The film, which stars several Malibu residents, premiered last week.
By Julie Ellerton / Special to The Malibu Times
The worldwide premiere of “Zookeepers” took place at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, with many its Malibu stars and their friends attending.
Among the celebrities attending the premiere: Kevin James, who stars in “Zookeeper,” Rosario Dawson, Cher, Tony Danza, Jon Favreau, Ernie Hudson, Ali Landry, Cloris Leachman, Kathy Griffin, Henry Winkler, Ray Romano and many more.
Many actors came with their families. Donnie Wahlberg, who also stars in the film, greeted his fans, signing photos and posing for pictures.
There were however, those who were less than enthusiastic about the movie’s opening. A crowd of animal activists came out to protest the use of animals in movies.
This protest was prompted after the death of a giraffe named Tweet and the use of elephants from the company Have Trunk Will Travel, which has faced with controversy over alleged animal abuse in the past.
Tweet died on Sept. 11, 2009, shortly after filming. The giraffe, which was 18 years old and had no known illnesses, collapsed in his enclosure for no apparent reason. The life expectancy for a giraffe is anywhere from 20 to 30 years. The giraffe had appeared in the film “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and commercials for Toys ‘R’ Us.
Julia Gallucci, an animal behaviorist specialist for animal rights group PETA, stated: “During production of ‘Zookeeper,’ a whistleblower from the set contacted PETA alleging that the giraffe Tweet who died during production of the film was confined to a mere 20-by-20-foot stall for months, and that he was kept up all night during filming.
The whistleblower claimed that the giraffe’s death might have resulted from the ingestion of bits of the blue tarp that covered his enclosure, which he was seen chewing. PETA is concerned that the stressful conditions Tweet was subjected to may have caused or contributed to her death.”
In rebuttal to these accusations, the American Humane Association (AHA) released a statement saying there was “no evidence whatsoever that linked the animal’s demise with its living quarters, environment, or role in the production.”
Sony Pictures and MGM concurred with AHA, releasing a statement that read, “Any abuse of animals is outrageous and we support all efforts that provide a safe, abuse-free world for animals.”
The companies also further stated: “Everyone connected with the production was profoundly saddened when the giraffe, Tweet, passed away after completing work on the movie.”