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Ringling Brothers Circus has lost 5 animals in the last two years under very unacceptable circumstances. In less than 2 years, 2 baby elephants died, a caged tiger was shot to death, a horse died during Ringling's traditional animal march and a wild-caught sea lion was found dead in her transport container. Benjamin, a 4-year old endangered baby elephant who had been removed from his mother when he still should have been nursing, drowned in Texas. Combined with the trauma of training, the loss of their mothers and the stress of travel, its no wonder baby elephants die while forced to travel and perform. BENJAMIN HAD PERFORMED AT THE PEORIA CIVIC CENTER 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO HIS DEATH!
February 1999: A horse collapsed and died during Ringling's animal march in Norfolk, VA. A United States Department of Agriculture report indicated wounds on the two newest Ringling baby elephants' legs as a result of separating them from their mothers. The report stated there were large visible lesions on the rear legs of both Doc and Angelica (baby elephants). When questioned as to the cause of these lesions, it was stated by two trainers that these scars were caused by rope burns resulting from the separation process from the mothers. Both baby elephants were just under 2 years old when taken from their mothers. In the wild, they would have remained with their mothers for life.
January 1999: Former elephant handler, Glenn Ewell, in a sworn affidavit filed with the USDA, describes Ringling trainers beating elephants to make them perform correctly.
November 1998: A tiger escaped from its cage in Chicago and attacked a handler who was hospitalized in serious condition.
August 1998: A 12- year old wild-caught sea lion named Gypsy was found dead in her transport container. In the wild, sea lions can live to be 20 years old.
January 1998: Ringling was charged by the USDA for violations of the Animal Welfare Act for the death of Kenny, a baby elephant who was forced to perform while ill. The USDA charged the circus with failure to provide veterinary care to Kenny, and Ringling paid $20,000 to settle the case out of court. The USDA issued Ringling a strong letter of warning for the killing of Arnie, an endangered Bengal tiger. An angry trainer shot Arnie 5 times with a 12-gauge shotgun while he was locked in his cage.
The Peoria Humane Society urges you to help put an end to this inhumane tradition by not going to circuses that have animals.
