Petition started to ban animals performances after elephant was brought to the Hub lawn for entertainment
‘She was poked and pulled with sharp bullhooks to move her closer to spectators’
This past week an elephant was brought to Penn State for students to see and pet on the Hub lawn during an Indian heritage festival. Some students got it on camera and since have started a petition imploring President Baron to ban animal performances.
In the video the students filming first question why the female elephant is being fed marshmallows and donuts. The trainer replies, “Why not, it’s all I have,” and when asked if that’s what they usually eat in their natural diet, responds, “Yea. Mounds of it… They love it.” When asked if that’s what they usually eat in Africa he laughs, “There’s no Africa where elephants roam free. Where have you been? Seriously?” The trainer went on to say that she was not from the circus, but rather from an “exotic animal park” in Connecticut and when questioned about being trapped for the five hour drive joked that she wasn’t the one that had to drive.
“What are you trying to get at, what’s your motive here,” the trainer eventually asks. The students continue to question him about how long she’d been standing there as she appeared unhappy and why she didn’t have any water. He replied, “Come on, don’t be silly guys… you don’t give elephants water, why would you do that?”
The petition itself reads:
“On March 25th, a Penn State organization was able to bring an elephant to the Penn State University Park campus. This elephant weighs nearly six tons and was put into a truck and shipped from Connecticut, a five-hour trip each way. She was then forced to stand for several hours in a confined area without water. Additionally, she was fed an unnatural diet consisting of mainly doughnuts and marshmallows. She was poked and pulled with sharp bullhooks to move her closer to spectators. This is not the first time Penn State has sponsored such abuse. There is also a camel that is brought to Penn State for homecoming. These animals are brought here for no educational or other beneficial reason; they are brought here solely for entertainment purposes. These animals cost thousands upon thousands of dollars and they are funded with University funds. There is also a liability issue at hand. If these animals get loose or out of control, the results can be devastating to both people and property. This will likely result in having the animal shot and killed.
This petition is directed towards president Barron and other affiliates to cease the allowance of animals to be brought to the Penn State campus for entertainment purposes.”
So far the petition, which was started two days ago seeking 1,500 signatures, is already at 1,273 signatures.