S12. E7: Tomas Sciolla: Free the Animals
“When we arrived, we had no records, we had nothing. We had no documentation. And one of one of the first things that you have to actually prove to all of these international government parties and so on, you need to you need to say, where did you get this elephant? And we had no idea. We were actually government officials, and we had this elephant, and we had no real idea of where this elephant came from.”
In 2012, during a scorching heatwave in Buenos Aires, a polar bear named Winner died in the city zoo. His tragic death ignited outrage—not just for him, but for all the animals suffering in the zoo’s dire conditions. The protests grew, and the city listened.
Instead of just making small improvements, the city of Buenos Aires did something extraordinary: they took over the zoo.
That’s when Tom Sciolla, the new wildlife and conservation manager, stepped in. He and his team didn’t just aim to make life better for the animals still trapped there—they decided to set them free. Over the past decade, they have relocated hundreds of animals to sanctuaries, giving them the lives they deserve and the closest thing to freedom they could ever have after lifetimes in captivity.
The very last animal to be translocated will be moving in the next few weeks. Pupy, a female African elephant who has been at the zoo since 1993 will be moving across South America to Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil.
This is one of the most inspiring stories I’ve heard in a long time—a story of hope for animals, and a blueprint for how real change can happen.
Tom is also the Director of Sanctuary Equidad, but that’s another episode (coming soon).
Please listen, share and follow Pupy's journey here.
In gratitude,
Elizabeth Novogratz
Learn more about Fondation Franz Weber
Follow Pupy's journey
Read ‘How to Move Your Elephant During a Pandemic’ via New York Times
Learn more about Sanctuary Equidad
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