Costco Travel drops ‘elephant rides’ at request of PETA

Costco Travel has ceased to offer trip packages involving elephants used as rider mounts in response to protest from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the animal welfare activism group announced Thursday.

Costco Travel has ceased to offer trip packages involving elephants used as rider mounts in response to protest from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the animal welfare activism group announced Thursday.

Customers will no longer be able to book trips that include elephants used as mounts or are otherwise in captivity.

“Costco Travel made the right call in ensuring that none of its tours involve imprisoning, beating and threatening elephants into performing tricks and giving rides,” PETA counsel Rachel Mathews said.

PETA has long campaigned against organizations, such as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, keeping elephants in captivity for the purpose of entertainment.

The organization focused its attention on “elephant rides” in February after a Thai mount elephant killed a vacationing Scottish man and injured his 16-year-old daughter when it began rampaging during their ride.

PETA campaigners lobbied travel agencies to drop packages that included captive elephants, focusing on the death in Thailand but also the physical coercion methods used by elephant trainers. More than 100 travel agencies had pledged not to include captive elephant attractions in their packages as of late March.

Costco Travel is a subsidiary of Costco Wholesale Corporation, based in Issaquah.