PETA 'Pachyderm' to Hand Out Activity Books Following Exposé of Ringling's Violent Treatment of Baby Elephants
For Immediate Release:
October 16, 2012
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Cleveland, Ohio -- An "elephant" with a bloody bandage wrapped around a head wound will greet students as they arrive at Waverly Elementary School and others as they leave Scranton Elementary School tomorrow. The elephant will hand out activity booklets and explain to kids and their parents that elephants used by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—which will open in Cleveland tomorrow night—are jabbed with spiked metal bullhooks and beaten to make them perform tricks that are difficult, confusing, and sometimes painful.
Morning: 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 17, at Waverly Elementary School, 1810 W. 54th St. (at the intersection of W. 54th Street and Bridge Avenue), Cleveland
Afternoon: 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17, at Scranton Elementary School, 1991 Barber Ave. (at the intersection of Barber Avenue and Scranton Road), Cleveland
"If children knew how animals suffer behind the scenes, their smiles would quickly turn to frowns," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders.
PETA will share compelling photos with parents, which were taken inside Ringling's training center and expose how baby elephants used by Ringling are stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with steel-tipped bullhooks, and shocked with electric prods. These abusive sessions go on for several hours a day in order to force the baby elephants to learn to perform circus tricks out of fear of punishment.
Late last year, Ringling paid the largest fine in circus history—$270,000—for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
For more information, please visit PETA's website RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.