An animal rights group has filed a lawsuit against the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium and is demanding the zoo release its elephants.
The Nonhuman Rights Project filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit in Pennsylvania, arguing that five elephants held in captivity are exhibiting signs of psychological and physical distress.
The lawsuit, filed in Allegheny County, names five elephants, Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri, and claims the Pittsburgh Zoo is violating their rights by keeping them in confinement.
Video evidence shows behaviors such as swaying and head-bobbing which the group says are signs of trauma.
Two of the elephants, Victoria and Zuri, are scheduled to be transferred to a breeding facility in Alabama within days.
Advocates are urging a judge to block the move, claiming it would forcibly separate the animals from their social bonds, something that would never occur in the wild.
KDKA Radio has reached out the Pittsburgh Zoo for comment.