Nosey.
The Liebling Bros. Circus is a small circus that travels with one female African elephant named Nosey (sometimes called “Tiny”), a few horses and two monkeys. (photo: Nosey in chains, April 2009)

Nosey is used for elephant rides, despite a history of dangerous behavior. In 2004, the elephant knocked a worker down during an appearance in Iowa. The worker suffered a head injury that required stitches.

In March 2009, one of the circus' monkeys escaped from his cage before a circus performance at a flea market in Fruitland Park (the monkeys are dressed-up like cowboys and strapped-onto a horse during the show). Reggie, a spider monkey, enjoyed his freedom in the wilds of Lake County for one month before being recaptured.

The elephant and monkeys travel together in a filthy, rust-covered trailer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has repeatedly cited the Liebling Bros. Circus for deficiencies regarding its animals. For example, in June 2009 a USDA inspector visited the circus during a stop in South Carolina and found that Nosey was tethered by two short chains that “severely limited” the elephant’s movement; for over 10 hours Nosey was unable to stand normally. The inspector also noted the elephant’s “extremely poor skin” (Nosey's cracked and thickened skin has been a recurring problem for the circus). During the inspection, the circus was also cited for leaving a monkey unattended and tethered on a pony's back for an hour.

In April 2009 the USDA conducted an inspection of the Liebling Bros. Circus during a performance at an outlet mall in Orlando. In his report, the inspector wrote about the tight chains around Nosey's ankles, "This elephant could not make any movements forward or backward, and is only restricted to movements only a few feet from side to side." (photo: Nosey's filthy travel trailer, January 2009)

In October 2005, the Liebling Bros. Circus entered into a Settlement Agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was assessed a civil penalty of $2,885 for multiple violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, including failure to establish and maintain programs of veterinary care, housing monkeys in a truck with insufficient light and poor sanitation, and in cages that did not allow "for normal postural movements."

You Can Help. Please contact ARFF if you learn of the Liebling Family Circus, or any circus with elephants or other exotic animals, coming to a town near you.

Dondi.
Dondi is a female Asian elephant who was born in 1974 in Thailand and shortly after brought to the United States to perform. Each winter, Dondi performs and gives rides at Flea World, a flea market in Sanford (10 miles north of Orlando) and at Santa's Enchanted Forest, a Christmas festival in Miami. (photo: Dondi, October 2007)

You Can Help. Other acts at Flea World have included a comedy act, acrobats and magicians. At Flea World there is also an amusement park featuring bumper cars, miniature golf and a game arcade. Clearly, Flea World can still provide quality entertainment to its patrons without exploiting animals. Please contact Sydney and Marianne Levy, the owners of Flea World, and ask them not to feature exotic animal acts in the future at Flea World. Contact:

Sydney and Marianne Levy, Owners
Flea World
4311 South Orlando Drive
Orlando, FL 32773
Phone: (407) 330-1792
Fax: (407) 321-5792
E-mail: rentals@fleaworld.com, syd@unitedtrophy.com (you must put the word "fleaworld" in the subject line for your e-mail to be delivered)