Key facts
- An African elephant named Paige urinated on the floor of the George R. Brown convention center during the Texas Republican Party's annual convention.
- The elephant was brought to the event as a symbol for the Republican party.
- The incident occurred shortly after Governor Greg Abbott concluded his keynote speech.
- Animal welfare groups have criticized the East Texas Elephant Experience, which owns Paige, for exploiting elephants for entertainment.
- African elephants are considered an endangered species by the IUCN.
An African elephant named Paige urinated on the floor of the George R. Brown convention center in Houston during the Texas Republican Party's annual convention. The incident occurred on Friday, shortly after Governor Greg Abbott delivered his keynote speech. Paige, adorned with a campaign-themed banner, was brought to the event as a symbol for the Republican party, intended to excite attendees.
Videos of the elephant relieving itself circulated widely online, drawing mixed reactions from attendees, including surprise and laughter, and prompting immediate criticism from animal welfare advocates and political opponents. The Texas Democratic Party shared a video of the incident, calling it a "perfect metaphor for the Texas Republican Party."
Paige belongs to the East Texas Elephant Experience, a facility that offers close encounters with elephants for a fee and rents them out for events. The company's website states that Paige and two other elephants were brought to the U.S. after their parents were poached for ivory in the late 1990s. The Animal Rights Coalition has been vocal in its criticism of the business, accusing it of exploiting elephants for "selfish entertainment" and forcing them into long hours of confinement and travel.
Critics also pointed out that African elephants are an endangered species. The article noted that recent years have seen loosened restrictions on the import of elephant trophies from some African countries, a practice that has contributed to the population's decline, and mentioned that two of President Donald Trump's sons are known big-game hunters who have posed with animals, including an elephant, they killed on safari.