After PETA Complaint, USDA Cites Have Trunk Will Travel for Ignoring Basic Safety Precautions During Dangerous Elephant Rides
For Immediate Release:
December 20, 2012
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Perris, Calif. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just released records to PETA revealing that in August 2012, the agency—prompted by a PETA complaint—inspected Perris-based animal exhibitor Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT) and cited the outfit for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act by failing to safely supervise the elephant rides that HTWT supplied at the Central States Fair in Rapid City, S.D. The USDA inspector noted that several times, handlers failed to supervise an elephant directly, and at least twice, only a single handler was left to supervise two elephants.
"It's always dangerous to place adults and children on the backs of stressed, frustrated captive elephants—and when you have only one handler supervising multiple elephants, that risk skyrockets," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "PETA is telling parents and event organizers alike that it's unconscionable to support HTWT's abusive, irresponsible, and hazardous elephant rides."
Just last year, Animal Defenders International released video footage of adult and baby elephants crying out in pain as HTWT trainers repeatedly struck them with sharp metal-tipped bullhooks and shocked them with electric prods. Abused elephants are known to lash out: One elephant owned by HTWT ran amok at the Denver Zoo, throwing a trainer against a wall, scattering crowds of visitors, and knocking over a mother and her baby. Elephant rides at numerous other venues have also resulted in injuries.
In light of this citation, PETA is renewing its call on San Diego County Fair organizers to follow the lead of the Orange County Fair, the L.A. County Fair, and the Santa Ana Zoo by ending its affiliation with the notorious elephant abuser.
For more information, please visit PETA's blog.