PETA 'Pachyderm' to Hand Out Activity Books Following Exposé of Ringling's Violent Treatment of Baby Elephants
Pittsburgh, Penn. -- An "elephant" with a bloody bandage wrapped around a head wound will greet students as they leave Phillips Elementary School today. 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 Pittsburgh tonight—are jabbed with spiked metal bullhooks and beaten to make them perform tricks that are difficult, confusing, and sometimes painful.
When: Thursday, November 1, 2:35 p.m.
Where: Phillips Elementary School, 1915 Sarah St. (at the intersection of Sarah and S. 19th streets), Pittsburgh
"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. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently opened a formal investigation into Ringling for further violations of the AWA.
For more information, please visit PETA's website RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.