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The Cruelist Show on Earth
A hundred years ago, P.T. Barnum learned how to get free advertising when the circus came to town. All it took was a handful of free tickets and a glowing story about what wonders were waiting under the big top.
But times have changed. Questions are being raised about the care and treatment given exotic animals in traveling circuses. Federal and State agencies are increasingly taking action against circuses for violating animal welfare laws. State legislatures and municipalities are considering or have laws restricting or banning animal acts.
Improper animal treatment is not limited to small traveling menageries. In the last two years, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has mishandled two baby elephants, which resulted in their deaths. On February 23, 1999, a horse traveling with Ringling Bros. collapsed and died during a march to a convention center. In 1998, the circus was charged with violating the Federal Animal Welfare Act in the death of Kenny, a baby elephant who performed while ill. The circus also received a warning for an incident in which a caged tiger was shot to death. In other incidents, a sea lion died and a tiger escaped from his cage in Chicago and seriously mauled a handler. Federal USDA inspection records for Ringling Bros. Circus show more than 100 instances of substandard animal keeping since 1990.
In 1998, Sears, Roebuck and Co., the only national sponsor of Ringling Bros., announced a decision not to renew its relationship with the circus. Only through the support and awareness of many concerned individuals and organizations can we put an end to the exploitation of animals.
