Victory: No Giraffe, Monkey Exhibits at 2019 LA County Fair

After Discussions With PETA, This Year’s Fair Won’t Display Wild Mammals

For Immediate Release:
February 6, 2019

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

After meeting with PETA, organizers of the LA County Fair—which previously saw a giraffe, monkeys, kangaroos, camels, and other wild and exotic animals displayed—decided not to include any wild (and easily frightened) mammals this year.

In the meeting, a PETA Foundation veterinarian who visited last year’s fair shared her findings that wild animals there were confined to inadequate enclosures, in which they were unable to escape from excessive noise and the public. Numerous animals—including a camel who swayed back and forth incessantly—exhibited behavior patterns that indicated psychological distress.

“After learning from PETA how exotic animals suffer at crowded, noisy fairs, the LA County Fair was eager to welcome this year’s fairgoers to a new kind of event,” says PETA Foundation Vice President Delcianna Winders. “Today’s public doesn’t want to see animals such as camels pacing endlessly in a barren pen, and the fair’s compassionate decision sets a respectful tone for the event.”

As PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—shared with the fair, history has shown that wild animals used for fairs may lash out in frustration and displaying them has resulted in human injuries and deaths as well as property damage.

Fair officials said that they frequently adjust programming to fit the needs and desires of their community. This year, one of those changes is the elimination of displays of exotic and wild mammals.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.