Recently released evidence exposes animal abuse by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus that is scheduled to arrive in Memphis on June 21. The documents recount trainers using painful bullhooks to subdue and discipline the circus's performing Asian elephants during training.
The Humane Society of the United States urges the public to avoid all circuses that use wild animals in their performances.
The new evidence stems from a groundbreaking lawsuit against the parent company of the circus, Feld Entertainment. Filed by The Fund for Animals, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Animal Protection Institute, Animal Welfare Institute, and Tom Rider, a former employee of Ringling Bros., the lawsuit charges the circus with violating the federal Endangered Species Act. It cites abusive training methods, discipline, confinement of the animals, and separation of baby elephants from their mothers.
Wild animals in circuses are subjected to inhumane conditions as they travel from town to town in circuses and traveling shows," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president for The HSUS. "With so many excellent choices in family entertainment, there's simply no reason to support circuses that use wild animals such as elephants and tigers to perform tricks and other unnatural behaviors."
Facts
Witnesses and former circus employees have given sworn testimony to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as recently as October 2006, that behind the scenes at circuses, elephants are kept tightly chained by one front and hind leg and unable to move freely. In the wild, elephants travel many miles each day. There are reports of circus elephants being confined this way up to 20 hours or more each day. Research suggests that this leads to psychological and physical problems such as arthritis, crippling foot problems, and behavior that is indicative of high levels of stress.
As recently as July 2006, undercover investigators have videotaped trainers beating elephants, contrary to statements that the animals are trained exclusively through positive reinforcement. The lawsuit alleges that trainers use a stick with a sharpened metal hook on the end (called a "bullhook" or "ankus") to repeatedly beat, pull, push, torment and threaten elephants.
In a January 2005 e-mail, Ringling's own "Animal Behaviorist" recounted to Ringling's General Manager that she saw an elephant named Lutzi "dripping blood all over the arena floor during the show from being hooked," after a handler "hook[ed] Lutzi under the trunk three times and behind the leg once in an attempt to line her up for the T-mount." A "T-mount" is a stunt where two elephants and at least one person stand on the back of a kneeling elephant...� (quoted from http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/ringling_memphis.html).
What you just read is just one of many sad examples of what highly inteligent animals such as elephants, or tigers, and others, are subjected to. In many other places in the world animals are used and abused for a depressing show based on their hidden pain , suffering, and even tears: bacuse elephants DO CRY, REAL TEARS, LIKE OUR OWN!
TAKING CHILDREN TO SEE THESE SHOWS GIVES THEM A WRONG IMPRESSION OF THE ANIMALS WORLD AND BEHAVIORS, MUST MOSTLY; A BAD EXAMPLE! specialy if we wich to raise a more civilized generation, more human.
we want:
Animals to be released from their suffering, away from circus.
The proihibition of the use of animals in circus shows
The creation of a reservation / sanctuary for the rescued animals
It is about time to confirm that we are HUMANS and RATIONAL! and therefore, should behave as such.
UNTIL THEN: DONT ATTEND SHOWS AT THIS OR ANY OTHER CIRCUS IN THE WORLD WHERE ANIMALS ARE USED!
Thank you for your time.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=081_1190026557
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