Why should you care?
Scientists consider elephants a "keystone species." Which means that the ecosystem they live in depends on them. Their constant and consistent migration patterns trample dense vegetation to allow smaller creatures to coexist together. Their dung has seeds in it which help revitalize the land they cross, while also acting as a fertilizer for said seeds. When the water is low, they dig up rivers, eventually making watering holes. Removing elephants from an environment means destroying the majority of Africa's ecosystems and natural resources. However, their importance to Africa's ecosystems is not the only reason you should be advocating for elephants' removal from zoos.
Humans have an innate responsibility to care for the world that God created. The Bible references this multiple times during the creation, saying "God blessed them and said to them, “Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the
sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Gen 1:28) and “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it” (Gen 2:15).
We have a duty to protect everything God created. When we put animals in situations where they live in stress, they die young. We are rejecting God's call to protect his creations when their life is overall miserable. In his second encyclical "Laudato Si': On Care for our Common Home," Pope Francis states, “Each community…has the duty to protect the earth and ensure its fruitfulness for
coming generations” (49).
If we ignore this now, many more elephants will live a horrible, short life, and soon, there will be no more elephants. Africa's ecosystems will crumble and we will have turned our backs on God's creation and our duty.
