New Evidence of Cruelty Mounts as Ringling Bros. Circus Comes to Austin

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New Evidence of Cruelty Mounts as Ringling Bros. Circus Comes to Austin June 12, 2007 Internal Circus Documents Provide Vivid Details of Elephant Trainer

Abuse Recently released evidence exposes animal abuse by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus that is scheduled to arrive in Austin on June 27. The documents recount trainers using painful bullhooks to subdue and discipline the circus's performing Asian elephants during training. The Humane Society of the United States urges the public to avoid all circuses that use wild animals in their performances. The new evidence stems from a groundbreaking lawsuit against the parent company of the circus, Feld Entertainment. Filed by The Fund for Animals, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Animal Protection Institute, Animal Welfare Institute, and Tom Rider, a former employee of Ringling Bros., the lawsuit charges the circus with violating the federal Endangered Species Act. It cites abusive training methods, discipline, confinement of the animals, and separation of baby elephants from their

mothers. "Wild animals in circuses are subjected to inhumane conditions as they travel from town to town in circuses and traveling shows," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president for The HSUS. "With so many excellent choices in family entertainment, there's simply no reason to support circuses that use wild animals such as elephants and tigers to perform tricks and other unnatural behaviors." Facts Witnesses and former circus employees have given sworn testimony to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as recently as October 2006, 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 this way 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. As recently as July 2006, 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. In a January 2005 e-mail, Ringling's own "Animal Behaviorist" recounted to Ringling's General Manager that she saw an elephant named Lutzi "dripping blood all over the arena floor during the show from being hooked," after a handler "hook[ed] Lutzi under the trunk three times and behind the leg once in an attempt to line her up for the T-mount." A "T-mount" is a stunt where two elephants and at least one person stand on the back of a kneeling elephant. Copies of these documents are

available upon request. Timeline October 2006 – In response to the court's order, Ringling discloses its own internal veterinary records revealing severe abuse at the hands of Ringling's elephant handlers. September 2005 – The federal district judge assigned to the case announces that he will "incarcerat[e]" Ringling's lawyers and executives if they do not turn over critical veterinary documents that were required to be produced much earlier in the litigation. February 2003 – A unanimous panel of the federal appeals court in the District of Columbia finds that the plaintiffs have standing to sue Ringling Brothers for its mistreatment of Asian elephants. June 2000 – Animal welfare groups file suit against Ringling Brothers in federal court in the District of Columbia under the Endangered Species Act to stop Ringling's inhumane and unlawful mistreatment of highly endangered Asian

elephants. July 1999 – Baby elephant Benjamin drowns in a pond when traveling between Ringling shows; witnesses state that he was evading his Ringling handler who had chased him with a bullhook. February 1999 – USDA cites Ringling after inspectors observe large rope burn "lesions" on two baby elephants – Doc and Angelica – caused by forcibly separating the babies from their mothers well before the end of their natural weaning period. January 1998 – USDA concludes that baby elephant Kenny dies after being made to perform by Ringling despite the fact that he was extremely ill. The lawsuit against Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey is currently in the discovery stage in federal court in Washington. The plaintiffs are represented by the public interest law firm Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal. --30-- The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's

largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org. If you have men who will exclude any of god's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men. --St. Francis of Assisi

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