VENTNOR – She’s not as well-known in these parts as Lucy, but Joyce the Elephant living at Six Flags Great Adventure and Wild Safari in Jackson Township deserves to be just as free, advocates from World Animal Protection believe.
The organization that works to relocate captured animals to sanctuaries where they can live closer to the lives they were meant to enjoy in the wild, has partnered with award-winning Sand Sculptor John Gowdy and his wife Laura of Galloway Township to call attention to Joyce, who has lived in captivity since she was a baby.
Sand sculptor Laura Gowdy shows a drawing of what Joyce will look like when completed. Joyce, an African elephant, was brought to the United States from the wilds of Zimbabwe in the 1980s after most of her herd was killed during an elephant culling operation. Since arriving in the U.S. with 62 other orphaned elephants, her millionaire benefactor realized that he couldn’t take care of them on his own property, and they were sold off to circuses and roadside zoos to become performers.
Joyce was shuffled around her whole life and has been living at Six Flags for the last 15 years, said World Animal Protection Wildlife Campaign Manager Nicole Berrantes of New York City. She has been in town for a few days to oversee the creation of the sand sculpture and ask concerned citizens to sign an online petition to free Joyce from captivity.
“We wanted her to be built near the Ventnor Pier so people will take pictures and share them on social media to raise awareness about Joyce and other elephants held in captivity,” she said. “We want Six Flags to relocate Joyce to a sanctuary, close the elephant exhibit and the Safari as a whole, starting with the elephants.”
John Gowdy takes a break from building Joyce sand sculpture The Ventnor City Public Works Department helped by moving 20 tons of soft beach sand “just perfect for a sand sculpture,” John Gowdy said.
“We are trying to give a voice to those who don’t have a voice,” Laura Gowdy said. “Animals are like babies. They trust us. So, when they called us to make this sculpture, we said yes right away.”
The 10-foot tall, 20-foot wide sculpture took about six hours to build. Joyce is holding a call to action banner in her trunk that says, “FreeJoyce.org.”
“We are interested in environmental things,” said John Gowdy, who last year built a whale on the beach to call attention to the wind turbines being built in the ocean, which many believe were endangering and killing the marine mammals.
Gowdy said he worked at Six Flags for about 10 years building sand sculptures for special events.
“But we never went on the Safari ride,” he said.
Gowdy said the elephant lives next to a roller coaster that makes constant loud noise and where people are screaming all the time.
“That’s not appropriate for an animal that’s supposed to be in the wild,” he said. “She has become timid and isolates by herself and is not staying with her herd. You can tell she is stressed and suffering mentally.”
Gowdy said despite the forecast for rain later this week, the sculpture should last a few days. Spectators are encouraged to take pictures and share them on Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites.
From left, John and Laury Gowdy and Nicole Barrantes of World Animal Proection US World Animal Protection is targeting New Jersey locals to take action against what is happening in their own backyard.
“Elephants do not exist for our amusement or profit,” advocate Jeanne Turkheimer said. “They deserve to thrive in protected habitats, or for formerly exploited elephants like Joyce who cannot return to the wild, in wildlife sanctuaries.”
To call attention to the plight of the elephants during August, the organization also erected two large billboards on Route 9 near Jackson, where Six Flags is located. One asks, “An Elephant in Jersey? Fuhgeddaboudit,” and the other declares, “Keep Animals Wild. Except Uncle Tony. Keep Him in Newark.”
From left, John and Laura Gowdy and Nicole Barrantes of World Animal Protection To commemorate Aug. 12 as World Elephant Day, the organization is hoping to get 100,000 signatures on an online petition to free the elephants.
“The campaign comes amid a growing, broader movement in the U.S. to end elephant captivity and entertainment altogether,” Barrantes said.
To sign the petition, see freejoyce.org, or better yet, use this one-click action, enter your information, and it will send a message to Six Flag’s leadership team. You have the option to customize your message.
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