Alone for years

Better life for the “saddest elephant in the world”

The elephant cow has to lead a sad life at the San Juan de Aragón Zoo.(Bild: facebook.com/SaveEly)

She is considered the "saddest elephant in the world" - now the animal lady "Ely" has been granted better living conditions in Mexico City. The pachyderm, who even suffered from depression at times, was housed in a circus for half of her life.

The court reached this decision after years of campaigning by animal welfare organizations for the welfare of the elephant cow "Ely".

The sad female elephant can be seen in this article: 

Elephant cow left alone in enclosure for years
The court ordered that "Ely's" enclosure be brought as close as possible to the natural habitat of elephants and that the animal's health be better monitored. The colossus, which weighs several tons, has been housed in the San Juan de Aragón Zoo in the Mexican capital for 13 years. For years, the African elephant had to live there alone.

According to activists, "Ely" began banging her head against the walls due to her sadness and stress. In 2023, the elephant cow "Gipsy" was brought to Mexico City from another zoo to keep "Ely" company on a permanent basis.