Washington, DC (June 26, 2007) - This footage
exposes what actually goes on behind the scenes at Ringling
Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Here you will see trainers
hitting elephants with bullhooks and live interviews with Tom
Rider, a former Ringling Bros. barn man who witnessed first
hand the abuse that Ringling Bros. elephants are forced to
endure, all in the name of entertainment.
Background
On June 8, 2000, the Animal Welfare
Institute (AWI), American Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty
(ASPCA), the Fund for Animals (FFA) and former Ringling Bros. employee,
Tom Rider* brought a lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
against Ringling Bros.’ for its mistreatment of Asian elephants. The suit
alleges that Ringling Bros.' routine beating of elephants with bull hooks,
its forcible separation of baby elephants from their mothers, and its
chaining of elephants for long periods of time constitute the unlawful
"take" of these endangered animals in violation of the ESA. In February
2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously held that
plaintiffs had Article III standing to bring the case. See ASPCA v.
Ringling Bros., 317 F.3d 334 (D.C. Cir. 2003).
Recently, the Animal Protection Institute
(API) joined forces with us as an additional plaintiff. Currently, all
parties are partaking in the discovery phase of the litigation whereby
both sides are exchanging documents and other pieces of the information,
which may be used at trial. We are hopeful that the case will go to trial
sometime next year.
Facts About Asian Elephants
Asian Elephants, the only elephant
species used by Ringling Bros., are endangered in the wild, due to
poaching, hunting, and the destruction of their natural habitat. They
are listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act, which
prohibits anyone from “killing,” “harming,” or “harassing” them.
Asian elephants are extremely
intelligent and social animals. Adults weigh between 6,000-10,000 pounds
and live to be approximately 65 years old. In the wild, elephants
maintain strong family bonds — baby elephants are not usually weaned
until they are at least 4 years old , and young elephants stay with
their mothers for many years to learn important social and survival
skills. Females remain with their mothers and other members of their
herds for their entire lives.
The Bullhook as a Training Tool
A “bullhook,” or “ankus,” is a 2-3 foot
long club with a sharp metal hook attached at the top. It is used
repeatedly to beat, hit, poke, prod or stab the animals, especially when
they are young, to “train” and “break” them, and to make sure that they
perform as required. Although elephants are thought to have strong
hides, their skin is extremely sensitive, particularly behind the ears,
on the trunk, and on the head — places where they are most often struck
with the bullhook. The elephants’ skin is so sensitive that they often
throw dust or mud on their backs to protect their skin from sunburn.
Once the animals have been hit repeatedly throughout their lives, just
showing them the bullhook will often be enough to get them to act as
required.
Recent Accounts of Elephant Mistreatment and
Death Under Ringling’s Care
March 2000:
Tom Rider, who
worked as a “barn man” for Ringling Bros. for 2-1/2 years, left the
circus. In sworn testimony presented to the USDA and the Fish and
Wildlife Service, Mr. Rider reported that the elephants were chained for
as long as 23 hours a day, and that Ringling Bros. routinely beats and
hits the elephants, including the babies, with bullhooks. Mr. Rider
reported that, at one point, he counted more than a dozen bullhook
wounds on each of two older elephants, “Zeena” and “Rebecca.” Mr. Rider also witnessed particularly severe
beatings of the baby Benjamin.
February 1999: While conducting
an unannounced inspection at the Ringling Bros.’ “Center for Elephant
Conservation” in Florida, inspectors for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, which has jurisdiction under the Animal Welfare Act over
all animals used in entertainment, observed “large visible lesions” on
the rear legs of two baby elephants, Doc and Angelica. These lesions
were approximately 6 inches long and an inch wide. When the inspectors
inquired about these wounds, they were informed by Ringling Bros.
employees that they were caused by rope burns during the “routine”
process of separating babies from their mothers. They were further
informed that the babies, who were only 18 months old, had been forcibly
torn away from their mothers a month earlier, with the use of ropes
around each leg and a chain around their necks. After convening a panel
of elephant experts, the USDA informed Ringling Bros. in May 1999 that
this treatment violates the Animal Welfare Act’s regulations and causes
the animals “trauma, behavioral stress, physical harm and unnecessary
discomfort.”
December 1998: Two Ringling
Bros.’ employees, Glenn Ewell and James Strechon, quit Ringling Bros. In
sworn testimony provided to the USDA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, they reported that elephants were left chained for most of the
day, and that Ringling Bros.’ handlers and trainers severely beat and
hook elephants with bullhooks on the head, ears, ankles, and other parts
of their bodies, and that they often draw blood. Both men also testified
that they saw the baby “Benjamin” severely beaten many times. The men
also reported that at least one particularly severe beating of an older
elephant took place in front of a high-level Ringling Bros. manager, who
did nothing to stop it.
January 1998:
A baby elephant
named “Kenny” died while traveling with the Ringling Bros. circus.
Kenny, who was only 3-1/2 years old, was made to perform on the day he
died, even though he was extremely ill. According to the USDA, Ringling
Bros. violated the Animal Welfare Act by making him perform “after
determining that the elephant was ill and needed to be examined by a
veterinarian.”
Should you wish to make a donation to
help us with our mounting legal bills, please send a check made
payable to the Animal Welfare Institute and mail it to:
Animal Welfare Institute P.O. Box 3650 Washington, D.C. 20027
Note on check: Ringling
Bros. Lawsuit
We also accept donations made by credit
card (Visa or MasterCard). Should you wish to make a donation in this
manner, please call the Animal Welfare Institute at 703-836-4300 and ask
for Tracy Silverman.
* The non-profit organizations
and Tom Rider are being represented by the law firm of Meyer,
Glitzenstein & Crystal, which is based in Washington, D.C.
ktnv.com, Las Vegas
