Tai (elephant)

Tai

The Elephant in the Room, Banksy exhibition, 2006 Barely Legal show, Los Angeles
Species	Asian elephant
Sex	Female
Born	November 4, 1968 (age 48)
Known for	The films Operation Dumbo Drop, Larger than Life and Water for Elephants.
Weight	3600 kg (8,000 lbs) (1995) 4200 kg (9,200 pounds) (2011)
Height	269 cm (8' 10")
www.havetrunkwilltravel.com

Tai (born November 4, 1968) is an Asian elephant best known for playing Bo Tat in the film Operation Dumbo Drop (1995), Vera in Larger than Life (1996) and Rosie in Water for Elephants (2011). Tai is owned by Have Trunk Will Travel, Inc., a privately funded organization that generates income through elephant rides, shows and events, as well as film and commercial appearances.

Tai's first film appearance was a minor role in The Jungle Book (1994), where she scares off some poachers. Tai followed this up playing the major role of Bo Tat in Operation Dumbo Drop in 1995. The American Humane Association rated the treatment of animals in the film as acceptable. The scene in which Tai is sedated she is actually just obeying her trainers instructions to lie down. The sounds of her snoring in the film is not actually coming from Tai, but was dubbed in during post-production. All scenes that show Tai in danger were carefully staged, and the boat in which she travels in the film was pre-tested to make sure it would support her 8,000 pound (3600 kg) weight. To ensure she remained healthy, all of Tai's food, drinking water, and even her bathing water, was shipped from the U.S. to Thailand, where filming was taking place.

Tai played the major role of Vera in the 1996 comedy Larger than Life alongside Bill Murray, and had a minor role in George of the Jungle in 1997, where she can be seen being ridden by Brendan Fraser and Leslie Mann, and again with Brendan Fraser in Tweety Bird's jungle in Looney Tunes: Back in Action in 2002.