Elephants are beautiful, thoughtful creatures — people love them. I imagine this is why they are in so many ads and movies. However, some of the people and companies that own elephants are not elephant lovers. In fact, some are downright cruel towards the sensitive creatures. Chick-fil-A is currently running an ad with an elephant from one such company, Have Trunk Will Travel.
Here’s more from PETA (can take action on the linked page):
Despite being informed about the cruelty inherent in using elephants and other wild animals in advertising, Chick-fil-A continues to run a commercial featuring an elephant. The elephant was reportedly provided by notorious exhibitor Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT), a company that is currently under fire for abusing elephants. Earlier this year, Animal Defenders International released undercover video footage that shows trainers at HTWT as they use electric prods and bullhooks (metal-tipped devices that resemble a fireplace poker) to strike and jab elephants on their sensitive feet, legs, bellies, and mouths, causing the animals to scream in pain. In one particularly disturbing scene, a trainer is seen jabbing a sharp bullhook into the roof of a baby elephant’s mouth to get her to raise her head.
Horrible.
HTWT mostly gets its animals from the wild. While, in the wild, elephants walk approximately 30 miles a day, HTWT elephants are chained in one place by one of their front and back feet every day and every night.
PETA’s call to action: “please contact Chick-fil-A officials and politely ask them to stop running this commercial and to agree never to feature elephants or other wild animals in future advertising.”
Elephant photo via http2007
