Animal Advocates Cry Foul on Circus Practices

In anticipation of tonight's Elephant Walk and Ringling Bros.' Madison Square Garden stay until April 6, a number of animal advocates held a rally outside MSG today to support City Council Introd. 389, which would prohibit "the display of wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement."

“We have been educating the City Council about the plight of wild animals in the circus for the last two years and Intro 389 is now a bi-partisan effort sponsored by 21 members of the 51-member Council,” said League of Humane Voters of NYC executive director John Phillips, who also urged New Yorkers to get their city council members to support it. The Humane Society's NY State Director Patrick Kwan praised how the bill aims "to end the cruel transport, abusive training, and inhumane conditions of elephants and other endangered or threatened animals in circuses."

Here's some background on the bill (introduced by City Council member Rosie Mendez) from the LHVNYC (PDF) -- the Wildlife Conservation Society's zoos (like the Bronx and Central Park zoos) are exempt, because they are educational institutions which teach people how animals behave and interact - the Bronx Zoo is actually phasing out its elephant exhibit. Here's information from the Humane Society about issues with circuses and animal-free circuses.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 18, 2008 3:39 PM

Comments [rss]

beainnocent

as one of the people in that photo. Yes I had to take the day off from work. A very busy job at that. 90% of us have jobs that were there that day.

Nick, it must be nice to pretend you are too busy at work to not stand up for your principles.

Albert Sharpton

Elephants have no rights. We are their master, and they will obey us.

coopman

Please take a moment to look at the websites of The Elephant Sanctuary (www.elephants.com) and the PAWS Sanctuary (www.pawsweb.org). Both were founded to provide refuge to elephants (and in the case of PAWS, other animals) who were abused in circuses and zoos. You can read the bios of the animals now living at both sanctuaries. Once you read the information, it becomes apparent what horrendous conditions circus animals live under. In this day and age, it is hard to believe anyone would bring their children to the circus under the guise of entertainment. Perhaps we could all urge the City Council to pass the bill outlawing circuses in NYC.

Godscre

All who abuse animals will be held accountable to their Creator (as we all will be).

"No created thing is hidden from him; everything is uncovered and stretched fully open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves." Hebrews 4:13

Ringling Bros. may have been in the business of abusing animals under the guise of 'entertainment', but God sees everything and is the judge. Hopefully justice will finally be done on earth for these innocent creaturess while we are still in this greedy world.

robingee

I agree. Seeing elephants walking thru Manhattan makes you realize that they DON'T belong in this environment. It's not just a "fun circus" - it's treating animals badly and making them live their lives iin tiny cages, doing tricks for humans. It's gross. And it's time to evolve beyond this.

nonumentalart

what is new york becoming san francisco? its an effing circus...their fun

matty

I think barnum and bailey is anachronistic at best.

JacqueMehoff

what an interesting cross section of our city.

in other news, did anyone catch that fight on fox5?

Latino dude busted two irish boys. beer guts only gets you so far.

must be nice to get March 17th off every year.

Nick S

probably not.

VanessaNYC

Good for them.

Nick,

You know it's possible that they took the afternoon off work in order to stand up for their principles. That is a possibility for all of us.

Nick S

ah, it must be nice to not have a job and have your tuesday afternoons open for stuff like this.

maevemealone

The elephant sanctuary in Hohenwald TN is based mostly on elephants rescued from one particular corporation that leased elephants small circuses. Their story can be read here:http://www.elephants.com/lota/...

Researching that corporation shows that almost every elephant rampage in recent years involved one of this company's animals. If the elephant survived the rampage, they still returned the elephant to other shows.

Its long, but start at the bottom and read up. And then read the elephant stories and watch the camera to see how happy these elephants are today.

petebfd

@mihow

i like that idea. if only we knew someone with basic computer hacking skills. skills man! skills!

ed_Extinct

ON SALE!

http://www.foulmouthshirts.com/offensive-t-shirts/P.E.T.A.%20People%20Eating%20Tasty%20Animals%20T-shirt.htm

mihow

Instead of protesting the circus, they should educate the people paying top dollar to go to the circus. Kill the demand, kill the supply.

Pay off someone at Tickemaster to get the email address of everyone who purchased circus tickets over the last several years. Write compelling email letting them know how inhumane the circus is. Maybe they'd lose some customers that way? That'd have to be one very thoughtfully composed email, one that doesn't preach, I imagine.

Anyway...

(Yeah, listen to me write like I have any freaking clue what I'm talking about)