USDA Documents Provide Proof of Circus Abuse of Elephants

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Monday, 18 March 2002

ASPCA Obtains Records Under FOIA Lawsuit To Prove Cruelty

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has petitioned for the release of thousands of pages of documents from The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The documents outline repeated abuse of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephants by Ringling Bros. employees.

The USDA has jurisdiction over animals that are used in circuses under The Animal Welfare Act . Despite Ringling Bros. repeated denials to the public, the USDA documents show that Ringling Bros. employees routinely use force and pain to make elephants perform upon demand. The records also document the consistent use of a sharp instrument called an "ankus" or "bullhook." The bullhook is often used behind the ears of the elephant, an area that is particularly sensitive and causes the animal extreme pain.

Documents released to The ASPCA disclose the following incidents:

Even though elephants are excellent swimmers by nature, on July 26th 1999, a baby elephant named Benjamin, mysteriously died while swimming in a pond in Texas. USDA documents show that Benjamin's trainer had allowed him to go into the pond, but when he refused to come out the trainer went into the pond after him with an ankus. "Witnesses state the animal attempted to avoid (the trainer) when he 'poked' the elephant with a stick (ankus)." According to internal documents "the elephant seeing and/or being 'touched' or 'poked' with an ankus created behavioral stress and trauma which precipitated in the physical harm and ultimate death of the animal."

In an unannounced inspection of Ringling Bros.' Florida breeding facility in January 1999, federal inspectors were shocked to find baby elephants with "large visible lesions" on their legs. The federal inspectors learned from Ringling Bros. employees that this was the result of the "routine separation process" that is used to take nursing babies away from their mothers so they can perform in the circus. With the use of ropes and chains around the baby elephant's necks and legs an official report from federal inspectors stated "Ringling Bros. routinely handles its baby elephants this way." In a written letter to Feld Entertainment, owner of Ringling Bros., USDA officials stated this practice causes "unnecessary trauma, behavioral stress, and physical harm" to the elephants.

In August of 1999 in San Jose, California, Ringling Bros. elephants were inspected by San Jose Humane authorities and the police. Both found bloody puncture wounds behind the left ears of many elephants. According to a sworn affidavit obtained by the USDA, Dr. Joel J. Parrot, DVM of the Oakland Zoo, who examined the photographs states, " The majority of the wounds documented are fresh, actively draining puncture wounds caused by an ankus or a hook. It is in my professional opinion that there are far too many fresh wounds. It is apparent that Ringling Brothers is actively using an ankus that may be too sharp for the amount of force which is put behind it. It is apparent that the trainers and handlers may be using excessive force and poor techniques and controlling devices, to control and train their elephants."

"All of this treatment violates the federal law," says Lisa Weisberg, ASPCA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs. In addition to the Freedom of Information Act case, The ASPCA has also filed a lawsuit in federal court against Ringling Brothers under the Endangered Species Act which prohibits the "harming," "wounding" or "killing" of endangered animals, such as Asian elephants, whether they are in the wild or captivity. "It is time the public that goes to the circus because they love animals understand what kind of treatment is used to make these animals perform tricks on cue," says Weisberg. "Our hope is to protect them from a life of misery and pain."

For more information, or to contact American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, see their website at: www.aspca.org