Untitled Elephant Documentary

About the Film

Elephants have been a beloved feature of American zoos for over a century. While zoos argue they serve conservation and education, a growing movement is challenging whether elephants still belong there at all.

Now, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) is bringing that question into the American courtroom using one of the oldest and most powerful protections in the law: habeas corpus, the right to challenge unlawful detention. If granted, courts would be allowed to order the release of the elephants from zoos into sanctuaries.

These lawsuits comes at a critical time. Most elephants currently living in American zoos are aging. This declining population, combined with high calf mortality rates in zoos, means that the country stands at a turning point: will institutions double down on breeding programs, or reconsider whether elephants belong in zoos at all?

This documentary examines elephant captivity in the United States and the legal cases challenging current practices, following lawyers, advocates, and scientists pursuing habeas corpus petitions on behalf of captive elephants.