Weeping Elephant Project Investigates: Animal Welfare Concerns Raised by Former Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Employees
Editorial illustration of Carina
According to an investigation by the Weeping Elephant Project (WEP), multiple former Busch Gardens Tampa Bay employees have come forward with concerns about animal welfare at the park, raising questions about the conditions in which some animals are housed and whether complaints submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) were adequately reviewed.
According to WEP, the former employees, including members of the elephant care team, first brought their concerns to Busch Gardens management. Believing those concerns were not being adequately addressed, they submitted formal complaints to the USDA and AZA in October 2024. WEP says the complaints included documentation and accounts describing alleged welfare concerns involving elephants and other species.
According to WEP, former employees also allege they were discouraged from documenting elephants’ responses to environmental stressors, including fireworks, nearby roller coasters, construction activity, and other sources of chronic noise and vibration. WEP says the former employees believe these conditions could negatively affect the well-being of elephants, which are known to be highly sensitive to environmental disturbance.
The concerns have drawn renewed attention following the death of Carina, a 54-year-old Asian elephant who was euthanized in early July 2026 after what Busch Gardens described as a sudden decline in her health. According to an anonymous source who contacted WEP, Carina reportedly experienced multiple elephant-down emergencies in the days before she was euthanized. The source also questioned aspects of the emergency response and whether changes had been made following previous incidents involving the park’s elephant herd.
Carina’s death has also renewed discussion surrounding Rosie, another 54-year-old Asian elephant who was euthanized in November 2024. According to WEP, former employees believe Rosie’s death, along with Carina’s, warrants closer examination of the elephants’ living conditions and emergency response procedures. Former employees have also pointed to a 2022 incident involving the park’s fireworks display as part of their broader concerns.
According to WEP, the concerns extend beyond the elephant program. Former employees allege they observed stress-related behaviors in other species during fireworks displays and describe what they characterize as a workplace culture in which employees feared professional retaliation for raising animal welfare concerns. WEP also says former staff believe significant employee turnover in recent years resulted in the loss of experienced animal care personnel.
Former employees also questioned whether the complaints they submitted received sufficient review by the relevant oversight bodies. According to WEP, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay remains accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, and some former staff have called for greater transparency regarding how complaints involving accredited institutions are evaluated.
WEP says the concerns raised by former employees point to broader questions about animal welfare oversight, transparency, and the handling of complaints submitted to regulatory and accreditation bodies.
TAKE ACTION!
If you would like to support the Weeping Elephant Project’s campaign, you can sign and send the following advocacy letter:
“A Theme Park Is No Place for Elephants: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay” — HERE!
Editor’s Note: This report is based on information and supporting materials provided to World Animal News by the Weeping Elephant Project, including allegations from former Busch Gardens Tampa Bay employees and anonymous sources. World Animal News has attributed these claims to the sources identified throughout this report.
