A video shot by someone in the audience shows a handler with Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus' Red Unit hooking and striking an elephant named Luna with a bullhook weapon for not performing tricks in a timely manner which required her to rear up on her hind legs.
Dr. Mel Richardson, (an exotic-animal veterinarian), observed that Luna was stiff in one of her legs; a sign of painful arthritis, determined that Luna was most likely not feeling well and didn’t want to perform the trick, which required her to rear up on her hind legs. Luna was stuck, and pulled by the mouth with a bullhook, forced to preform. Dr. Richardson descibed the trainer's actions as "abusive".
Elephants with signs of illness and injury are precluded by law from performing.
Ringling has a history of violating the Animal Welfare Act and has already been slapped with the largest fine in circus historypaid the for dozens of violations of the AWA.
We ask the USDA to revoke Ringling's animal exhibitor license and pursue criminal charges against its trainers.
SOURCE: http://livinggreenmag.com/2012/10/22/people-solutions/new-video-of-ringling-trainer-hitting-elephant/
Tom Vilsack
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
Phone: (202) 720-2791
Email: http://ds.usda.gov/
Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Veterinary Services
Deputy Administrator Dr. John R. Clifford
USDA/APHIS/AC
4700 River Road, Unit 84
Riverdale,
MD 20737-1234
Phone: (301) 851-3751
Fax: (301) 734-4978
E-mail: ace@aphis.usda.gov
A video shot by someone in the audience shows a handler with Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus' Red Unit hooking and striking an elephant named Luna with a bullhook weapon for not performing tricks in a timely manner which required her to rear up on her hind legs.
Dr. Mel Richardson, (an exotic-animal veterinarian), observed that Luna was stiff in one of her legs; a sign of painful arthritis, determined that Luna was most likely not feeling well and didn’t want to perform the trick, which required her to rear up on her hind legs. Luna was stuck, and pulled by the mouth with a bullhook, forced to preform. Dr. Richardson descibed the trainer's actions as "abusive".
Elephants with signs of illness and injury are precluded by law from performing.
Ringling has a history of violating the Animal Welfare Act and has already been slapped with the largest fine in circus historypaid the for dozens of violations of the AWA.
We ask the USDA to revoke Ringling's animal exhibitor license and pursue criminal charges against its trainers.
