Vigil4Elephants
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vigil4elephants.bsky.social
Vigil4Elephants
@vigil4elephants.bsky.social
We hold an annual vigil to remember captive elephants that have passed away in zoos, circuses, sanctuaries, temples and tourist attractions. #Vigil4Elephants #CaptivityKills #DontRideElephants #DontBuyATicket [email protected]
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🐘❤️It is time to start sending in those photos from everyone around the world that takes a minute to remember those captive elephants that lost their lives this past year. Instructions are in the graphics below on how and where to send them. Please read and follow the instructions to ensure we
Kochaiyappan, a male Asian elephant, died July 2, 2025, at about the age of four. He was born wild in the Goodrickal Forest Range, India. Though cause of death is unconfirmed, it appears he died of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV).

According to Konni Ecotourism Elephant Camp,
December 9, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Jamba, a male African elephant, was born wild in 1996. He was taken out of Estosha National Park in Namibia and arrived at the Belo Horizonte Zoo in Brazil in 1998. He was only two years old. He should have been with his mother, nursing and surrounded by his kin. Instead, he was trapped in a zoo
December 8, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Burma, a female Asian elephant, was born in the wild in 1975. By 1976, the infant Burma was stolen from her mother, herd and home and sold into the circus industry where she was brutally trained to perform for humans. Her life of captivity ended in June 2025 at the Seville Exotic Animal Reserve in
December 7, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Shocking, sad news from Global Sanctuary for Elephants today, June 24, 2025:

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we must announce that Tamy, the male Asian elephant that lived at Ecoparque Mendoza, passed away last night. Tamy was over 50 years old and had been dealing with some of the
December 6, 2025 at 1:19 PM
We are already getting your submissions for the #Vigil4Elephants At Home Vigil Photos and we very much appreciate everyone that takes a few minutes of their day to do this. If we as a community don't take the time to remember these elephants who never asked for their lives to be spent in captivity,
December 5, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Otto, a young bull Asian Elephant, died on June 16, 2025, at the age of 4.5 years, in the Hellabrunn Zoo, Germany. The young elephant succumbed to the deadly Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV).

Otto was captive born on November 11, 2020, and lived his entire short life confined in the
December 5, 2025 at 1:12 PM
We honor the life of Heri, an African elephant wild born in 1976 in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

In 1979, Hanover Zoo brought her to Europe, and then she was moved to Basel Zoo in Switzerland in 1988. Heri’s story is a tragedy of some of the unimaginable horrors endured by elephants being
December 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM
🐘❤️It is time to start sending in those photos from everyone around the world that takes a minute to remember those captive elephants that lost their lives this past year. Instructions are in the graphics below on how and where to send them. Please read and follow the instructions to ensure we
December 3, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Suzy, a female Asian Elephant, died on June 10, 2025, at the age of 74 while held at the Endangered Ark Foundation in Oklahoma. She was born wild somewhere in Asia. Taken from her home and family, she was forced to travel and perform with several circuses until she was transferred to the Endangered
December 3, 2025 at 1:22 PM
For 39 years, Mei Tai lived in a foreign land, far from her ancestral home in Africa. She resided with two other African elephants and two Asians. As with so many deceased elephants, there is nothing reported about her life and little of her death. It is an injustice to Mei Tai that her story
December 2, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Indu's tragic story began at just one year old when she was snatched from her family in Thailand and shipped across the globe to be held prisoner in US zoos. Indu remained confined in sterile, minuscule zoo exhibits for 58 of her 59 years. For her last 26 years, she was incarcerated at the Phoenix
December 1, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Marisa, a female Asian elephant, died of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV) on May 3, 2025. She was only 2 ½ years old and was born into captivity at the Ayothaya Elephant Village in Thailand.

The Ayothaya Elephant Village is a tourist attraction connected to a marketplace. For a price,
November 30, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Heartfelt words straight from Elephant Nature Park :

“Although we all understand that death is a part of life, there are moments when it comes so unexpectedly, it shakes us to the core.

Grandma Elephant Pi Kun left us quietly and peacefully in her sleep this evening—without warning, without pain,
November 29, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Wassana was a fifteen-month-old elephant calf who died with EEHV despite the best efforts of TECC elephant hospital. The camp she was rented to - “Pon Elephant” - delayed getting her treatment, and during her short life they subjected her to extensive interactions with tourists so most probably the
November 28, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Heartfelt words from Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary - BLES over the loss of Nwon:

“There are many highs and lows in rescue work and it can be devastating and delightful all at the same time.

Dealing with the loss of Nwon, our beautiful old bull, has been soul destroying. To know we will never
November 28, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Words from Elephant Nature Park;

“Grandma SomBoon has left us today.

For the past several weeks, SomBoon had been growing weaker, eating less and showing signs of fatigue. Even when she had the strength to fight, she refused to sleep—afraid that if she lay down, she might not be able to get up
November 26, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Please welcome our co-hosts once again:

Elephant Nature Park
Save Elephant Foundation
Cambodia Wildlife Sancturary

Please remember the deadline to co-host is December 1. Email us at [email protected] if you would like to co-host
November 25, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Like so many zoo elephants, Ranny's history is mired in mystery. She was captured somewhere in Africa, likely at a very early age. She spent 20 years in a circus before coming to the theme park in Colombia. She lived there for 15 years. The theme park claims she had long-standing health issues, that
November 25, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Rest Peacefully Nang Fa
20th March 2025

“We are all so deeply sorry and upset here at Hidden Forest to share the heartbreaking news that Nang Fa has passed away. We tried so hard and did everything we could to save her.

P. Kong and our incredible team worked tirelessly to give Nang Fa the very
November 24, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Didi, an African female elephant, was euthanized on March 17, 2025, in Stukenbrock Safaripark, Germany. She was born in the wild in 1975. She was transferred to the safari park at some point (dates are conflicting) from the circus industry. She may have been a resident of the safari park when not
November 23, 2025 at 4:32 PM
From KWCH News:

Note from the Vigil team. Please take note of the last paragraph. Evidently, there has been a great deal of breeding taking place at this zoo. As of this writing, March 2025, there are four female elephants pregnant. We will monitor this situation as best as we can.

“WICHITA, KS,
November 22, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Little is known about Jenny's history. She was born wild in Asia in 1969 and sent to one of her first circuses, likely at an early age. For decades she was forced to perform circus tricks with weapon-like bullhooks. Finally, in 2021, she was relieved of her circus duties and transported for the last
November 21, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Shandra spent almost her entire life at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Germany. She was born in Asia in 1966 and landed at the zoo in 1974. It is unclear where she was for the first 8 years of her life. If she was taken from the wild at age 8, that would have been especially cruel. She would have formed
November 20, 2025 at 1:09 PM
From Elephants in Japan: In Memory of Hanako :

“Randy, a 45-year-old Asian elephant at Ichihara Elephant Kingdom, has passed away. Her life—from Thailand to Japan—mirrors the fate of many captive elephants.

Ichihara Elephant Kingdom focuses on entertainment, not education, making elephants
November 19, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Ossie lived all alone at the Izu Zoo in Japan for 38 of her 54 years. There is no information available on her life before she came to the zoo in 1987, and none is available after, except for her solitary status. She lived and died in virtual obscurity, without even any information on how she died.
November 18, 2025 at 1:08 PM