Tigers and lions usually live and travel in cages 4 feet by 6 feet. Early in their training according to Henery Ringling North , in his book , "The circus kings" , the big cats are "chained to their pedestals and ropes are put around their necks to choke them down. They work , from fear." Bears may have their noses broken while being trained , or have their paws burned to force them to stand on their hind legs.
A Hudson News reporter who traveled with Ringling Bros , circus , reported in an article dates August 8th 1986, that the sound of the trainers club repeatedly striking a chimpanzee , as well as the cimpanzee's screams , could be heard outside the arena building.
Because of the enormous size and strenght of elephants , most trainers rely on chains and fear to make them obey. Some elephants spend almost all their lives in chains. The well known Dumbo lived 20 yrs in "martingales" chains that ran from his tusks to his feet. In the wild the life exspectancy of elephants is the same as ours. In the circus many elephants die prematurally of disease and the stress of cofinment. Elephants in circuses are rebelling in attemps to escape their sad exsitences. Since 1990 elephants have killed at least 46 people and injured many more. In '94 an elephant killed her trainer , and injured 12 spectators before being gunned down with almost 100 bullets while running terrified through downtown Honolulu. In '94 office Blaye Doyle , who had to shoot 47 rounds into Janet , an elephant who charged out of the Great American circus arena , lamenated : "I think these elephants are trying to tell us , that zoos and circuses are not what God created them for. But we have not been listening." - Click here for a list of circus related animal attacks - Click here for more information on Ringling Bros. - Click here for circus scheduals - Click here to learn about circus tools of the trade - Click here to get more information , and find out what to do , when the circus comes to town. |
