Over 8,000 people have signed a Care2 petition urging hip-hop star Iggy Azalea to apologize and donate to a reputable wildlife fund or sanctuary after she posted a photo to Instagram of her petting an elephant at boyfriend French Montana’s backyard birthday party.
VIEW THE CARE2 PETITION HERE: http://www.thepetitionsite.
In the photo, the elephant is wearing jewels resembling chains around its ankles and head. The elephant was allegedly sent to French Montana’s house as a birthday present.
French Montana blew off criticism for using an elephant at the party, saying, “The elephant’s living better than a lot of people.” He later uploaded a video of the animal doing tricks.
This isn’t the first time Care2 members have taken celebrities to task for exploiting captive animals. In May, a Care2 petition gathered over 51,000 signatures asking singer Justin Bieber to apologize and donate $10,000 to World Wildlife Fund after he posted a photo to Instagram of himself with a captive tiger at his dad’s birthday party.
Singer Mariah Carey came under fire earlier this year when it was reported she planned to include live tigers and elephants in her wedding. A Care2 petition urging her to pledge against using exotic animals received over 113,000 signatures.
“People in the media have an obligation to use their platforms for education and advocacy,” writes Vivian Nicks, the author of the Care2 petition. “Iggy Azalea set a horrible example for how animals should be utilized and treated. We should be encouraging education of elephants, not using them as party favors for birthdays and events.”
