- Title: USA: Ringling Bros. circus faces allegations of elephant abuse
- Date: 6th February 2009
- Summary: WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 4, 2009) (REUTERS) SOUNDBITE (English) MICHELLE PARDO, ATTORNEY FOR FELD ENTERTAINMENT, SAYING: "Well the tethers are used as part of a tool in managing Asian elephants. It's not unlike other animals like a dog who would wear leash for a time or it's not much different than you and I wearing a seatbelt when we travel in a car."
- Embargoed: 21st February 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVAB2BT964B6532Y166R2MIOE4KW
- Story Text: From the big top to the courtroom.
Circus elephants--a popular act in circuses worldwide- are the center of a 8 year legal battle between animal rights activists and the popular U.S based Ringling Brothers circus.
Ringling Brothers and its parent company Feld Entertainment face charges of abuse and ill-treatment of Asian elephants in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
Angry animal rights activists say the circus uses chains and a bull hook-a pole with an attached hook- to subdue the elephants. Circus representatives say these tools conform to accepted husbandry practices.
Tracy Silverman, general counsel for the Animal Welfare Institute, disagrees.
"We certainly beg to differ that these are general accepted husbandry practices. The elephants in the circus of Ringling Brothers are being hit, struck and beaten with bull hooks. They are being chained continuously for hours and sometimes days at a time and we certainly don't believe those are general husbandry practices."
Defendants claim the elephants at the circus are "thriving"
and say they have evidence to prove the animals are in good health.
A video handed out to the media shows pictures of an elephant being bathed and scrubbed by handlers. In the video, the elephant is not chained.
Different images in video distributed by the plaintiffs shows several chained elephants.
Lawyers for the circus say animal rights activists want to remove the elephants from the circus all together. Michelle Pardo, a lawyer for Feld Entertainment, says the legal battle is nothing more than a philosophical debate about whether elephants belong in the circus.
"By requesting that the court ban the tools that are used, common through out the elephant care industry they are asking for their ultimate....their ultimate crusade which is to remove elephants from circuses," she notes.
Silverman says animal rights activists just want to make sure the elephants are treated in a humane manner. The trial will continue for several weeks during which plaintiffs say they will bring in elephant experts and more evidence of abuse of the animals.
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