If Elephants Could Talk… What Would They Tell You about the Circus?
Share This
About a hundred demonstrators showed up in bitter cold to protest outside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center because Ringling Bros. circus was performing there. The protesters demand the end of wild and exotic animals, including elephants, in circuses and beg New York City officials to follow in the footsteps of Los Angeles which has reportedly banned bullhooks as of 2017.[youtube=http://youtu.be/4tK_N5i4pmI]
The animal rights protesters, from a wide variety of groups, made the following allegations.
CLAIMS BY DEMONSTRATORS AGAINST THE CIRCUS
1. The elephants are hit as a form of control
2. They are cruelly broken to get them to submit to the tasks demanded of them
3. They are kept in what are, for elephants, tiny quarters as they are moved from performance to performance
4. The elephants are unnecessary and outdated as many circuses now use no animals.
I emailed Feld Entertainment and Ringling Bros and have not gotten a response. Company reps are invited on JaneUnChained.com. We would like to get their side of the story.
Feld Entertainment Defends the Use of Bullhooks as USDA-approved husbandry tools
“We’re not going to come to L.A. without our elephants,” said Stephen Payne, vice president of corporate communications for Feld Entertainment, the parent company for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. “The Asian elephant has been a symbol of Ringling Bros. for 144 years. We cannot bring them without using USDA-approved husbandry tools.” (LA Times, April 2014)
Animal rights activists argue that bullhooks are cruel and abusive. Circus producers have countered that such tools are needed to exhibit the animals safely and that banning them means banning the circus entirely. (LA Times, April 2014)
Share This
Latest News
Stay Tuned In
Be the first to know when new shows drop! Plus, get the hottest headlines, inspiring stories, and behind-the-scenes extras. Sign up and keep streaming!
you might also like
California's Chicken Rescue Trial has turned into a national tug of war over whether a woman who rescued four chickens from a slaughter truck is a criminal or a hero. Hollywood, California, September 30th, 2025 [...]
Life in a Sanctuary: a film that reveals the joys farmed animals experience when rescued from horror and given respect, kindness and freedom of choice. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. September 23rd, 2025 - When most people think [...]
Activists call for humane solutions as Turkey’s stray dogs face mass slaughter under the controversial “Massacre Law.” UnchainedTV Town Hall to Save Turkey's Stray Dogs Los Angeles, September 22nd, 2025 — In 2024, [...]