mean. And I hope that one day, when we look back, we will know that we chose compassion over captivity.” 

Jon: 

“Elephants are among Earth’s most magnificent mammals—iconic symbols of what makes our world beautiful. I urge Six Flags to develop a transition plan to retire the elephants to an accredited sanctuary where, instead of suffering, they'll thrive with tons of water, shade, and love—but no rollercoaster noise!” 

We want to take the time to thank the thousands of supporters who help us fight for Joyce and amplify her story every day. Together, we can pressure Six Flags to do what’s right: to relocate Joyce and the other elephants to sanctuary.  

If this post is your first introduction to Joyce, we greatly encourage you to get involved by signing up for our eNews (so you never miss an update), digging into our advocacy toolkit for a variety of ways you can take action for Joyce as an individual, or by purchasing one of our exclusive shirts to spread awareness about Joyce everywhere you wear it.