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Elephants Beaten with Bullhooks in the Name of Entertainment
Former Ringling Brothers
Employees Bolster Federal Lawsuit Against Circus
Washington, D.C. (Aug.
29, 2007) – The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and others seek permission for three former
circus employees to join in their federal lawsuit against Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey Circus under the Endangered Species Act. The suit alleges that
Ringling Bros. mistreats and abuses the Asian elephants it uses in shows all
across the country.Former Ringling Bros. employees Archele Hundley, Margaret Tom and Robert Tom Jr.
witnessed elephant cruelty before leaving the circus last summer. Their
observations reaffirm evidence previously described by existing plaintiff and
former Ringling Bros. employee Tom Rider, which includes the routine striking of
elephants with bullhooks, and chaining of the animals for long periods of time.
Hundley, who quit the circus
because she found the mistreatment of the animals too upsetting,
recalled an incident where notorious animal trainer, Sacha Houcke
used a bullhook in an attempt to force an elephant named Baby to lie
down. After smacking her with the bullhook repeatedly with no
success, Houcke inserted the bullhook into Baby’s ear canal, and
while holding the bullhook’s handle with both hands, he pulled down
on Baby’s ear with all of his weight, causing her to bleed profusely
and squeal in pain.
In describing an episode that
happened earlier this year when an elephant named Asia defecated on
one of the dancers during her routine, Margaret Tom stated that she
“witnessed two guys beat Asia the minute she left the stage, hitting
her at least 10 times with bullhooks, making her scream.”
Margaret Tom’s husband, Robert Tom
Jr., reported that elephants are hit with bullhooks daily. He
described an elephant who bled from the back and screamed in pain
from a beating that lasted approximately 30 minutes. The trainer
exerted so much energy that “he would periodically sit in a chair to
take a break, then return to the elephant and start hooking again.”
“These witnesses reinforce what we
know Ringling Bros. is anxious to hide,” said Tracy Silverman,
General Counsel for AWI. “We are pleased that these former
employees have come forward to reveal what goes on behind the scenes
of the big tent, and we are eager to present this evidence in
court.”
The Washington, D.C. law firm Meyer
Glitzenstein & Crystal is representing AWI and its co-plaintiffs,
the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the
Fund for Animals, the Animal Protection Institute and another former
Ringling employee, Tom Rider. Trial is expected to commence
sometime next year.
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Contact: Tracy Silverman, Esq.: (703)
836-4300/tracy@awionline.org
The Animal Welfare Institute has worked for
over 56 years to reduce the unnecessary pain and suffering inflicted
on animals by humans. To help make a difference, please visit
www.awionline.org
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