Nauseating Ft. Worth Telegram on Ringling elephants

August 16, 2007

Front page. The PR is getting more and more sickening. Fresh fruits? Ha! Air conditioned cars with MISTERS?????? OMG the lies they come up with are in f-ingCREDIBLE! Elephants get some help to beat Texas heat By ALEX BRANCH Star-Telegram Staff Writer SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM / AARON LAMBERT Three elephants feed on treats Tuesday in Sundance Square during the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant walk. In wired age, the circus has new tricks for fans Joking with the elephants: Video blogger Kristin Campbell has a little fun FORT WORTH -- Elephants, by nature, can tolerate hot weather. They're native to Asian jungles and African deserts. But staying cool in the Texas heat isn't easy no matter where you're from. Elephants with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus took their annual stroll in downtown Fort Worth on Tuesday evening, and their handlers ensured that none of the 10,000-pound performers overheated. The temperature was about 95 but felt hotter with all the cars and pavement. "The elephants are kept very well-hydrated," said Kathy Beazley, a circus spokeswoman. "They get extra care when it's this hot." It starts with their travel arrangements, she said. The elephants rode over from Dallas, the

circus's last stop, in an air-conditioned railcar equipped with misting machines. Handlers also gave them plenty of water (last chance, elephants, enjoy!) before they strolled into Sundance Square, she said. They were rewarded with boxes of apples, bananas, watermelons, carrots and lettuce, all devoured with a few strokes of the trunk. (In front of the public of course). "They love those juicy watermelons," Beazley said. "It's a thirst-quencher." Cold weather actually poses a bigger risk, said Ron Surratt, director of animal collections at the Fort Worth Zoo. Workers let the zoo's elephants out under the hot sun but never during winter chills. "If they have water, they do fine in the heat," he said. "No need to worry." (I guess they need to

worry here, then). Apparently, the only ones truly bothered by the heat Tuesday were the humans who lined the sidewalks to watch. Water bottles and makeshift paper fans were abundant. As the elephants wolfed down their fruity meal, a young voice calling out from a gaggle of sweaty children seemed to speak for everyone. "I want a watermelon!" The forecast After today, we get a break from triple-digit temperatures, and maybe even rain. Today: 102 and sunny Thursday: 97 with a 20 percent chance of rain Friday: 93 with a 30 percent chance of rain Saturday: 92 with a 30 percent chance of rain Sunday: 94 with a 20 percent chance of rain Source: National Weather Service Alex Branch, 817-390-7689abranch "Think occasionally of the suffering of which youspare yourself the sight" Albert Schweitzer

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