Elephants are highly intelligent animals who live in close family units within large herds. Strong bonds exist between family members and there is a lifetime attachment between mother and daughters. In the wild, while roaming free, elephants walk 20-25 miles a day seeking and selecting food and water where they can drink, bathe, play, swim and socialize.
Captured baby elephants sold to circuses are brutally uprooted from their family and homeland. Chained and beaten, the ruthless process of breaking their spirit begins. They are then doomed to live the remainder of their lives as shackled prisoners, victims of human greed.
Unchained to “perform” or for staged public viewing, these pachyderms are again chained by two or more legs and confined to a spot no larger than an automobile. I have watched elephants for hours pulling, gnawing and straining in hopeless frustration.
In viewing the unloading of elephants from a Ringling Bros. circus train in San Diego, the animals appeared exhausted. They were abruptly and callously unloaded and looked like empty shells devoid of life, their noble spirit long broken from many years of misuse and abuse. They would squeal mournful, eerie cries of distress and appeared dehydrated, some frothing at the mouth, trunks frantically sniffing for water ” though none was given.
One elephant had what appeared to be a tumor-like protrusion on her right side. Some had open wounds. Their feet were in deplorable condition, toes crusted with feces and the cuticle badly in need of treatment. Handlers used bull hooks repeatedly to forcefully reprimand the elephants who were simply trying to quickly do what was required of them.
The inadequate USDA regulations do not really protect the animals. The reason is clear: the circus community helped set those minimal regulations.
The neurotic behaviors exhibited by elephants are telltale signs of unceasing stress. Elephants are denied every basic normal expression of life; even their natural impulse to walk is thwarted by crippling chains. How many more elephants must be driven mad to amuse an uninformed public, all under the guise of “education and entertainment”?
As the animal welfare community continues this educational campaign about circus animal life, we are encouraged by signs of change. Knowledgeable circus employees have whispered to us on the side, “Keep it up, it’s working.”
Truth is on our side. And we pray that soon these animals will be released to live in a natural environment where they can swim, play, eat, drink and sleep without restraint ” where for the first time in their lives they can freely walk without chains.
” Florence Lambert is the founder of the Elephant Alliance.