World Animal Protection brings back their activation in New Jersey to urge Six Flags to free Joyce the elephant

NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, on World Elephant Day, World Animal Protection has launched multiple activations to demand that Joyce, an elephant living in captivity at Six Flags Great Adventure Wild Safari theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, be released to a wildlife sanctuary.

Joyce, an African Elephant, was brought to the US as a young calf from the wilds of Zimbabwe in the 1980s after most of her herd was killed in a government operation. Since arriving in the US alongside 62 other orphaned elephants, Joyce has suffered a traumatic history of forced performances, isolation, and stress, regularly sold and traded between zoos, circuses, and other captive attractions.

World Animal Protection is targeting New Jersey locals, in particular, to take action on what is happening in their backyard. Through multiple activations, World Animal Protection is demonstrating the growing pressure on Six Flags to release Joyce and the four other elephants at the theme park and permanently shut down the elephant exhibit.

Elephants do not exist for our amusement or profit. They deserve to thrive in protected habitats or, for formerly exploited elephants like Joyce, who cannot return to the wild, in wildlife sanctuaries.

For all of August, there will be two large billboards on Route 9, less than 20 miles from Six Flags Great Adventure. Both billboards urge passersby to “FREE JOYCE”.

World Animal Protection has also partnered with local sand sculpture artists, John and Laura Gowdy, to create a sculpture honoring Joyce in Long Branch, NJ. (North of Laird Street, which is the entrance to Pier Village). Less than one hour from Six Flags, the sculpture will amplify Joyce’s story and the campaign to release her to a sanctuary. Lastly, supporters can purchase Free Joyce t-shirts online merch shop.

Nicole Barrantes, Wildlife  World Animal Protection, US, states:

“Since she was a baby, Joyce has been exploited for entertainment—shuffled between circuses and zoos and now confined to a barren enclosure at Six Flags, surrounded by the roar of rollercoasters and rumble of safari trucks. This isn’t a ‘great adventure’—it’s a life sentence. She deserves freedom and the chance to live out her days in peace at a sanctuary.”

Moving Joyce and the four other elephants to legitimate sanctuaries offers them the best opportunity to lead fulfilling lives. Six Flags is an amusement park. Its attractions and exhibits are designed to thrill and entertain paying customers. But elephants are not theme park attractions. They are living beings who deserve to live on their own terms with the freedom to make decisions without human interference.   

Take action by emailing Six Flag’s leadership team with this one-click action. 

Notes to Editors:     

For more information, contact: 
Jeanne Turkheimer, Senior Media + Talent Relations Manager
jeanneturkheimer@worldanimalprotection.us 646- 783-2210

About World Animal Protection 
World Animal Protection is a global organization working to end animal exploitation. We expose cruel systems, promote animal-friendly alternatives, and influence policy change. For 75 years, we’ve been rewriting the story for animals.

Working across almost 50 countries with offices in 12, we prioritize animals in farming and wild animals exploited for use in entertainment, as pets, and in fashion.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-jersey-has-the-boss-bonjovi-and-the-beach–no-need-for-elephants-302849068.html

SOURCE World Animal Protection