Tue, Feb 03, 2009 page7

• Trial to examine claims that circuses abuse elephants

  HUMANE? Animal rights groups say Ringling Bros chains elephants in boxcars for up to 70 hours at a time and prods them with bullhooks that leave scars

  • AP
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  After more than eight years of legal skirmishing, a trial is scheduled to open tomorrow in a lawsuit filed by animal welfare groups alleging that Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus routinely abuses its performing elephants.

  The plaintiffs — including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Welfare Institute — say that trainers’ use of sharp tools called bullhooks and the prolonged use of chains on the Asian elephants are an egregious violation of the federal Endangered Species Act.

  They seek an order from US District Court in Washington to halt the practices, which some activists hope would force Ringling Bros to give up elephants altogether.

  The non-jury trial before US District Judge Emmet Sullivan is expected to last three weeks.

  Ringling Bros and its parent company, Feld Entertainment, have defended themselves aggressively since the suit was filed in 2000, contending their treatment of all circus animals is state-of-the-art.

  Circus officials say government regulations permit the use of chains and that the elephants are chained in place at night to keep them from foraging their companions’ food and during train rides to prevent sudden weight shifts that might derail their freight car.

  The plaintiffs say Ringling Bros’ own train records show the elephants are chained in railroad boxcars for an average of more than 26 hours straight — and often 60 hours to 70 hours at a time — when the circus travels.

  The circus defends the use of bullhooks, saying the sharp tools have been used for centuries in Asia to control elephants humanely. Activists say the implements — which resemble long fire pokers — often inflict wounds that leave scars.

  Michelle Pardo, a lawyer for Feld Entertainment, said the defense would prove that the elephants “are healthy, alert and thriving.”

  “Animal special interest groups are distorting the facts by making false allegations about the treatment of Ringling Bros elephants as part of a long-running crusade to eliminate animals from circuses, zoos and wildlife parks,” Pardo said.

  In addition to four animal welfare groups, the plaintiffs include Tom Rider, a former Ringling Bros employee who says he repeatedly witnessed elephants being abused.

  “We look forward to showing at trial how the elephants are routinely hit with bullhooks and continuously chained in the hopes that this case will preclude Ringling Bros from mistreating these spectacular endangered animals ever again,” Rider said.

  His testimony will be supplemented by photographs, videos and internal Ringling Bros documentation that the plaintiffs say support the allegations of mistreatment.

  Much of the wrangling over the past eight years has dealt with access to circus veterinary documents and in-house videos.

  Overall, Ringling Bros has 54 elephants — many of them kept at an 80-hectare conservation center in Florida, while others are on tour. The circus says it spends US$60,000 annually on caring for each elephant and has three full-time veterinarians to look after them.

  The plaintiffs hope the lawsuit pressures Ringling Bros to stop using elephants in its shows and contend that many circus-goers have come to appreciate animal-free circuses.

  However, Ringling Bros says its audience surveys indicate the elephants are a favorite attraction.
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