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Over five decades ago, a baby elephant was captured from her wild home and family in India and shipped to the U.S., where she was sold to the Franzen family and sentenced to a lifetime of forced performances and suffering. Today, that elephant, now named Okha, is still being trucked across the country and forced to perform in circuses by Brian Franzen. Okha is morbidly obese, a condition likely caused by decades of confinement and which appears to be putting severe strain on her body, as she’s been seen struggling to get up and down during performances.
Franzen has a lengthy history of violating the Animal Welfare Act, including for failing to provide elephants with adequate veterinary care, and when one of his employees forcefully struck an elephant with a bullhook to “teach” her not to take another elephant’s hay. Franzen has repeatedly been documented yanking, jabbing, and hitting elephants with bullhooks. Franzen retired two other elephants, sparing them from the constant travel and confinement of life in the circus.
But Okha was left behind and continues to endure circus abuse.
Please politely urge venues to stop hosting Okha and other elephant acts, using the form below.