Asha the elephant and many other animals are in desperate need of relief from the notorious Natural Bridge Zoo. With help from Virginia State Police and others, Virginia’s Office of the Attorney General is executing a search warrant, and, given the line of animal trailers and vehicles outside the facility, some of these exploited may finally get help. Hellholes like this are no place for any animals.

In 2013, PETA documented that Asha’s handler carried a weapon while walking next to her.

Applauding Law-Enforcement’s Action at Natural Bridge Zoo

PETA released a statement regarding the search warrant on December 6:

“PETA thanks the Office of the Attorney General for executing an investigative search warrant at Natural Bridge Zoo and hopes it will bring much-needed relief to the 40-year-old solitary elephant, Asha, and other long-neglected animals held there. The roadside zoo has long been the subject of public concern and PETA complaints to local, state, and federal agencies. Although female elephants are highly social animals who spend their entire lives with their families, Natural Bridge Zoo has kept Asha all alone—on a small patch of barren ground and chained at night in a barn—since 2005. She’s the last solitary African elephant in North America exploited in such a facility for rides, during which her handler carries a heavy steel-tipped weapon resembling a fireplace poker, known as a bullhook, as a reminder of the pain he will inflict on her if she doesn’t obey his every command. For years, Asha has swayed and bobbed her head, recognized signs of loneliness, boredom, and stress. PETA looks forward to sharing additional information about Asha’s condition and how she has been kept, pending the outcome of this search warrant.”

—Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations

Natural Bridge Zoo has had its federal license repeatedly suspended and has been fined more than $60,000.

Take Action for Asha and Others

Never support or go to a roadside zoo. With the added weight of this search warrant, tell Natural Bridge Zoo to send the animals to a reputable facility.