A pair of elephants named Rosie and Dixie will not be welcomed back to give children rides during Half Moon Bay's pumpkin festivities this season.
The San Mateo County Planning Commission voted 4-1 yesterday to allow pony rides, a petting zoo and the selling of food at the 4-C's Ranch, but struck down the request for elephant rides citing public safety and animal cruelty as its main concerns.
Only Commissioner Bill Kennedy voted in favor of allowing the elephant rides on the ranch.
No county, state or federal law prohibits the use of elephants on private land. The 4-C's Ranch had all the necessary licenses to have the exotic animals on site.
The 4-C's Ranch off Highway 92 has participated in Half Moon Bay's pumpkin festivities for more than 20 years, but was looking for ways to attract more consumers to sell its agricultural products as farming on the San Mateo Coast becomes more competitive. Rosie and Dixie would have remained on the farm only for the pumpkin festivities in October. The pair made their appearance on the Half Moon Bay ranch for the first time last year, said project manager China Osborn, but the 4-C's Ranch did not have a license at the time. City officials decided to allow the ranch to conduct the rides, but said a formal application had to be made to continue the practice this year.
A string of residents spoke both in favor and against letting the elephants come back this year. Those who were against the rides cited the unpredictable personality of the five-ton elephants as a threat to public safety.
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Connie Weiss said:
cube_corner said:
What an awful sculpture. Very 2022 and already looks dated and cringe. If I was religious, I’d be certain it’s demonic.
LittleFoot said:
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