Zac Efron Under Fire From PETA After Starring In An Ad With A Captive Bear

Animal rights organization PETArecently criticized "High School Musical" star Zac Efron for appearing in a promotional video with a captive bear. The bear in question is 27 years old and spent his life in captivity after being taken at just six months.

The nonprofit organization blasted Efron for appearing in the video and asked the actor to take down the ad or use CGI. Kodiak Cakes, the company the ad was for, was also criticized for promising to donate to help wildlife habitats while using a captive animal.

The 34-year-old previously posted a picture of himself in front of the school that shot him to fame. The building was where most of the scenes of "High School Musical" was shot. Vanessa Hudgens also posted a video of herself in front of the school a few weeks ago.

Efron is currently under fire for appearing in a number of Kodiak Cakes ads with a captive bear in tow. Kodiak Cakes is known for displaying a bear in front of its merchandise, and in the promotional clip, the actor performed alongside a real bear. He is currently the Chief Brand Officer for the company.

PETA spoke up about the ad and told Efron that animals belong with their families rather than in front of a camera for amusement. The organization's Foundation Director of Captive Animal Welfare, Debbie Metzler, also asked the 34-year-old to "come down to Earth."

Metzler further revealed that she thought the Disney alum refrained from asking the captive animal a vital question during the promotional video. She said, "How wrong is it to use a captive bear to promote 'keeping bears wild'?"

The captive bear is named Tank and is currently 27 years old. The animal was a part of the Discovery+ Show, "Man Vs. Bear." His seemingly docile nature results from being taken from a breeder when he was only six weeks old and raised by humans.

The company's collaboration with Efron is limited, and profits from promoting Kodiak Cakes' "Keep It Wild" merchandise would be donated to help bears and wildlife. The proceedings would be given to the Vital Ground Foundation.

However, TMZ revealed that PETA released a statement branding the action as hypocritical. They also asked for the ads to be taken down or replaced with CGI. PETA asserted that as a result of his important role in the company, Efron could make it happen.

The statement read, "It's hypocritical to exploit one animal to potentially help another. No true conservation group would force captive animals to perform tricks for the camera in order to raise awareness about their wild counterparts."

In one of the short videos, Efron was seen talking to Tank while making Kodiak pancakes in the forest. The bear reacted amusingly in response, and towards the end of the ad, the actor passed on a large plate of pancakes.

The "Greatest Showman" actor shared the ad on his social media and revealed that he was fond of the brand and what it stood for. The caption read, "Excited to announce I've joined @kodiakcaskes board of directors as Chief Brand Officer. I love this brand, their products, and most of all their mission. I believe we can make a huge impact together,"

Efron uploaded a separate video on his personal page where he wore the company's "Keep It Wild" merchandise. He also gave more information about how the proceeds would help preserve the wildlife and their habitat. Neither Efron nor Kodiak Cakes have addressed PETA's comments concerning the ads.

Efron recently posted a nostalgic photo on Instagram where he was captured in front of Salt Lake High School East. In the Friday post, the 34-year-old could be seen walking in front of the school with his fist raised in the air.

The post was captioned, "Don't you… Forget about me." The school is the location where the actor shot most of the scenes for his famous Disney musical, "High School Musical." A former co-star, Bart Johnson, who acted as Coach Jack Bolton in the movies, posted a comment that read: "Warms coaches ole heart to see this. Welcome home, son. WHAT TEAM!?"

A few weeks before Efron's post, his former co-star and love interest, Vanessa Hudgens, posted a video of herself in front of the famous school. In the video, the actress was seen walking in front of the school while "Breaking Free" played in the background.