Monday, July 5, 2010

Ringling Bros. Circus Coming to Dallas!

1 comment:

  1. This show should be called Zing Zang Abuse! Please do not attend or support circuses that use animals. In doing these we are keeping the slave trade alive and well. Here are some facts about Ringling Brothers: In 2009, PETA recorded Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus employees for many months and in numerous U.S. states. Eight employees, including the head elephant trainer and the animal superintendent, were videotaped backstage repeatedly hitting elephants in the head, trunk, ears, and other sensitive body parts with bullhooks and othercruel training devices just before the animals would enter the arena for performances. (A bullhook is an elephant-training tool that resembles a fireplace poker.) A tiger trainer was videotaped beating tigers during dress rehearsals. Footage from the investigation can be viewed at circuses.com. Former Ringling employees have reported that elephants are routinely abused and violently beaten with bullhooks. In December 2009, PETA released dozens of photographs taken by a retired Ringling trainer named Sam Haddock. The photos reveal the violent training methods used on baby elephants at Ringling’s Polk City, Florida, training center. The photos, which are available at circuses.com, depict baby elephants bound with ropes and wrestled into physically difficult and uncomfortable positions by several adult men. According to Haddock’s notarized statement, the elephants scream, cry, and struggle as they are stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with bullhooks, and shocked with electric prods. According to him, these violent training methods are the only way an elephant can be trained to perform in circuses. Ringling's so called "Conservation Center" is nothing but a breeding center for elephants to perform in their shows as they are not legally able to take them from the wild anymore. The vast majority of baby elephants born in their breeding facility either die, get tuberculosis, or the deadly herpes virus. Please do not buy a ticket and support this animal cruelty any longer.

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