SB 1062, the California Bullhook Ban won a 12-2 favorable vote in the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee Assembly Meeting at the State Capitol in Sacramento yesterday morning.  While there is still a ways to go for this bill to become law, things are definitely looking up for captive elephants in California today!

Last year’s Bullhook Ban, SB716, was introduced by Senator Ricardo Lara. The bill had passed the House of Representatives, and then passed the Senate floor by a vote of 29-7, but it was later vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown because a violation of the bill would have required amending an existing Penal Code statute, putting pressure on an already taxed penal system. This year, Senator Lara reintroduced the bill, which was amended to incur a civil penalty only for bullhook use.

The bullhook or “ankus” is a steel rod resembling a sharpened fireplace poker. It is used to prod, hook and strike elephants, to dominate and control them through fear of pain.

Stay tuned to see what you can do to help protect elephants from this cruel and archaic training method, and help this bill become law!