Ringling’s Baby Elephant “Training”

Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey circus is coming to Salisbury’s Wicomico Youth and Civic Center Feb. 9th. Ringling Brothers has an appalling track record of animal abuse. The mistreatment of animals performing in their shows has been well documented over the years by reputable organizations. This past November, the USDA fined Ringling Brothers $270,000 for violating the Animal Welfare Act – the largest amount ever assessed against animal exhibitors. They have received numerous fines for animal welfare violations prior to this most recent one.

Representatives from the circus visited two schools in Wicomico County recently-Pemberton Elementary and North Salisbury Elementary. Both schools hosted supposed “curriculum-based” assemblies. Ringling Brothers aggressively markets its show to school age children because children are a captive audience. They use schools to target students as unwitting customers- the ulterior motive is to sell tickets. These reading or science “shows” are a feel-good strategy of getting into the schools. Children naturally love animals and Ringling Brothers knows this. If children in Wicomico County knew how Ringling Brothers treated animals, you couldn’t drag most of them to a circus. It is no longer a secret what abuses occur in the training of circus animals, and what they endure during their lives. This information is readily available, from multiple sources; Wicomico County School District, as well as anyone else, can research Ringling Brothers’ practices and reputation.

Elephants and other circus animals suffer daily physical and psychological abuse. No elephant or other animal willingly stands on its head or performs humiliating tricks. They do this because they are afraid of being hurt if they don’t perform a stunt. Before animals perform in front of audiences, abuses have already taken place, including: confining living conditions - sometimes only allowing a few feet of space in which to move, being chained or restrained when not performing, cramped traveling conditions over long distances and questionable medical care. Feeding practices are sometimes unsanitary, and some animals are forced to perform even though they are unfit or injured.

Animals suffer beatings, whippings, electric-shock punishment and jabbings with bull hooks (instruments of torture resembling fireplace pokers). Baby elephants are taken away from their mothers at a young age, sometimes while still nursing, and are victims of brutal training (see photo). In addition to physical abuse, animals such as elephants are denied their natural instincts to form relationships or socialize with other elephants. It is a horrific existence.

Elephants can live up to 60 years or longer in the wild. Just in the past few weeks, a 30-year-old male elephant, retiring to a PAWS (Performing Animals Welfare Society) sanctuary in California, had to be euthanized after only 14 months of freedom. He performed for 28 years for Ringling Brothers. He couldn't get up from the ground and there was nothing the veterinarians in the sanctuary could do for him. He suffered from severe arthritis-the condition either occurred from or was aggravated by all the years of mistreatment and abuse in a Ringling Brothers circus.

Those seeking more information about animal abuse in circuses can visit multiple websites for information. Below are three of them: Born Free-an animal advocacy group, Wildlife Advocacy Project, and the Animal Welfare Institute - (left side of their homepage has Asian Elephant info, including case media, which documents all the legal cases against circuses-the fine mentioned previously by USDA against Ringling being the most recent).

The circus isn’t fun, educational, or “conservation.” We should teach children to respect animals. Please don’t attend any circus that uses animal acts.

Thank you,
Animal Advocates of the Eastern Shore
http://www.aaotes.org/