Electrocuted and beaten with hooks: Shocking new video shows mistreatment of Water For Elephants star Tai

By Daily Mail Reporter


-Tai was 'subjected to series of vicious attacks and electric shocks'
-Elephant stars in Hollywood blockbuster alongside Robert Pattinson
-Trainers Have Trunk Will Travel labelled hypocrites by animal rights group

With a hook in his hand, one of the keepers chases Tai around the farm where he lives


She stars alongside Resse Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in the latest Hollywood film Water For Elephants.

But as this shocking video shows, Tai the elephant has been mistreated by the trainers that made her a star.

In the secret footage, released by charity Animal Defenders International (ADI), the elephant is seen being given electric shocks with hand-held stun guns and being beaten with bull hooks.

Tai (on the left) is forced to balance his large frame on a small ledge. The video also shows him being electrocuted by his trainer


She can be heard crying out in pain when she is shocked into performing a headstand. Tai is not the only elephant that is mistreated in the video.

Others are shown having their tusks sawn off while a baby is dragged around by its trunk.

Another young elephant is shown being hooked through the lip.

The charity alleges the abusive trainers in the video worked on the set of Water for Elephants and has sent copies of the footage to the film's stars and makers.

The charity's CEO Jan Creamer said that the video was truly shocking and that the public had been 'duped'.

She said: 'I believe that Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson will be horrified to learn what Tai went through.

The footage shows a number of elephants having their tusks sawn off without anaesthetic

This baby elephant is shown having its trunk pulled by one of the keepers


'There is only so much that can be monitored on set or by visits to suppliers, as we have shown before the actual training goes on in secret.

'But, as this video shows, the reality is that this elephant was taught the tricks seen in the film by being given electric shocks.

'Animal suffering is never romantic and it is never entertainment. The public, the stars and the film-makers have been duped.

'Our message would have to be that if you care about animals, then don't go to see films where performing animals appear.'

Robert Pattinson stars alongside Tai the elephant in Water for Elephants - and an animal rights group claim he has been abused


The film of the abuse is believed to have been taken in 2005 at the Have Trunk Will Travel complex.

ADI claim that Gary Johnson, a co-founder of the company, and animal trainer Joanne Smith appear in the video giving elephants electric shocks.

Mr Johnson has repeatedly claimed that no animal abuse was used on the cast of Water for Elephants.

He said: 'Tai was never hit in any way at all. We had really mixed emotions about even doing this film because it's pretty graphic with the elephant, and there's some so-called beating scenes in there.

'We didn't want to send a wrong message.'

The company's other co-founder, Kari Johnson, previously stated that the company would never condone the use of electrical devices to train elephants.

She said: 'Have Trunk Will Travel has never issued a written endorsement, nor does it condone using electrical devices to discipline and control elephants except in situations where elephant or human safety is at risk.'

When MailOnline tried to contact Gary and Kari Johnson neither calls nor e-mails were returned. 20th Century Fox, who make the film, similarly did not reply to a request for comment.

The Mail has previously highlighted the mistreatment of elephants by their keepers.

In March we told of the case of Anne, Britain's last circus elephant, who was beaten and stabbed by her Romanian groom at Bobby Roberts circus.

She was later rehoused at a new Longleat Safari Park while our readers donated more than £200,000 towards Europe's first elephant sanctuary.

Water for Elephants was released on April 22nd and has so far gained mixed reviews.

Movie star electric shocked from Animal Defenders on Vimeo.

source:dailymail