Protesters gathered outside the Woodland Park Zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year July 10 to lobby for the release of the zoo’s three elephants.

Members of Sound Animal Rights Alliance and Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, as well as other animal rights activists, waved banners and signs outside the north entrance of the zoo as zoo guests arrived for the Jungle Party.

The Jungle Party, which draws about 900 guests and raises $1 million to $2 million for the zoo, has been protested the past four years, said Gigi Allianic, spokesperson for the Woodland Park Zoo.

According to a press release from Sound Animal Rights Alliance, the group would like to see the zoo’s three elephants, Watoto, Bamboo and Chai, released to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

The zoo is wrong to breed captive elephants, and the group maintains that the zoo is dangerous for the elephants because of the possibility of contracting the elephant herpes virus, according to the press release.

Allianic said the elephants at the Woodland Park Zoo live a high-quality life and have excellent nutrition, exercise, and veterinary care. The Elephant Sanctuary is for old, sick and needy elephants, which none of the zoo’s elephants are, she said.

Pam Fish, a protester from Everett, said it was great to see such a strong turnout at the protest, especially for a Friday afternoon. She said she hoped Jungle Party guests would see the protesters and stop to think about the elephants.

“I think anything that makes people think about what’s going on is good,” Fish said.

Allianic said the zoo supports the protesters’ right to free speech, but it doesn’t agree with them or think they present the facts in a fair way.

“Their protests are part of a national campaign to remove elephants from zoos and eventually to close down zoos altogether,” Allianic said. Although we have talked to them repeatedly and continue to offer to meet with them, there appears to be no middle ground between their position and our mission.”

The Woodland Park Zoo was protested over its elephants on June 20 as well.