‘Free Okha!’ PETA ‘Prisoners’ to Demand Freedom for Ailing Elephant at Circus in West Palm Beach

For Immediate Release:
October 23, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

On Tuesday, PETA supporters wearing prison uniforms with “crying elephant” masks will be chained outside the Loomis Bros. Circus at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center to call for the freedom of Okha, a 56-year-old, morbidly obese elephant who struggles to move but is still being forced to perform and give rides.

“For more than 50 years of sheer exploitation, Okha has been denied any freedom, companionship, or opportunity to live as an elephant should, and now she staggers about in pain,” says PETA Foundation Managing Director of Captive Wildlife Debbie Metzler. “PETA wants Loomis Bros. to stop the cruelty and allow this ailing, elderly elephant to retire to a reputable sanctuary where she can finally live in peace and urges everyone to stay away from circuses that still use animals.”

Where:           South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center, 9067 Southern Blvd. (at Gate 12), West Palm Beach

When:            Tuesday, October 27, 7 p.m.

Why:              Okha was stolen from her home and family in India as a baby and has been kept in cruel isolation since 2022, even though elephants naturally live in close-knit family herds. She is morbidly obese, putting additional strain on her aging joints and back, and struggles to lie down, rise, or even move about. Yet exhibitor Brian Franzen—who has previously been charged with felony cruelty to animals and was caught on camera yanking and striking an elephant in the face with a bullhook—continues to haul her from town to town for circus shows.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, an elephant is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.