Elephant protest planned during fundraiser

Tonight is the Woodland Park Zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year, known as the “Jungle Party,” and hundreds of protesters are hoping to make a statement. The Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants believe that the conditions for Chai, Watoto, and Bamboo aren’t acceptable. They say the elephants are locked in a barren room for 18-20 hours a day. The Friends will be out with signs and banners encouraging people not to donate to the zoo until the animals are released to the 2700 acre Elephant Sanctuary.

Update: There are about 20 protesters out there right now (5:20 p.m.) but organizers hope for about 50 total (not the hundreds that they had speculated earlier). Five bicycle cops are in the area to make sure things don’t get out of hand. The zoo is pretty relaxed about the event and has even marked a couple of spots for protesters to hand out fliers for their cause.