The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is once again advertising elephant rides for its 2026 season—and CompassionWorks International is asking supporters to speak out before the festival begins in late August.

Happy, the Bronx Zoo elephant whose fight for freedom became known around the world, has died. Please urge the AZA to enforce its own standards and act for elephants kept alone before more elephants die in isolation.

As far as CWI is aware, Okha is the only elephant currently traveling and performing with a circus in the United States right now. While this could change, it still represents an extraordinary milestone. When CWI first began this work, dozens of elephants were on the road every spring. Now seemingly only Okha remains — and she needs us more than ever. Elderly Okha is still being hauled from town to town with Loomis Bros. Circus for performances and rides. At a time when cir

The Topeka Zoo has euthanized African elephant Tembo after what the zoo described as a "recent and rapid decline in her health." She's been alone since her interspecies companion, Asian elephant Cora, was euthanized after experiencing a similar situation last October. We are deeply saddened that Tembo passed without the company of any other elephant, and that both Cora and Tembo died inside zoo walls. With Tembo's death, three elephants—Emily, Happy, and Patty—remain in CWI's

Okha returning to Loomis Bros Circus. Speak out!

Okha's suffering continues this weekend where she will be subjected to more exploitation at the Naja Shrine Circus in South Dakota.

Breaking news: based on the heartbreaking footage we recently received of Isa and Viola performing with Jordan World Circus at two locations in Arizona, CWI has filed a complaint with the USDA. We have now made a compilation video available for you to view by clicking here. Thanks to the bravery of a compassionate activist, in the brief two-minute video you will get a sense of the misery that Isa and Viola endured over the span of two days. Once you view the video, be sure to

Yesterday morning CWI filed an emergency complaint with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service notifying them about the escape of Alice the elephant and serious ongoing issues at the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo.

A recently uploaded USDA inspection report shows that Carden was cited for "not using the prescribed medication at a frequency and/or dosage that is effective at controlling and treating [Betty's lameness]."

Join us in letting both Carden and Wilstem know that all four elephants have earned the right to live away from bullhooks, away from people, away from cold winters and in the peace of sanctuary.