Five Indicted in Natural Bridge Zoo Cruelty Case — But Asha Is Still Suffering at Two Tails Ranch

Last month, five people associated with the now infamous Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia were indicted by a grand jury on 55 counts of torturing, overdriving, or cruelty to animals, along with eight felony counts of forgery of a public record.

Those indicted include the zoo’s attending veterinarian Dr. Ashley F. Spencer, elephant trainer Mark E. Easley, and the facility’s owners.

These long-overdue charges stem from a shocking case that gained widespread media attention in December 2023, when state authorities responded to numerous complaints of animal cruelty at the roadside zoo. Their investigation led to the seizure of nearly 100 animals who were found languishing in horrific conditions.

Animals at this abusive tourist attraction were being kept without proper food or water. Many were found standing in their own waste, and more than two dozen animals were discovered dead on the premises when authorities executed a search warrant at the facility.

After the raid and removal of most of the zoo’s animals, the case again made headlines when two baby giraffes born at the facility after the raid went missing. Their pregnant mothers had been left behind due to logistical challenges with their transfer, and the zoo’s owner refused to reveal the babies’ whereabouts.

The search for the giraffes drew international attention and even celebrity involvement, with actress Alicia Silverstone offering $50,000 for their safe return.

While much of the public attention focused on the missing giraffes, the recent indictment has revealed more about the circumstances surrounding another animal that was secretly moved just before authorities arrived to rescue the animals: an elephant named Asha.

Court records show that the zoo’s former veterinarian, Dr. Ashley Spencer, signed forged documents to have Asha illegally shipped out of the facility to Two Tails Ranch in Florida in order to prevent her from being confiscated by state authorities.

Asha had already endured significant abuse during her time at the Natural Bridge Zoo under the control of elephant trainer Mark E. Easley. During the initial investigation, she was found standing in her own urine with visible wounds believed to be caused by bullhooks.

A confidential informant who reported on her treatment at the zoo said Easley told them when training elephants they should “always jab them where the bone is close to the flesh. Make it count,” and that “you gain respect through fear.”

Asha should have been transferred to a sanctuary after the raid. Instead, she was illegally sent to another roadside attraction where she continues to be exploited.

Today, Asha is one of the elephants held captive at Two Tails Ranch in Florida, a roadside attraction owned by Patricia Zerbini that markets itself as an elephant sanctuary but operates as a for-profit tourist destination. There, elephants are paraded around, forced to perform tricks, and used to give rides to paying visitors who often have no idea they’re funding cruelty. When the elephants aren’t being used for tourist encounters at the ranch, they are sometimes rented out for events and circuses.

The fact that Asha was rushed to Two Tails Ranch just before authorities arrived speaks volumes. It shows how closely connected many of these roadside zoo operators are, a network of businesses that move animals between facilities to avoid scrutiny and continue profiting from their suffering. Zerbini herself comes from a long line of elephant handlers; her father runs the Tarzan Zerbini Circus, an operation with a long record of animal welfare violations involving elephant care and handling.

Cases like this expose the deeper problem: the roadside zoo industry itself. Facilities that exploit elephants and other wild animals for entertainment often share trainers, veterinarians, and animals, allowing abusive practices to continue even when one operation is exposed.

You can help make a difference by sending letters to Patricia Zerbini, demanding the release of the elephants in her care to an accredited sanctuary where they can finally live in peace and safety, and to the United States Department of Agriculture, calling on them to investigate and shut down Two Tails Ranch for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Asha has already survived horrific suffering at one roadside zoo. She deserved far better than to be sent to another.