‘Retire Her!’ 20-Foot-Tall ‘Crying Elephant’ to Protest Circus in Fanning Springs Over Ailing, Old Elephant
For Immediate Release:
October 21, 2026
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
On Friday, PETA supporters will deploy a 20-foot-tall “crying elephant” outside the Loomis Bros. Circus at the Suwannee River Fair Pavilion as they call for the retirement 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: Suwannee River Fair Pavilion, 17851 N.W. 90th Ave. (near U.S. Highway 19), Fanning Springs
When: Friday, October 23, 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 footage shows Franzen yanking and striking an elephant in the face with a sharp metal-tipped bullhook—a weapon used to control elephants through pain and fear.
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.
