Tell Kodiak Cakes and Zac Efron: Real Conservation Means Leaving Wild Animals Alone

UN LAB Middleware Label: Title Ends

While most brands have learned that the public doesn’t want to see live wild animals exploited for promotional gimmicks, Kodiak Cakes announced its partnership with actor Zac Efron by forcing a bear to perform tricks for the camera. The company and Efron also collaborated on a “Keep It Wild” merchandise design to benefit the Vital Ground Foundation, which purportedly supports the preservation of wild grizzly bear habitats. But no true conservation group would ever exploit captive wildlife in order to raise awareness of the plight of animals in nature.

Shame on you Vital Ground, Kodiak Cakes, Draplin Design Co. , and Zac Efron! Conservation starts with your actions....

Posted by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) on Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Tank, the bear used in Kodiak Cakes’ promotions, was sent to a Hollywood trainer by a Wisconsin breeder when he was only 6 weeks old—about the age when brown bears normally open their eyes, which means Tank may not have ever even seen his own mother. In nature, brown bears spend up to three years by their mother’s side, playing and socializing with their siblings and climbing, swimming, foraging, and roaming vast distances.

Treating Tank like a prop and not appreciating that, unlike Efron, he’ll never get to choose his roles are forms of speciesism—a human-supremacist worldview that dismisses the fact that other animals have wants and needs like humans do. Please politely urge Kodiak Cakes and Efron to focus on truly protecting wild bears by leaving Tank and any other performing animals out of their conservation awareness efforts and brand promotions.

Joel
Clark
Kodiak Cakes LLC

Take Action Now!

Fields with an asterisk(*) are required. 

Sign me up for the following e-mail:

Get texts & occasional phone calls for Action Alerts, local events, & other updates to help animals with PETA! (optional)

UN MIS Hidden Thank You Text w/ Social Sharing Email Info - *Important Note* You must UNLINK this shared library component before making page-specific customizations.