$10,000 Reward Offered To Anyone With Footage to Convict 'Hollywood Elephant Abusers'
Shortly after the April release of Water for Elephants, the Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon film found itself at the center of animal cruelty controversy when Animal Defenders International alleged that Tai, the movie's starring pachyderm, was abused by its trainers. Now, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person who has mistreated elephants in any movie or television production in the past year.
The call for whistleblowers comes on the heels of the release of disturbing 2005 footage which shows Tai being beaten with hooks and shocked by trainers. It is believed that the tricks Tai was taught via the video's cruel methods were featured in Water for Elephants. Because the video is six years old though and the statute of limitations for this type of animal cruelty is one year, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is asking that people with information come forward to win justice for Tai and all elephants.
Tai's next film, Zookeeper starring Kevin James, premieres July 8.
Full press release below....
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$10,000 REWARD OFFERED FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO ARREST OF HOLLYWOOD ELEPHANT ABUSERS
Animal Legal Defense Fund Seeks Information, Eyewitnesses to Abuse of "Trained" Elephants During Film and Television Productions
Cotati, Calif. - The national non-profit Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is offering an unprecedented $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person for abusing elephants in any film or television production and is putting out an all-points bulletin to the Los Angeles entertainment industry, seeking witnesses who have seen an elephant being neglected, harmed, or mistreated in any way on set in the past year. The reward offer comes on the heels of the release of disturbing footage from the animal protection group Animal Defenders International, showing shocking abuse to the elephant Tai during a training session with "Have Trunk Will Travel," a Southern California elephant rental company. Tai appeared in the recent movie Water for Elephants and, according to reports, will also be in Zookeeper with Kevin James, slated for a July 8 release.
Footage from a "Have Trunk Will Travel" training session recorded in 2005 shows Tai, who played Rosie in Water for Elephants alongside Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, being beaten and shocked -- conduct that California's anti-cruelty law specifically addressing the treatment of elephants. Because the statute of limitations for this type of animal cruelty (i.e., Cal. Pen. Code § 596.5) is only one year (Cal. Pen. Code § 802(a)), no one can be held criminally liable for the conduct recorded in this video. However, according to research by In Defense of Animals (www.HelpElephants.com), the use of bullhooks, electrical shocks and other painful training techniques appear to be standard practice in elephant training -- and ALDF wants to be sure abusers are punished to the fullest extent of the law for any illegally cruel treatment of elephants. For this reason, ALDF is launching an online ad campaign targeting entertainment industry workers and taking out ads in select trade publications to publicize the $10,000 reward, noting that whistleblowers may choose to remain anonymous.
"The glamour of the big screen and television productions belies the suffering of elephants forced to perform on Hollywood sets," says ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. "Elephants are wild animals, not actors, and the barbaric techniques routinely used to force elephants to learn tricks can qualify as abuse under California law. That's why ALDF is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone--including actors, camera operators, make-up artists, and editors--who has witnessed mistreatment of elephants on set first-hand or can otherwise provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of elephant abusers."
Note that what might look like standard training techniques can qualify as abuse--if you have witnessed any mistreatment of an elephant on set that you suspect might be abusive, please contact ALDF at 707-795-2533, x1035, or at ElephantAbuse@aldf.org. You may remain anonymous.
ALDF was founded in 1979 with the unique mission of protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system. For more information, please visit www.aldf.org.
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Comments
Why do people care about animal cruelty when there are plenty of human beings suffering? People before pets.
Elephants are wild animals, not actors...
They are happiest in the wild and not stripped away as babies from their families. There are computer generated images that are so real that using any live animal in movies or TV is outdated and should be banned.
Circuses are notoriously known for abuse and also use electrical shocks, hooks to force an animal to learn a trick. As babies they get severely beaten down "to know who is boss" as a Ringling Bros. employee put it. The same goes for any animal, monkeys, tigers, etc.
To Malccolm Jarvis:
Animals are defenseless and can't stick up for themselves; humans can. So....animal cruelty is very serious and should end everywhere. Put yourselve in the animals' shoes. It's called empathy. Look it up.
Right on, Steven!
I bookmarked this page to see what comments would show up. Thanks Steven and Marie. It's enlightening after reading your comments to know there really are people who care about animals.
By the way, I'm a father of two and very happy to say as a family we go to Cirque Du Soleil rather than the inhumane cruel circuses that use animals. They should be banned too.
Good job to the ALDF for offering that $10,000 reward.
This is just another attention getting ploy by animal extremists. Did you check out the claims about a one year statute of limitations? The fact is that nothing in that old video was against any law. An animal weighing four thousand pounds is allowed to be treated the way they were in that video, it's not illegal. It's considered reasonable, the way it's okay to use a taser on a human being. it hurts, but it's not considered cruel or unusual punishment.
What looks like standard training techniques are just that and not abusive. Contact the American Humane Association and ask them, they'll tell you, nothing in that video is against the law. This is just another publicity stunt by a radial animal extremist group that wants all animals outlawed from films.
I can't believe so many people let these animal extremist groups tell them how to believe. It is an edited video by people who have an agenda. Unbeknown to most, they would like to take our dogs and cats away from is too. If they let that tidbit of information out too often where would they get all of their money? People need to got back to useing their common sense and get away from the emotional nonsense.
@ Informed,
Another attention getting ploy? So I guess that wipes out virtually everyone in the entertainment business huh?
Old video? I guess you haven't seen the new videos that show recent abuse. Besides who needs video when you have the mouths of employees of circuses blowing the whistle of the ugly side not allowed to be shown to the public.
Animal extremists? Please don't confuse that with human beings who actually have empathy.
You believe an animal weighing 4 thousand pounds is allowed to be treated that way? Sooooo, could that mean obese people feel less pain than someone who weights less. Nonsense, right? There was a time when the world believed blacks felt less pain than a white person. Pretty crazy, eh? But it's true.
As far as the American Humane Association, they have lost touch a loooong time ago, my friend, of what they were first organized to do. Money, bribes and payoffs have the AHA so far off their game, it's a shame. Anyone who looks to them for the how to's on humane treatment of animals is being fooled and not informed. Oh and please stop looking at Wikipedia for your information. Professors give F's across the board to students who use Wikipedia for their info. Even the founder of Wikipedia encourages students not to use his site for research purposes. You get an F.
I agree with Kyle's comment. With all the sophisticated state of the art technology at our fingertips, using live animals in films and television is, ready?? o-u-t-d-a-t-e-d. How can you argue with that?
Join us in the 21st century.
@ Shirley,
From the looks of your post it seems you have been using the failing grade of Wikipedia for your information. Sorry hon. I'm sorry that you are being mislead by the mass media to believe how you do. It's sad really. Because you and self proclaimed Informed are two less people who can actually be voices against animal abuse.
There is no emotional nonsense. There is only 100% empathy.