PETA Warns Tampa Mayor That Ringling Illegally Forces Crippled Elephants to Perform Stunts
For Immediate Release:
January 4, 2012
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Tampa, Flo. -- An "elephant" on crutches wearing a bloody bandage around her head will lead PETA's contingent of protesters on Wednesday as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus prepares for its opening show at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The action comes on the heels of a letter that Raising Hope star Cloris Leachman sent to Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn explaining that Ringling routinely forces sick and arthritic elephants to perform difficult tricks in its shows—which is a violation of Florida state law. Leachman joins PETA in asking the mayor to prohibit Ringling from using these ailing animals in its Tampa shows. As Leachman explains in her PETA video urging seniors not to take their families to the circus, arthritis is one of the leading reasons why captive elephants in the U.S. are euthanized.
When: Wednesday, January 4, 12 noon
Where: Tampa Bay Times Forum, Channelside Drive and Morgan Street, Tampa
"Forcing elephants to perform painful contortions despite ill health is cruel—and it could be a death sentence," says PETA Director Delcianna Winders. "We're telling families that if their children or grandchildren love animals, the last place they should go is this kind of circus."
For more information, please visit PETA.org.