A video showing a young African elephant being pushed and trapped against a fence by other elephants at Shanghai Wild Animal Park in China has gone viral, sparking widespread concern online.
The footage, which was first posted on social media around June 22, shows the elephant being repeatedly shoved and forced to kneel. A scene that has been described as distressing by animal welfare groups.
The footage quickly spread across platforms such as TikTok and X, with many users criticizing the park’s handling of elephant welfare.
The elephant, identified by animal rights activists as Danny, has reportedly experienced this type of bullying for over three years.
“For over 3 years, Danny has endured daily bullying by other elephants. She’s trapped in a small enclosure, surrounded by fear and hostility,” Voices for Asian Elephants (VFAE) said.
They added that the elephant is suffering: “She bangs her head in distress and is never at ease.”
And now another elephant named Benben is being bullied, VFAE said. “Two young souls, lost in an unnatural world of concrete, noise, and forced companionship. This is not how elephants live. In the wild, they walk dozens of miles each day with their own families, not strangers.”
Response Shanghai Wild Animal Park
Following the video’s circulation, Shanghai Wild Animal Park confirmed on June 25 that staff had performed medical checks and blood tests on the elephant shown in the video. The elephant was in good health, according to them. However, no public veterinary reports or detailed treatment plans have been released.
Danny is one of several wild African elephants imported from Zimbabwe between 2012 and 2016. Wildlife organizations have previously raised concerns about the stress and trauma these young elephants experience during capture and transport.
Animal welfare organizations say that such early trauma and lack of proper social structures may contribute to the aggressive behavior seen in captivity.
The Born Free Foundation, along with other animal welfare organisations and experts, tried to prevent the export of young wild elephants from Zimbabwe to foreign zoos, including those in China. “But sadly, this went ahead despite international condemnation,” Born Free said in a statement.
Despite the zoo’s statement, animal welfare groups still question whether enough is being done to address the long-term needs of elephants in Chinese zoos.
There is currently no national animal welfare law in China, and zoo standards remain voluntary, making consistent care and accountability difficult to enforce.
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