Animal circuses have long wanted us to believe that exotic animals that are forced to perform under the big top do so because they 'love' to perform. They wanted us to believe that circus animals are well cared for, and learn those unnatural and demeaning 'tricks' through 'reward systems' - and not through violence, and fear of punishment.
But seriously, how DO you get a wild 3.5 tonne animal to abandon its natural behaviours in favour of standing on her head in front of noisy crowds and gawking children? The late former Ringling Bros. elephant handler-turned-whistleblower Sam Haddock shines some light on the 'methods' used to break the spirits of baby elephants at the Ringling "conservation center" (elephant breeding and training centre) in Florida:
See more photos at RinglingBeatsAnimals.com
There is a reason it takes a whistleblower to get these images to the public. Tying up baby elephants, using electric prods and jabbing them with painful 'bull hooks' don't exactly make pretty pictures. Ringling and other animal circuses know that people would refuse to pay to see animals perform if they had any idea what really happens to these animals when the costumes come off and the audience goes home. And if you're hoping it might be any better for animals down under, think again...
John Le Mare, who is the Executive Secretary of the Circus Federation of Australia, claimed earlier this year that "There is no need to have [animals] doing anything other than variations on natural behaviour during play and socialisation". Fooled yet? He then said: "Ringling Bros Circus in the United States, for example, has its own elephant breeding program, and is likely to come up with new techniques for the care and training of many animals over the next year or so. That will push us to have another hard look at what we're doing here and improve animal welfare in Australian circuses even further by adopting some of those practices..."(source)
If Australia is taking animal welfare tips from notorious animal abusers like Ringling, then the future is bleak for the many remaining prisoners of Australia's animal circuses. These animals are relying on us. If you know anyone who attends animal circuses, please show them these pictures! And if you see an animal circus coming to your town, contact your local council immediately and ask them to follow the lead of other caring towns that have stood up to animal abuse and banned exotic animal circuses from performing on their land.
For the elephants <3
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here is a link to an interview with Sam Haddock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAyRHDPAws
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I'm definitely contacting my local council, yet again, next year before the circus arrived. It was just up the road from where i live that most recently a man died after an elephant sat on him. I'm hoping there was enough bad press on that to help prevent them coming back again.
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im waiting for the day i hear someone has poked and prodded one of these people just like they do to the elephants and others
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It's amazing how people find circuses entertaining, however i guess most people have no idea what goes on behind the curtains most of the time. I wish people were a lot more insightful when it comes to animals than they are.
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That baby elephant should be with its mother and the rest of the herd in a jungle roaming free.!!!!!!
Elephants,tigers,orangutans,rhinos,dolphins and whales where and when will it end.
Absolutely appalling.
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What a pack of liers and abusers they are.
They will rot in hell!!
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But the best way to stop this disgusting cruelty to animals in circuses is to protest outside the circus to let people know and then the governments must ban them. As the actual circuses are not going to stop.
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People are disgusting.
I cannot understand how anybody can bring themselves to treat animals this way. =/
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elephants are my personal favourite, and it tears me apart to look at these pictures! i do not support any circuses that use animals as an attraction. animals are not toys. they are living things just like humans. sad thing is.. they have more heart than a human being. save these poor helpless animals.
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WTF
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