Could your laughter, your enjoyment be the result of cruelty? Circuses, such as Ringling Brothers, have animal abuse hidden right behind the curtains. Under the big top, wild animals are denied everything natural to them, beaten into submission and chained for the majority of their dismal lives. These shows are a whirl of color and cruelty that profit from violence and manipulation.
This year, Denver welcomed back Ringling Brothers as they brought their cruelty to our very own Pepsi Center. Local animal rights activists made appearances at every show to raise awareness about their treatment of animals and to encourage people to find alternative forms of entertainment. There’s no excuse for animal abuse in entertainment, no reason to support the circus and should be no place for them to pitch their tent here in Denver.
Ringling Brothers promotes their show as being “The Greatest Show on Earth,” but has now been dubbed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as “The Cruelest Show on Earth,” after undercover footage of their animal abuse was released. Elephants, lions, tigers, camels and other wild and sentient animals are exploited and abused every day in the circus.
Whether captured in the wild or born in captivity, babies are ripped from their mothers’ sides and forced to perform for the pleasure of people. From the day they begin training, these animals spend fifty weeks out of every year of the remainder of their lives working.
Many Ringling animals spend the entirety of their life enslaved and abused, only to die from neglect or maltreatment. In May of 2001, a seven-year-old Bengal tiger named Jasmine was euthanized due to a chronic renal disease. A young lion named Clyde died from dehydration and heart stroke, in July of 2004, when crossing the Mojave Desert in an unventilated boxcar. Riccardo, an eight-month old elephant, was euthanized after irreparably fracturing both of his hind legs in August of the same year.
These animals spend their lives being trained to do unnatural “tricks” in the fear of being beaten with bull-hooks, whips and electric prods. The use of these instruments of “discipline” was confirmed by the testimony of Kenneth Feld, CEO of Ringling’s parent company in a 2009 trial. When asked if “discipline is currently used” and if handlers “strike” the animals he responded, “yes,” to both questions.
These barbaric forms of training tear the skin, bruise the flesh and weaken the spirit of these animals. Behind the scenes animals have been found with lacerations from bull-hooks, bloodied ankles from rope or chain manacles, chronic and painful diseases such as osteoporosis and lameness and other clear violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The largest civil penalty ever under the AWA was brought against Ringling; in 2011 they were fined by the USDA for dozens of AWA violations between June 2007 and August 2011.
But the show must go on. Ringling does not mind if their animals live in a perpetual state of abuse and distress or if an animal needs veterinary attention for an injury or illness.
Despite Ringling’s efforts to reassure the public of their humane treatment of animals and to promote their conservation efforts, it is all too easy to find undeniable evidence of their malicious abuse on YouTube and from statements by whistle-blower Sammy Haddock. Though Ringling maintains a conservation center in Florida, it is acknowledged by employees to be more of a breeding ground for new animal performers and where they begin training. Haddock, a Ringling employee from the 1970s until his retirement in 2005, came to PETA with various images and confirmation of abuse from his work at this center.
Advocacy and demonstrations by animal rights activists attempt to provoke compassionate thinking and provide a voice for these exploited and abused beings. This past weekend, I participated in a protest organized by Peta2 (PETA’s youth department) as well as local animal rights organizations. We stood outside, protesting the cruelty taking place right behind the doors, and we smiled and waved until the sun set and we couldn’t feel our fingers. The most remarkable reactions to our presence was those of young children. When they saw PETA’s cartoon elephant with bruises and Band-Aids on, their jaws would drop, staring their eyes would grow wide and saddened and they would tug at their parents sleeve asking them “why?”
Ditch the cruelty and get creative with entertainment. Cirque De Soleil is an all human circus that has shows nationwide and there are many other forms of entertainment that don’t involve the abuse of animals. Especially here in Denver there is so much else to participate in. Check out the Denver Art Museum or Elitch Gardens, anything that doesn’t involve cruelty against creatures that are all too capable of feeling pain. Many people just aren’t aware, but there is no denying these egregious crimes against animal welfare that Ringling has and continues to commit. Take this knowledge, make compassionate choices and encourage others to do the same. Ringling Brothers is cruel and that’s not cool, so go somewhere unusual.
