BIRMINGHAM, Ala.– As Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus rolls into the BJCC Arena on January 24, The Humane Society of the United States is encouraging the public to avoid all circuses that use wild animals in their performances.
"Wild animals in circuses are subjected to inhumane conditions as they travel from town to town in circuses and traveling shows," according to Michael Markarian, executive vice president for The HSUS. "With so many choices in family entertainment, there is no justification for supporting circuses that use elephants, tigers and other wild animals to perform tricks and other unnatural behaviors."
This appeal comes on the heels of a groundbreaking lawsuit filed by The Fund for Animals, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Animal Protection Institute (API) and Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), along with a former Ringling Bros. employee, against the circus for its alleged mistreatment of Asian elephants.
The lawsuit charges that Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus violates the federal Endangered Species Act in its treatment of Asian elephants. The suit charges that this mistreatment comes in the form of abusive training methods, discipline, confinement of the animals, and separation of baby elephants from their mothers.
Witnesses and former circus employees have given sworn testimony to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 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 in this stressful manner 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, according to Markarian.
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.
"If the circus truly used positive reinforcement with elephants, the trainers would be carrying a bag of carrots, not a sharpened hook," said Markarian. "These sensitive creatures were not born afraid of this abusive device…they have learned to fear its sting."
The lawsuit against Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey is currently in the discovery stage in federal court in Washington. The plaintiffs are represented by Katherine Meyer of the public interest law firm Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal.
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