Squash Sneaky Zoo Moves!

Join us on October 17th, 2026 from 12noon – 2pm at the Oregon Zoo.

It’s the day that Oregon Zoo holds Squishing the Squash  event where the elephants get to play with pumpkins.

We will be there informing the zoo visitors about the zoo’s practice of sneaky moves of elephants. Lily, an elephant calf born to Rose-Tu was destined to go to a circus training company called “Have Trunk Will Travel,” but public pressure forced the zoo to drop the plans.

Similarly, the next elephant calf to be born at the zoo to Rose-Tu and Samson, being their second after Tula-Tu, will legally be owned by Albuquerque Zoo, according to Samson’s breeding contract:

Samudra, who has born here in 2008 and lived his entire life at Oregon Zoo, is getting ready to be shipped off to St. Louis Zoo by next Spring, according to breeding plans we obtained with a records request.

St. Louis Zoo is smaller, colder and more cramped than Oregon Zoo. Samudra is forced out of the only environment he’s familiar with, into much worse surroundings, all for breeding. We urge the zoo to stop tearing family bonds apart, and squash this sneaky practice. Breeding is not conservation.

Join us as we inform visitors about this horrible practice being done under wraps. Event details on our Facebook page.