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Meet Ella the ‘Elephant’—She Wants to Hear From You!

Hi, elefriend!

I’m Ella, a life-size “elephant” who is retired from the circus and lives at PETA’s office in Washington, D.C. I teach people about why keeping elephants like me in captivity in the circus is wrong, and I want to hear from you! Do you wonder how animals in the circus feel or what elephants’ lives are like in the wild? You can write to me about anything, and I’ll write you back and send you a picture of me.

You can write to me here:

Ella the Elephant

1536 16th St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20036

Did you know that elephants in the wild can live into their 60s but that elephants in captivity often die really young? Elephants in circuses are denied everything that gives their life meaning. Many become unhealthy, depressed, and aggressive as a result of the inhumane conditions they’re kept in. Thanks to decades of field research, humans have found that we are highly social animals who live in herds led by the oldest and wisest female elephant. We also protect each other, look for fresh plants to eat, play, bathe in rivers, and share mothering duties for the herd’s babies. Our ability to feel pain—as well as sadness, joy, and happiness—is like humans’. In the wild, we may walk up to 30 miles and be active for 18 hours each day!

Do you wonder what we might have in common?

Here are some fun facts about me:

  • Favorite song: Nellie the Elephant by Toy Dolls. It’s about an elephant in India who packed her trunk and escaped from the circus when she heard her herd. Get it?
  • Favorite book: Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss. Horton sticks to his beliefs and saves Whoville without expecting anything in return. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Or big, amiright? Elephants are people, too, after all!
  • Favorite color: Blue! Sometimes the sky was all I could see from my trailer when the circus made us move from city to city. It made me hopeful.
  • Favorite food: I’m vegan! I love fruit, grasses, and bark. Elephants need to eat a lot (almost 300 pounds each day).
  • Favorite poem: “Eletelephony” by Laura E. Richards

 

Learn More About Elephants!