Santa Ana Zoo Stops Elephant Rides

December 2011

After more than a year of pressure from PETA, other animal rights groups, and celebrities, the Santa Ana Zoo finally ended its cruel and dangerous elephant-ride attraction. The zoo had been using elephants from Have Trunk Will Travel—whose trainers repeatedly shock elephants with electric prods and beat them with bullhooks (cruel instruments resembling fireplace pokers)—to give rides to zoo patrons.