PETA and compassionate people everywhere mourn the death of Tai the elephant, who was abducted from his outdoor home as a child and forced to star in films and TV shows, including Water for an elephantsand World of the wild west… Hollywood exhibitors Kari and Gary Johnson, who officially did business as Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT), as shown in this video, beat her with a gun called bulls and gave her an electric shock. Now, to keep Ty’s bullies from having the final say, PETA has released an obituary written from her perspective, looking back at life in misery.
Elephant Tai obituary
I died at the age of 53 after leading a miserable life that I had never chosen for myself. This is Hollywood for animals like me.
My time “in business” began in 1978 when I was taken away from my mother in Asia and eventually sold to Carey and Gary Johnson, owners of Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT), a supplier of elephants for movies and TV shows.
W.C. Fields said never work with animals. Believe me, this feeling is mutual. I could have happily spent my years with my family in nature, but instead I got a one-way ticket to the life of exploitation. Where was the Screen Actors Guild when I was driven by trucks to and from the set, chained and standing in my own trash, or taken by trucks to government fairs when film work was scarce?
The Johnsons poked, pushed and punished me with sharp metal weapons – all that was needed to create the illusion that I was in control of them, so that I did not damage a hair on Reese Witherspoon’s head.
I was hoping someone would catch it all on camera and they finally did it, but the industry was not embarrassed. My suffering was ignored for years.
There was finally hope when CGIs began to replace live animals, but HBO World of the wild west deserves special thanks for making me go for another set, even though the CG tiger was created for the same episode. That’s right – HBO used a real elephant to portray a robot elephant.
Send emails, tweets, voice messages instead of flowers – do whatever you can to convince manufacturing companies never to use real wild animals. I have Kitty, Rosie, and Becky still trapped in the HTWT hellhole, and I know they would appreciate your help. You know us elephants – we never forget.
This is how elephants like Tai suffer when used for fun
For years, HTWT drove Tai and other elephants around the country, forcing them to perform stunts and ride under the threat of severe punishment. In their homes, elephants are always on the move and spend their days foraging, socializing, swimming and playing. But Kari Johnson, under oath, admitted that her company chained elephants for over 12 hours a day…
When California banned the use of bull hooks, the Johnsons relocated their business to Texas and renamed it The Conservation Reserve, where Ty’s friends still languish. Elephants on this imaginary sanctuary are used for tricks such as bathing, painting, standing on the head, and playing instruments, while being nudged by bull trainers. Tai was the second elephant to die in the reserve this year.
Don’t buy a “humane wash”. Real sanctuaries do not force animals to interact with the public or perform stunts, and they do not employ violent training methods involving weapons.
Elephant Tai: her unhappy life as a forced, unwilling performer
During his life, the elephant Tai was forced to appear in several major productions, including World of the wild west, Water for elephants, as well as Operation Dumbo Drop… But there was no Hollywood end for her. Her death came after decades of abuse, imprisonment, and forced appearances in films and television shows.
Production company executives owe a debt to the animals used in their films and shows, and to those still trapped in training camps, for reading Ty’s report and pledging to use only technology, not terror, to depict animals. … Elephants and other species are individuals, not movie props. Computer-generated imagery, animatronics, and other animal-free technologies can create fluid, engaging, cruelty-free action.
PETA urges the Johnsons to give up the remaining elephants in the reserve –Kitty, Rosie and Becky– a real retirement in an accredited reserve, where they can receive qualified assistance and have the freedom to move, collect food, communicate and play on their own terms.
What You Can Do For Animals Like The Elephant Tai Used In Film And TV Productions
By avoiding shows and films that use animals, you can send a powerful message to Hollywood that there will be no profit without principles. Today’s audiences expect entertainment executives to keep animals out of their projects. This is why PETA encourages compassionate film and television fans to encourage the industry to apply modern and ethical principles. no animals politicians. If you confirm that live animals were used in the production, be sure to post your disapproval on the social media pages of the director, the network and the production company. Then, encourage your friends, family, and social media followers to do the same.
PETA relies on actors and crew to help transform the entertainment industry from the inside out. Anyone who sees animals being used in a movie, on TV, or at a training camp should contact our Whistleblower Hotline at 323-210-2233 or send an email to [email protected]…