5/22/26 Tembo the elephant has died.

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 campaign to end the captivity of lone elephants in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). AZA accreditation materials state that accredited zoos must keep a minimum of three female elephants or two males, yet that standard is too often ignored.

All three elephants live in the northeastern United States, where they endure cold winters, limited space, and profound deprivation of companionship. Emily has been alone at Buttonwood Park Zoo since 2024. Happy and Patty are both at Bronx Zoo, but are kept separately due to an incident that took place over 20 years ago. They all deserve better. 

The AZA could and should send all three to sanctuary. At the very least, it should revoke accreditation from Buttonwood Park Zoo and Bronx Zoo for failing to meet its own elephant standards.

Click here to speak out!

In the wild, elephant herds typically consist of between 6 and 20 individuals. They live in family groups that work together, raise young, pass along wisdom, and mourn their dead. Forcing elephants to exist in captivity ALONE is cruelty. The AZA knows this, which is why they set the standards they did. Now they need to uphold them.

Hold the AZA accountable.