Elephanatic

Why You Shouldn't Go to The Circus

-                                            by Mike Jaynes 

In America, People grow up attending circuses and most people love them. The purpose of this page is to provide information about elephants and convince current circus attendees and people with fond memories of childhood circuses to not attend animal circuses in the future. This is not an easy task. I have been writing on various issues of Animal Rights (AR) and other animal centric subjects for some time now and the plight of the Elephant is one very dear to me. It is true that all performing animals suffer, but these great beasts seems to suffer more and it is my vain hope that this small page will in someway increase awareness about them and help them, whom I love so much.

 CIRCUS DISCUSSION

Bear abused for human entertainment
People usually have fond memories of the circus, and that's the problem. It is difficult to abandon an activity that has been considered a worthy family tradition. The difference now is that of ignorance. Plenty of forms of suffering have pleasing facades, and it is education that will lead us to the truth.  I attended circuses before I knew the specifics of them as well. As the above picture demonstrates, by no means are elephants the only animals abused in circuses. However, this particular site is based n these great beasts who have, unfortunately, become symbolic of circuses. Indeed, in America, circus elephants are seen as iconic American traditions. In fact, my life long love of elephants stems from an Elephant ride I took as a young boy of 6 or 7 at a small circus in my hometown. Indeed most Americans' only exposure to elephants occurred in zoos or circuses. Now it is time we considered these great Creatures and asked about the specifics of their lives we do not see, the times not in the spangles and the rings and the lights.

I would also like to say this is intended to be a very brief introduction to the plight of performing elephants. For more details, please see the links to the left that will take you to places such as PAWS (Performing Animal Welfare Society), Circuses.com, or Elephants.com.

To understand why circuses are such a negative experience for elephants, one must know a few things about their habits in the wild and their conditions in the ring.  Elephants often weigh upwards of 11,000 pounds and they do not naturally stand on two feet or balance on small platforms in the wild. 

Elephant abused for human entertainment

Elephants did not evolve to support their massive weight on their front two legs. This is abuse and in fact leg and foot problems are a leading cause of death for elephants that spend long hours standing on cold concrete, often in their own excrement, or support their weight on two legs at a time (See Stoney's tragic story to the right of this page). In order to get them to do such "tricks" for our amusement often trainers will burn their front feet with blowtorches or inflict other terrible amounts of pain as persuasion. When you see elephants performing, it is not because they love to do it or that the tricks are exaggerated extensions of natural behaviors, as some trainers will tell you. They perform these tricks because they are in fear and know they will be punished if they do not perform. Undercover video has been taken, and you can view one such trainer and his horrendously painful techniques on Circuses.com in order to not solely rely on my, admittedly, very passionate word.

Elephants have skin as sensitive as humans -we know they can sense when a fly lands on their back -but the cruel training practices are not the most disturbing aspect of captive performing Elephant life, according to some. In the wild, elephants will often walk 30-50 miles a day for no apparent reason other than the walking. Elephant researchers have ascertained they often are not motivated by food searching or mating instincts; they simply seem to love to walk. When not performing, most elephants are kept chained in a space no bigger than an automobile or enclosed in special pens lined with electric fences that are millions of times smaller than their natural behavior. When chained in such a tiny enclosure, elephants often display stereotypic behavior, such as swaying from foot to foot and trunk waving.

Elephants Swaying 

 Researchers feel this is brought on by extreme boredom, isolation, and they often display behaviors often witnessed in mentally ill humans. Even if this is conjecture by Animal Rights Activists (ARAs) such as myself, it is a fact that these behaviors have never been observed in the wild. 

Unnatural Trunk Waving

During touring season (nine months a year) Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth have been reported to keep their elephants chained for up to 20 hours a day. And it's not just Ringling, and it's not just circuses. Zoos, unfortunately for those of us who would truly love to see and visit elephants, are just as bad. Click here to read about elephants  and other captive animals displaying trance like behavior and stereotypic swaying in zoos. 

Typical circus Elephant restraint

Elephant forced to perform
Children are understandably amused by the elephants, and they love to see them do their tricks. However, as adults we need to realize the complex needs of these creatures are -at best- not fully understood by us. Perhaps it is simply me, but it seems but everyone has fun at the circus except elephants and other performing animals.  My question is simple: how does sitting on a chair and wearing spangled headdresses in any way appreciate the natural needs of these animals? And my other question -which tends to be more controversial for some reason- is why do we think we have the right to force these animals into these situations? Circuses tell us that they are utilizing practical methods of Elephant conservation and they have their animals' best interests at heart. If that were so, why are they not constantly given treats and positive reinforcement during shows? Whipping and questionable (at very best) training practices do not seem to have their best interests in mind. Forget treats, if someone truly loved elephants, why would they not want them in places such as some of the American Elephant sanctuaries that exist in which they can live in the manner in which they evolved?

 What we see at the circus: Spangles and "Magic"

Chained and swaying Asian Elephant. What we don't see at circuses 

Circuses abuse elephants even if  pain management techniques are not involved. The mere constraint of these animals is suffering. And the horrible thing is they bear their slavery in silence. They walk slowly, never trumpeting in joy. They slowly trudge from their chained enclosures where they are bedecked with jewels and spangles and then led to the performance area. This is all we see. The above picture shows how these elephants, these Creatures circuses supposedly so dearly love, spend up to 20 hours of their days. Alone, chained, swaying from foot to foot, and slowly going mad. All for what? All so we can pay these circuses money, see a show, and be entertained for a few hours. The argument I'm making seems so completely obvious to me.

The looks on their faces seem to be all the argumentative ethos an educated and compassionate person would need in order to not only stop attending animal circuses, but to actively help Elephant Sanctuaries and educate the public who is not evil, simply unaware.

 Spangled Performing Asian Elephant

CIRCUS ELEPHANT DEATHS

Often, many are unwilling to read about or witness the cruelty of the industries they support for mere entertainment or taste buds. Please read the following section and realize that if you attend animal circuses, this is indeed what you are supporting. 

 Dead circus Elephant: From the jungles of Asia to the back lot of a seedy traveling circus to die among uncaring minimum wage circus workers.

Consider what The Elephant Alliance reported in 1998: "From 1994 to 1998, at least 26 circus elephants died premature and unnatural deaths. Most circus elephants are chained by at least two legs for 95% of their lives in a space no larger than an automobile. They are unchained only to perform. The natural behavior patterns of the elephant, which have evolved over thousands of years, are denied by this confined, chained, and dominated life. To disrupt and prevent the natural behavior of these intelligent, social creatures is not only inhumane and cruel, but stressful to the individual animal as well."

And they have provided the details of each Elephant death that could have been prevented if they were in Elephant Sanctuaries instead of circuses:

 Please keep in mind, these deaths are only from the years 1994 to 1998. If you are curious about a complete list of circus elephant deaths, prepare to be shocked. In fact, click here and read about this horror.

In actuality, since the 1950's, there have been a surprising number of  elephant and human deaths caused by forced Elephant captivity. Read this for more information. Beyond animal suffering, human safety is another significant reason not to take your kids and the people you love to animal circuses. There has been over 30 people killed by performing elephants during rampages, and rampaging is a very pertinent issue we need to quickly take a look at.
 

ELEPHANT RAMPAGES

Let's ask ourselves a question. What happens when you chain an intelligent and social animal by itself for twenty hours a day? It slowly goes mad and eventually lashes out at its enslavers. I know I would. But it bears to examine the very real history of Elephant Rampages in circuses over the years. The fact is that circuses are not safe places for children or adults if performing animals are present. Let me be clear: I am not claiming inherent violence in these animals, nor an I claiming they are always dangerous to humans in the wild. But I am making the common sense observation that if any thinking sentient Creature is abused, restricted, and robbed of its natural rights it will indeed go mad. And with insanity often comes violence.

 Endangerd African Elephant Janet in the process of being gunned down after escaping from a circus and rampaging. It took dozens of shots and you can see the Elephant's facial expression of horror and pain and confusion. You can also see his blood, for which humanity is responsible. It is easy to avoid these hellish and horrendous images: Don't go to circuses and try to convince everyone else not to as well.

The above picture is a still from a video on Elephant rampages I have acquired and is one of the saddest things I have witnessed in my entire life. It takes a humongous special shell to bring down an Elephant and the police shells were ineffective. it took minutes of successive gunning, an unending cascade of shots from the rifles and handguns of the officers. The Elephant turned this way and that way, roared in pain and frustration, as the dozens and dozens of tiny splotches of red erupted over its entire great grey body. Toward the end, it opened its mouth and vomited from the pain and finally collapsed against the car in the picture. 

 Rampaging Elephant killing handler

This is our fault. Humans do not have the right to put Creatures in situations where this might even have a possibility of happening. In actuality, it is this video, and this particular Elephant along with the aforementioned Stoney that drove me to Elephant Activism. The most damning thing in the video, almost, is as the gunfire is erupting and the Elephant is suffering and vomiting from the pain, in the back ground you can hear a hysterical woman scream the words "stupid animal" over and over again. Why is the Elephant stupid? Who were the ones who chained it the majority of its life? Who were the ones who forced it to perform, to give rides, to stand on two feet? Who profited and put human circus goers in harm's way by parading this Beast around as if we owned it? There is not a significant divide, to me, between the human world and the animal world...it is all the animal world to me. And if there are any stupid animals, I want this unknown woman to know, it is Humans. We are the stupid animals.

Tyke. Another endangered African Elephant gunned down after rampage in Hawaii.

Tyke lies dead. For her complete story, please click here. She was shot 87 times after killing her trainer who was found to have drugs and alcohol in his system. Afterwards, the city of Honolulu dumped her body in the landfill. Just like                                                                        trash.

Note that both Janet and Tyke had rampaged before and their circuses refused to retire them. They continued showing them, they rampaged again, and they both killed people before being gunned down. Janet had a load of children on her back when the rampage began. What this means is that the circuses involved, The Great American Circus and the Honolulu Circus are guilty of these human deaths. Still, people seem not to care. They won't give up the circus going experience that brought them so much joy as kids. I don't understand and I want to ask these people why they don't care. Why don't you care about the abuse of these elephants? You must understand that nothing will change, nothing will get done unless we speak out en masse against this madness. Please avoid circuses in order to avoid tragedies such as Stoney and Tyke and Janet and the many, many others. And let's also not forget the human deaths, as well. Every last one of them: pointless and avoidable. It is up to you. As an Elephant activist, I'm working at putting myself out of a job. It is one of my dearest dreams to have a day when elephants are only found in the wild, unmolested, or in sanctuaries. And, some people say, won't that be sad that the vast majority of people will never be able to see elephants anymore. To know that they are safe and cared for and at peace, I would gladly forfeit any chance for me to see an Elephant in person for the rest of my life. Elephants do not exist in order to bring us happiness or entertainment. My dear hope is that one day humanity will give them a full pardon and never negatively interfere with them again. Care professionals and sanctuary workers will take plenty of pictures and videos for Elephant fanatics such as myself to take joy in. If our little kids never get to see one in person, so what? I agree with others who have remarked that we don't deserve the animals anyway. Considering the long standing tradition of abusing elephants in circuses, it is apparent. We do not deserve elephants.

SO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH ALL THESE CIRCUS ELEPHANTS? THE ANSWER: ELEPHANT SANCTUARIES AND PUBLIC EDUCATION

This is an easy fix. There exists many circus options that do not require the abuse of animals. Human only circuses are available and several are world famous. The Cirque du Soleil is an amazing outfit that outperforms Ringling and is far more successful. These amazing human entertainers are there by will and choice..

 Dancing bears, elephants, big cats and other animals have no say so, and these human circuses should be supported by all means. 

As for what is to be done with the elephants once they are all retired from travelling circuses, the answer is elephant sanctuaries. 

PAWS runs an amazing one in California and in Hohenwald, Tennessee, the Elephant Sanctuary operates on 2,900 acres. In these sanctuaries, elephants are able to live as they have evolved to live. If you can, please consider donating to these sanctuaries and help spread public awareness of these wonderful places. You can read about the one in Tennesse by clicking here.

I would love to have any and all feedback on Elephanatic. Please email me at: MIchael-Jaynes@utc.edu