Ban Santa Ana Elephant Rides

FROM  Last Chance for Animals (LCA)

ACTION

Please contact Santa Ana's mayor and city council members and ask them to BAN THE ELEPHANT RIDES AT THE SANTA ANA ZOO.

Write and/or call the mayor and the city council (info below):

Mayor Miguel Pulido
Santa Ana City Council
20 Civic Center Plz.
P.O. Box 1988, M31
Santa Ana, CA 92701
phone (714) 647-6900
fax (714) 647-6954
email

Also send a message to the Santa Ana City City - email

INFORMATION / TALKING POINTS

The city of Santa Ana is supporting the cruel treatment of elephants and putting public safety at risk by continuing elephant rides at the city zoo. Elephants that are used to give rides are trained and controlled with bullhooks, which are barbaric training devices that resemble a fireplace poker.

The Santa Ana Zoo continues to offer elephant rides, regardless of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) strongly encouraging it's members to discontinue public elephant rides in the interest of safety over 10 years ago.

Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT) is the company that provides the elephants for the rides. HTWT rents elephants out for rides, photo shoots, weddings, and absurd reality television shows. Not only does HTWT use bullhooks to control elephants, it also defended the cruel use of electric prods in comments made about changes in federal policy regarding elephant training and handling practices.

Many people, including children, have been injured after stressed elephants have snapped and run amok. In June 2001 an elephant on loan from HTWT to the Denver Zoo created havoc when she went on a rampage, threw her trainer against a wall, scattered crowds of zoogoers, and knocked over a mother and her baby, who was in a stroller. It took three hours to recapture the elephant.

Thank you for everything you do for animals!