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.
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.
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.
Captivity is inherently psychologically and physically harmful to elephants. It is not possible to meet the complex physical, social, and spatial needs of elephants in a zoo setting, like the Wild Safari. Elephants in captivity experience devastating impacts on their physical and psychological well-being, including shorter lifespans, behavior problems, and chronic diseases.
Moving Joyce and the other elephants to a legitimate sanctuary offers them the best opportunity to lead fulfilling lives. Six Flags is an amusement park. Its attractions and exhibits are designed to amuse and entertain paying customers. But Joyce and the other elephants held at Six Flags are not roller coasters, nor are they ambassadors for their species, existing solely to educate humans. They are living beings who deserve to live on their own terms and make decisions without human interference.
What Science Reveals About Her Captivity at Six Flags
We partnered with Terrapin Sensing and the University of Maryland Department of Geology to measure the intensity and sources of ground shaking around Joyce the elephant's enclosure.
We launched exciting campaign tactics to pressure Six Flags into releasing Joyce and the other four elephants to a sanctuary where they can retire in peace.
Ways You Can Help Joyce
We put together this activist toolkit with all the resources you need to put pressure on Six Flags and urge company leadership to free Joyce and send her and the other elephants to a sanctuary.