The Texas Republican Party’s annual convention in Houston took an unexpected turn Friday when Paige, a four-ton African elephant brought in as a “larger-than-life surprise,” urinated on the convention floor moments after being led through the hall.
Attendees had been told to expect a surprise after Gov. Greg Abbott finished his keynote speech, according to the Guardian. As Paige, adorned with a campaign-themed banner, moved through the George R Brown Convention Center, she stopped and relieved herself, according to videos shared online. At least one person could be heard shouting “Oh no,” while others laughed or reacted with surprise.
The Texas Republican Party posted a video of Paige’s walk on X, writing: “Welcome Paige! Thanks for stopping by the State Convention! What a treat for our delegates and guests — it’s one they won’t ever forget!”
The Texas Democratic Party quickly seized on the episode. In a post circulating video of the incident, the party said: “Governor Abbott closed out his speech at the Texas GOP convention with a live elephant. It then peed on the floor as it left the room. The perfect metaphor for the Texas Republican Party.”
Paige is part of the East Texas Elephant Experience, located in the city of Cut and Shoot. The company’s website states that Paige and two other elephants were brought to the United States after their parents were poached for ivory in the late 1990s. The business offers “up close and personal” experiences with the elephants for $125 per ticket and also rents out the animals, according to the Guardian.
The Animal Rights Coalition has been highly critical of the facility. In a 2024 Facebook post, the group accused the business of forcing the animals to travel to various events “so they can be used by humans for a few moments of selfish entertainment.” The coalition maintains a page on its website titled “Send Jeanie, Krissy, and Paige to Sanctuary!” that further alleges the elephants endure “long hours of confinement, often chained and transported in cramped trailers across the country.”
Replies to the Texas GOP’s X post were largely critical. Journalist Yashar Ali wrote: “Shame on every single human being involved in torturing Paige the Elephant.” Another commenter said: “This is abhorrent cruelty. Elephants are not political props. Disgusting and disgraceful.”
The African elephant is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, particularly vulnerable to big-game hunting and poaching for tusks. The national Republican symbol has faced additional peril in recent years after President Donald Trump loosened restrictions on importing elephant trophies from some African countries, a practice that has contributed to the species’ decline, according to the Guardian. Two of the president’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, are prolific big-game hunters; they were pictured on a 2011 hunting trip posing with animals they had killed on safari, including an elephant, a buffalo and a leopard.