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It's unsurprising that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been called out in the past for abusing their animals, but it's another thing to see it all on tape. PETA went undercover this year and captured Ringling workers on video beating and whipping elephants. The organization announced their findings today at a press conference (NY1 has footage), calling upon Madison Square Garden to ban the circus, or at least the use of animals in their show.
This summer expects to finally see a verdict in a lawsuit filed against Ringling, which centers around the circus's use of steel-barbed bullhooks, electric prods, and shackles on the elephants. PETA's new footage also shows abuse to the circus's tigers. They say workers struck animals on the head, face, ears, legs, and other parts of their bodies with bullhooks and other abusive handling tools. "The unit's animal superintendant and head elephant trainer were among those who used bullhooks—sharp, fireplace pokerlike devices—to hook and yank elephants by their sensitive skin." Their skin, by the way, is as sensitive as human's.
While this is all on tape, Ringling has thus far not commented on the footage and merely called PETA "an extremist animal rights group." Perhaps they need some prodding by a bullhook to get them talking.
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I shan't watch.
i saw the show at coney island last weekend and i can honestly say the elephant performance was a little uncomfortable.
they didnt look happy, one was nervous and struggling, and most of the crowd was in an unawkward silence.
Disturbing, but not very surprising.
Just as disturbing: MSG seems to have some extremely serious security failures if people are able to plant multiple cameras all over the facility.
Oh man. It's just like Critical Mass vs NYPD: two villains and I don't know who's worse. Ringling Brothers being a bunch of animal abusers (I was never taken to circuses as a child because my parents firmly believed animals could not be kept humanely in those circumstances). Then there's PETA, who claims to love animals but actually wants to completely eliminate certain classes of animals who are kept as pets. WHO SHOULD I HATE MORE?????
PETA wants society to stop using animals as commodity and respect their right to life and dignity. Why would you support those that abuse elephants?
Why would you reply to my comment without actually reading it?
Why deflect the issue of elephant abuse in NYC with you biases against PETA?
This is not about PETA but about the ELEPHANTS.
Agree with Felix
Don't do that. You'll hate yourself in the morning.
damn dude!
your case then is: fuck the elephants, Peta wants to take my pet away!
Way to go! Very generous of you with the victims IN THIS POST!
This is why I refuse to go to any of the Ringling Brothers Shit Shows.
one can get a pen spy cam for $30, technology is the great equalizer. forget the razor in a celly, it's the camera the po po should be worried about. duh duh duh duh.
Bike locks = more effective
i bet they feel like big men beating on majestic animals like elephants
they should be ashamed of themselves and thrown in jail
i don't care if a circus wants to make a freakshow out of acrobats and people, because they have the choice. animals should be eliminated from circuses
Scumbags.
Bloomberg and Quinn runs this city. There is no democracy and they don't represent our interest. All the hearings are farce since the votes are already in. Quinn uses the slush funds to buy city council members votes. No bill passes without Quinn's approval. Vote Quinn out. Without Quinn, Bloomberg won't be able to get his way. Quinn sold us all out. Quinn won't let the bill stop elephants performing in circuses in NYC. Quinn needs to go. She is the worst thing that happen in NYC
You're always with the "Bloomberg this" and the "Quinn that". Let me guess, in your dreams they're chasing poor Tom and Jerry around waving meat cleavers. Ringling has been around for more than a century. That's a lot of other mayors that overlooked the abuses of these spectacles...
Bloomberg provided Ringling brothers with rent free space in Coney Island. Bloomberg has no soul or compassion for any specie including his own unless they are rich or a corporation.
Bloomberg doesn't own the land the Coney Island Ringling Circus is on. It is owned by Taconic Investments.
how would bloomberg feel if it were his precious horsies being treated badly, his personal horsies.
.
THE BILL INTRO 389 WHICH WOULD BAN THE USE OF WILD ANIMALS IN THE CIRCUSES HAS THE MAJORITY BUT QUINN WON'T LET IT BE HEARED
http://webdocs.nyccouncil.info/textfiles/Int%200389-2006.htm?CFID=11561&CFTOKEN=81911561
Check if your council member supports the bill and if not then please call them to sponsor the bill
http://www.nylhv.org/
serves them right, this band of outlaw elephants are single-handedly destroying our planet. save the earth.
How much do cirrus workers get paid? Minimal wage? Look at the fools you bring in to take care of these animals.
Nauseating. Finally PETA has done something worthwhile.
Just sayin... If everyone stopped abusing animals who would pay the bills over at PETA?
If you mess with the carneys they will get you back... they dont play!
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/staten_island_pol_joins_fight.html
Staten Island pol joins fight to ban wild animal acts
What about all the wild humans on Staten Island? He should cage the humans and let the elephants roam free (except near Freshkills).
@gpoint Maybe they beat big Majestic Animals to compensate their small junks -lol.
I am sad.
Pretty sure they had it coming...you rarely see the whole story.
So we agree that you deserve to be slapped across the face. With a comment like that, you had it coming.
I am so sick right now. You can see that one elephant looking directly at her abuser probably wondering why she lives in hell :'(
When are they going to stop the madness of circus animal and zoo confinements?
There's a really big distinction between using animals, and abusing them. This falls squarely in the later camp. PETA may be a bunch of blowhards, but in this case they've done some solid investigation that points out a terrible situation.
Consumers drive corporate behavior. There are alternative options to Ringling Bros like Cirque du Soleil which is a lot more entertaining.
Can someone explain why these elephants don't fight back and squash one of these "trainers"?
Unless they've been abused since they were young (which I recognize is likely), I don't see why these elephants wouldn't just smack the crap out of these "trainers".
Even domesticated dogs and cats wouldn't take this kind of treatment from their owners without a fight. Right?
The "trainers" beat the elephants before they head to the stage to perform so when the ringmaster shows the elephants the bullhook then the elephants perform since they associate it to the beating they received a few minutes in the backstage. Wild animals don't respond to positive reinforcement so the "trainers" beat them to submission and use fear to control them. Fear can control the largest animals and control a whole population of people to do their bidding
Like the fear that PETA uses to promote its hypocritical message?
same reason a majority of people live in this country and struggle to make a living while a small minority fly around in jets and never work a day in their lives. same reason those same people don't hold our goverment accountable for using the military to kill tens of thousands of people in iraq under a false pretense.
fear. you fight back and you will be put down.
I dont know why people HATE peta - they are exposing truth that the public would never know about. they deserve support
People hate PETA b/c a human could be tortured to death right in front of them, and unless it's some half-animal hybrid, they won't bat an eye. They do wonderful things and have the best of intentions when trying to protect animals, but they always seem to forget that if you're going to lecture humans, you need to care about their needs and realities. They don't seem to understand that poor people will eat whatever is given to them rather than scrutinize for a vegan-only diet. Pretty much they're barely more rational than eco-terrorists.
And there are so many awesome animal rights orgs that don't get the attention PETA does because PETA is always in the limelight. Not to mention the founder of PETA is completely batshit and believes that keeping dogs as pets is unnatural and cruel.
What the fuck are you talking about? You are one of those very simple minds that think caring for animals goes against caring for humans? And you think you are remotely smart? Dumb is not a good point for humans.
Lack of reading comprehension isn't a good point for humans either. To clarify for all the utter fucktards (they came out in force!) on this thread: RINGLING BROTHERS is evil and beats their elephants. In fact, using wild animals as hostage performers is evil in and of itself. It seems like just about everyone agrees on this yet we still have a comment thread full of dumbasses calling each other animal abusers.
Did I use small enough words this time, or does my dislike of PETA and their tactics mean I secretly attend the circus? Oh, and I also grab a bullwhip and start beating on the elephants. It's a good show.
Anybody who knows anything about animal rights knows that circuses and just about every other animal show are abusive in their very nature. They should be banned. I believe in personal responsibility for people but animals can't speak for themselves - we have to speak for them. It doesn't help that the movement tears itself apart.
Elephants do stomp on trainers, all the time. When they go "rogue" they know right where to go and who to stomp on. You've seen the When Animals Attack shows. When the elephants fight back they get killed. So they cannot win.
Geeeeeez man.
I saw the Coney Island Circus and the animal acts were a complete bore. These circus's don't need the animal acts. The kids and adults in attendance cheered more for the acrobats, clowns, aerial acts and every act performed by a human being. It's time to change.
The only memorable aspect of a ringling bros. show that involved an animals or animals was one of them taking a huge shit. A memory I want to forget. Thanks a lot PETA I'm going to blame you for this because I think you're in some way responsible.
I saw the PETA signs and protesters at Coney Island a month ago and thought pshaw. Now I feel really bad for those animals. This kind of circus should be history.
One of the saddest things I've seen in a while.
On a side note to my responses to Felix (which, I admit, is just me having fun at his expense), what they're doing to those elephants is not right. Like Felix said in one post (please God, kill me for agreeing with him), animals do not respond to positive reinforcement. So, back in the day, the only way to show the world all of the exotic animals that inhabit it was to do what these guys do. Now that the world has near-lightspeed communication, there's just no need for it anymore. Either watch NatGeo or go to the zoo.
Don't mention the zoo, Felix will go apeshit on you.
Ringling Brothers: The Cruelest Show on Earth. In the film "Earthlings" there is some additional footage of circuses that is even more disturbing. What kind of person must you be in order to allow yourself to inflict pain on another living thing. It is also frustrating, that even in the general progressive movement, animal rights activist groups like Peta, are considered "sentimentalists." It's their way of continuing to be able to live with themselves. I'm always disheartened by any instance of animal cruelty.
I'm not a fan of PETA but this is fucked up.
Animal's should not be used for human entertainment.
Humans use and ABUSE animals for their own monetary gains with no ethical considerations!
Circuses using animals should be illegal!
Anybody that justifies abuse of animals are truly deranged!
This video shows what most like to ignore: human cruelty with no responsibility.
Perhaps the good folks at Gothamist should remember this video the next time they post info advertising/glorifying the annual Ringling Bros. "Elephant Walk" thru the Queens Midtown Tunnel.
Just sayin'.
can you get over your hate for Peta, and see what is going on here? Would that hurt your feelings and your hate against Peta!
Egotistical moron! the facts are here and you continue with your vacuous tirade? Very very useless, pointless and yes, diluting the issue at HAND!
And the other possibility: Ringling horribly wrong, PETA (despite a good job in this revelation) also so wrong so many times. While I love my fur hat, fishing, Prime Rib and lobster, I would never patronize circuses, sea-mammal shows or "swim with the dolphins". To me, elephants for amusement NO WAY. For work animals in Asia as they have been for centuries, okay. Same with the big cats, killer whales, dolphins, etc. Bikini Tropic waitstaff, however, are fair game.
If you care sign the petition!
http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com/
Also please contact your city council to support the bill to ban wild animals in circuses in NYC
Have to agree, FTC2, makes sense and already have.
If you want to be even more infuriated, watch the video then contrast what you see there with the outrageous pack of lies in RB&B&B's official "Animal Care FAQ".
The whole thing is a sickening read but these are the two that made me really nauseous. I hope the NYAG's office launches an investigation into animal cruelty on these fucks.
Do you mistreat your animals?
• No. Just watch our animals and their handlers interact and you will see the wonderful bond between them.
• You will also notice the animals’ vitality and muscle tone and their interest in their
surroundings—all signs of well adjusted healthy animals that receive excellent care,
nutrition and stimulation.
How does Ringling Bros. train its animals?
• Because the performances are based on what the animals do during play and
socialization, training is simply a matter of encouraging the elephants to do what comes naturally on cue to music. We accomplish that by reinforcing their natural behaviors through repetition and reward.
• And, because the trainers provide the animals with a stable, rewarding environment, the animals eagerly learn to repeat their behaviors in sequence and on verbal cue.
I think its about time for another good 'elephant's go berserk and crush their trainers video'.
They should go to hell with a rod cramped in every hole of there being.
Notice I didn't put human in front of that.
Just for the heck,
Did I say I hate Bloomie?
I didn't see any abuse.
Tapping a 16 ton elephant with toothbrush is abuse?
They have 12 inch thick skin.
Think how it would feel if you punch a knight in armor. Your fist would hurt and he wouldn't feel a thing.
Why not turn those elephants over to PETA. PETA is known for gassing animals to death. Oh, but that's not abuse since they're dead.
You should make sure you know what you're talking about before you make stupid comments. An elephant's skin is as sensitive--in fact MORE sensitive--than a human's. An elephant can feel something as light as a fly landing on its skin. So how would you like to get beaten with steel rod??? Maybe have a hook poked into your face and get dragged around a little bit? I'm guessing you wouldn't love it... neither do elephants. Regardless of whether or not PETA sucks, this is ABUSE.
You're misinformed, slny. Elephants are extremely intelligent and they also cry when they are abused. They hurt.
Yes, they, along with whales, dolphins, monkeys are smart.
But to survive in the wild jungle, elephants and other wild animals have to have thick skin.
Thanks for being the only one not attacking.
Snly, Piece of shit! that's what you have for a head!
phew!
I feel much better now.
Seeing all these un-provoked, nasty personal attacks.
So, you guys represent PETA.
I definately fee better now knowing I'm right.
Thank you all for this new found support.
The skin of the elephant is not particularly thick, except over the back and sides where it can be 2-3 cm thick. An elephant's skin is very sensitive to the sun, and most babies are constantly shadowed by their mothers to avoid bad sun burns. To aid in helping to protect their skin, elephants will wallow in mud and cover themselves with dirt.
MR SMART!
So now that you vendetta against Peta has been uncovered, kill all those that defend animals, and also the animals!
Voila!
You Paranoid Imbecile. If you came for a nickname, there you have. What a cause you have!
This video made me cry. :(
He keeps beating the elephant, even though it's not misbehaving. Very brave to beat an animal who has probably been raised under such abuse all their lives.
I've only been to the circus once and they didn't have an animal act, but I remember going to an amusement park who had an elephant and feeling very sad about how miserable she looked.
Slny-I didn't mean my response as a personal attack. I'm not a fan of PETA. But your blatant ignorance of what is obviously abuse in this video is very upsetting. Just think you should do your research before you make assumptions, that's all.
Slny-I didn't mean my response as a personal attack. I'm not a fan of PETA. But your blatant ignorance of what is obviously abuse in this video is very upsetting. Just think you should do your research before you make assumptions, that's all.