Thai Panda: Shocking new video shows mistreatment of Water For Elephants star Tai

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

With a hook in his hand, one of the keepers chases Tai around the farm where he lives

She stars alongside Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in the latest Hollywood film Water For Elephants.

But as this shocking video shows, Tai the elephant has been mistreated by the trainers that made her a star.

In the secret footage, released by charity Animal Defenders International (ADI), the elephant is seen being given electric shocks with hand-held stun guns and being beaten with bull hooks.

Tai (on the left) is forced to balance his large frame on a small ledge. The video also shows him being electrocuted by his trainer

She can be heard crying out in pain when she is shocked into performing a headstand. Tai is not the only elephant that is mistreated in the video.

Others are shown having their tusks sawn off while a baby is dragged around by its trunk.

Another young elephant is shown being hooked through the lip.

The footage shows a number of elephants having their tusks sawn off without anaesthetic

The charity alleges the abusive trainers in the video worked on the set of Water for Elephants and has sent copies of the footage to the film's stars and makers.

The charity's CEO Jan Creamer said that the video was truly shocking and that the public had been 'duped'.

She said: 'I believe that Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson will be horrified to learn what Tai went through.

This baby elephant is shown having its trunk pulled by one of the keepers

The film of the abuse is believed to have been taken in 2005 at the Have Trunk Will Travel complex.

ADI claim that Gary Johnson, a co-founder of the company, and animal trainer Joanne Smith appear in the video giving elephants electric shocks.