Now an animal welfare group is trying to force the zoo to separate the elephant enemies.
The organization 'In Defense of Animals' has filed a complaint with the USDA accusing the zoo in New Bedford of violating the animal welfare act.
It claims that an elephant named Ruth has been battered for years by a bigger elephant named Emily.
It was reported that Emily bit part of Ruth's tail 9 years ago.
The zoo says it has passed 4 USDA inspections over the past year and it doesn't consider Emily's behavior toward Ruth to be abusive.