and Barnum & Bailey Circus has come a long way in its thinking, and for that we congratulate the company for its decision to move the elephants to its sanctuary in Florida.
This is the proper setting for education and study. Wild animals should be permitted to exist undisturbed in their natural environments, and when they must be confined, it should be in a natural setting consistent with their physical and behavioral needs. Wildlife sanctuaries and accredited zoos should exist for conservation, preservation and propagation of species and for public education. Are these really the values we want our children to learn? But what could one possibly learn about animals from watching these shows? Observing wild animals perform unnatural tricks while dancing in tutus only teaches the public that the sole purpose of animals is our entertainment. These very social animals, simply put, should not be living in solitary confinement.Īnimal welfare advocates have often been criticized as being against “fun.” We are told that circuses and traveling shows are about education. Their herd-like behavior is ignored when they are being trained to perform. But the circus environment keeps them isolated and provides little to no interaction with their own species. These extremely intelligent animals live in large family groups when in the wild, and they form close social ties with other elephants. Yet whatever provisions they may make, the reality is that circuses are particularly unsuited to meet the unique needs of elephants. and Barnum & Bailey has said it prides itself on providing a healthy environment for animals. Rather than being treated as a commodity by the owner, animals should be protected and well cared for. The welfare of the animal is not taken into account. They lack proper veterinary care, and what little quality of life they did have is diminished further. Meanwhile, animals that are no longer useful to the circus or traveling shows due to age or temperament may be given away or sold to other less reputable organizations. Following this sort of brutal training, the animals may appear tame, but they are still wild and their original wild instincts will appear if provoked.
Instead, these trainers frequently resort to other inhumane means, involving beating the animals, using electrical prods, depriving them of food, chaining them and other brutal methods to force the animals into submission. Reward-based training takes time and patience, which are things that many circus trainers do not have. Sadly, performing animals in circuses and traveling shows are too often subjected to inhumane conditions, especially in their training. And though she was not submissive and was difficult to train, her owners sent her to Honolulu anyway. In analyzing the horrific experience involving Tyke, it was reported that the elephant had been rebellious before she arrived on our shores, and she is said to have had a history of acting out and being unpredictable. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – that it plans to retire elephants from its circuses by 2018 is a reminder of how that controversy lingers. That incident happened 20 years ago, but the welcome announcement last week by Feld Entertainment – parent company to Ringling Bros. Tyke suffered a slow and painful death after being hit by a barrage of bullets fired by police officers. After enduring about four days at sea under stressful conditions, Tyke, an African elephant, escaped during a circus performance, crushing her trainer to death and injuring dozens of others while storming through the streets of Honolulu.
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