Santa Ana Zoo Ends Elephant Ride

By Matt Coker Fri., Dec. 16 2011 at 6:10 PM

Today's city of Santa Ana announcement that it is ending elephant rides at Santa Ana Zoo was cheered by animal rights activists. "Following more than a year of pressure from PETA, the Animal Protection and Rescue League, Animal Defenders International (ADI), and celebrities including Charo and Switched at Birth star Constance Marie, the city of Santa Ana's decision today to cease elephant rides at the Santa Ana Zoo is spot on and puts the facility in the company of more than 220 other accredited zoos that do not provide these cruel and dangerous rides," reads an email from David Perle, senior media coordinator with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Perle continues: "No longer will the zoo be supporting the miserable treatment of elephants who spend much of their lives chained by two legs, barely able to take a single step forward or backward, and are dominated and controlled by bullhooks--barbaric training devices that resemble a fireplace poker."

The city in June launched an investigation into complaints against Have Trunk, Will Travel, the Perris-based ride provider at the city-owned zoo that also contracts with the Orange County Fair. But city officials say it was a policy change from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that ended the elephant attraction in Santa Ana.

The association earlier this year called for minimal direct contact between elephants and handlers, something PETA has championed along with legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) that would ban wild animals from traveling circuses.

Previous coverage:

Online Petition Drive Targets Santa Ana Zoo Elephant Rides

Charo to Papi Pulido: Stop Santa Ana Zoo Elephant Rides

OC Fair Begins and So Does Elephant Protest

Santa Ana Zoo Urged to Cut Ties with Elephant Ride Contractor in Wake of Abuse Alleged in Video

Santa Ana Zoo Defends Elephant Rides as County and Animal Rights Groups Seethe

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Art Moscato

Same PETA BS The animals are treated humanely and interact well with the tourists. PETA extremists need to get a grip on reality

Logical Solutions

Have Trunk will travel is respected internationally for their work with elephants. They have won several awards for their work, and are in good standing with the AZA and USDA. No claim against them for any animal abuse has been substantiated by any legitimate animal protection agency.

ADI is a sleazy organization that extorts people by calling them animal abusers. Have Trunk Will Travel just won a major nuisance lawsuit that ADI was using to extort them. Matt Rossell from ADI is a documented liar that was caught giving false testimony in other alleged animal abuse cases.

RustyCox60

That's great! Have Hook Will Travel is a known abuser of elephants... Maybe they can get a job at Walmart. Or McDondlds.

Rusty Cox

Santa Ana sucks more now

This politically correct bullsh*t needs to go, and all the PETA aholes with it.If people want to ride the elephants they should be allowed to. If you don't want to ride them, then don't and shut the hell up.The elephant rides were the one good thing that dumpy little SanTana zoo had going for it, and now that's gone. One more reason not to waste time going to Santa Ana.

Cal

You sound like a little child. Grow up, be mature, and have a little empathy rather than kicking and screaming about a goddamn elephant ride.

Rusty Cox

It has nothing to do with PETA and everything to do with new AZA regs. PETA has been trying to get rid of the rides forever with no success, they are just jumping on the bandwagon here and trying to take credit... Those elephants were abused to allow people on their back, quit being selfish. Santa Ana sucked with the rides just as much as it sucks now. If they shut down the 7-11, then you have cause to complain.

dude

So are horeses, llamas, donkeys, camels, and any other pack-animal's "abused" to let people on their backs? Just because we are so evolved now with other forms of transportations, does that mean that suddenly the animals are made differently? Even though I wouldnt ride an elephant, I also don't fly, and people have been riding elephants for hundres of years. I never saw any of what Perle says: "Perle continues: "No longer will the zoo be supporting the miserable treatment of elephants who spend much of their lives chained by two legs, barely able to take a single step forward or backward, and are dominated and controlled by bullhooks--barbaric training devices that resemble a fireplace poker."