PETA Global 2017 Issue 1

Quantico Star Priyanka Chopra Is the Elephant in the (Class)room

ELLIE’S EVOLUTION For several years, Ellie was a PETA member dressed in an elephant costume. As engaging and effective as she was in that incarnation, PETA is always looking for innovative ways to teach empathy – and in 2015, its Innovations Department got to work. Combining electrical engineering, mechanics, robotics, and artistry, the team hunkered down in a studio for three months to create today’s animatronic Ellie. When she arrived at PETA’s Los Angeles headquarters, the Bob Barker Building, staff from the veterinary clinic nearby raced over to ask if she was real and why PETA had her in the back of a truck. With her lifelike appearance, it’s easy to see why Ellie is able to elicit empathy in kids of all ages.

Alec Baldwin & Ingrid Newkirk: © Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic | Alec Baldwin at circus demo: © Ilya Savenok/FilmMagic

S he’s a 6-and-a-half-foot-tall showstopper, and since she first joined PETA in August 2015, she’s persuaded 41,000 kids (and counting!) to stop going to animal circuses. Meet Ellie, PETA’s walking, talking robotic elephant, voiced by Quantico star Priyanka Chopra. “Ellie is teaching kids that elephants belong in the wild, with their families, and that they suffer in captivity, where they’re subjected to abuse and unable to engage in natural behavior,” says Chopra. “I’m pleased to join with PETA in bringing Ellie to life for children everywhere.” Most kids love animals, but not all children are aware of the horrors faced by elephants and other animals in the circus. This is where Ellie comes in – and when she comes in, she stirs up excitement. At a Bakersfield, California, school, students jumped up and down to peer through the tiny window of a classroom door just to catch a glimpse of her. They enthusiastically debated about her: “Is that a REAL elephant?” “No, there’s no way!” “Are you sure?” During her presentation, Ellie says, “In the circus, the first thing I remember is being taken away from my mom. I struggled and fought, but a whole bunch of men surrounded me, and they used ropes. I could hear my mom crying out for me, and I was crying, too. I was so scared.”

She recounts the physical punishment that she endured, talks about her happy life at a sanctuary after being rescued by PETA, and makes a plea to kids, stating, “If your family is thinking about taking a trip to a circus or aquarium, say, ‘No, thank you’! Tell your family and friends my story. Explain that animals deserve to be in their real homes, in the wild, not in cages and swimming pools.” “Elephants are truly magnificent creatures, who desperately need our help and protection,” Chopra says. Praising PETA’s Ellie project, she adds, “This is amazing, and hopefully it will catch on and help teach children and adults the reality of circuses.” Ellie definitely has caught on. One clearly bedazzled student at a school in Oakland, California, asked, “Why don’t circuses just use robots instead?” Ellie will continue to tour and inform kids about animals in captivity through the spring of 2018. Invite Ellie to Your School! Want to book Ellie for a presentation? Contact TeachKind at TeachKind@peta.org.

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