The beginning of the end for the use of elephants in circuses
February 5th, 2009 by admin
For over three decades, the Endangered Species Act has protected animals and plants from extinction. Many of Florida’s best known animals, such as sea turtles, manatees and the Florida panther, enjoy protection under the Act. The Endangered Species Act makes it a crime to “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill” animals from listed species.
But circuses, including the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, do just that when they use sharp bull hooks to train and control endangered Asian elephants, and when they chain elephants in freight trains for up to 26 hours at a time.
That’s the argument that lawyers from animal welfare groups will be making in a lawsuit that began this week in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The trial has generated a lot of media attention. In an article in the Los Angeles Times, former Hollywood elephant trainer (and now anti-circus campaigner) Pat Derby said that circus trainers use bullhooks because they are effective. “You cannot train an elephant without force or fear and have them perform consistently, all the time,” Derby said. An article about the trial on Law.com noted what may happen if the plaintiffs win, “If Ringling Bros. loses its bench trial… many supporters on both sides believe it could spell the beginning of the end for the use of elephants in circuses.”
The trial is expected to continue for several weeks. You can find daily updates here.