National Elephant Appreciation Day is Sept. 22. Even for animal lovers, it probably isn’t on your calendar. Regardless, elephants have reason to appreciate Illinois as well.

In 2017 our state legislature passed SB 1342 which made it illegal to use an elephant in a traveling animal act. This includes circuses, exhibitions, and other displays or performances. I’m old enough to remember elephant rides at the state fair and sadly I once took an elephant ride as a child.

As science has uncovered how incredibly intelligent and socially complex elephants are, public sentiment regarding how we should treat them has changed. Currently there are no captive elephants in Illinois, but that is about to change. More: A life-saving intervention too few Illinoisans know about | Opinion

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