Tonka and Luna need your help! These elephants have been traveling with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for almost 18 years. Day after day, they have been chained, yelled at, beaten with bullhooks, dragged around in filthy, cramped boxcars, and forced to perform tricks that they would never normally do. They've been deprived of their freedom and everything that is natural and important to them, so it's no wonder that after years of abuse, they are depressed, restless, and angry. Apparently, Tonka and Luna are now considered to be too dangerous and unpredictable to walk from the train to the arena with the other elephants, which denies them the brief chance to get some fresh air, stretch their legs, and walk after spending up to several days in boxcars.
Dr. Chester Gipson,Please remove Tonka and Luna from travel. No animal deserves to be beaten or deprived of their freedom. Let them run free, get some fresh air, and stretch their legs! Cruelty to animals is wrong in every way.The circus is no place for elephants%u2014or any other animal for that matter! In the wild, elephants roam for many miles a day, play in the mud, swim in ponds, and spend time with their loved ones. But elephants in the circus never get to do any of these things.
Retire Tonka and Luna!! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read this letter.
