Photo Credit: Cage the Elephant / Instagram
PETA asks Cage the Elephant to temporarily change their name to “Free the Elephant” ahead of their NFL halftime performance in Munich to bring awareness to the living conditions of a 56-year-old circus elephant.
The Kentucky-based indie rock band Cage the Elephant is gearing up to perform at the halftime show at the NFL game in Munich, Germany, on November 15. Ahead of that performance, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has asked the band to temporarily change their name to “Free the Elephant” to bring awareness to the living conditions of a 56-year-old elephant named Okha.
Okha has spent most of her life being forced to perform in a circus under threat of punishment, according to PETA. She was taken from her home in India as a baby and is currently being hauled in a trailer by a man named Brian Franzen, a circus operator whom PETA claims has a history of cruelty to animal charges. Among these, PETA claims Franzen has been caught on camera striking the elephant with a bullhook.
“There ain’t no rest for Okha. We think you’d agree that she deserves the chance to spend her remaining years in peace with care, dignity, and respect. Lending a rendition of your iconic name for a short while could […] help us come a little closer to ending animal cruelty in circuses,” PETA wrote in a letter sent to the band.
PETA has organized over 30 demonstrations on Okha’s behalf, contacted venues hosting animal acts, and rallied thousands of supporters to call for her retirement. PETA encourages everyone to call on venues to stop hosting circuses that use animals and help retire Okha to a reputable sanctuary where she could properly roam, receive expert veterinary care, and have the companionship of other elephants.
The “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” band is set to perform in Munich on Sunday, November 15, at the NFL game between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions. Kickoff is scheduled to begin at 8:30 AM CT.
