http://www.api4animals.org/290.htmVideotapes and publications from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), experts in animal behavior and veterinary medicine, provide solid documentation of cruelty behind the scenes. Respected animal welfare organizations have also documented these abuses and called on the Circus Industry to discontinue exotic animal acts. Circuses that visit Denver have been fined and cited many times. For example:
* A baby elephant was forced to perform while seriously ill, and died following the show. Ringling Bros. was charged with violating the Animal Welfare Act, but settled out of court for $20,000. (Report by the ASPCA, The Fund for Animals, and Animal Welfare Institute "Government-Sanctioned Abuse: How the United States Department of Agriculture allows Ringling Bros. to Systemically Mistreat Elephants")
* An endangered Bengal tiger was shot five times with a 12-gauge shotgun while locked in his cage, in retribution for having attacked another trainer. (Confirmed by John Kirtland, Ringling Bros.’ Executive Director of Animal Stewardship, Denver City Council hearing January 12, 2004)
* Animals taken from the wild, where they develop close family bonds and range over vast territories, instead endure a life of constant travel and confinement in small cages, chains, and boxcars. Of the 60 elephants used by Ringling Bros. alone, 44 were captured from the wild. (Captures from wild: Asian Elephant North American Regional Studbook)
* Wild and exotic animals such as elephants and big cats are not naturally submissive to any other species. Training them requires often brutal methods of establishing dominance. The traditional method of "breaking" an elephant is to chain and beat the animal repeatedly until the animal’s spirit is broken.
* Wild and exotic animals in circuses, including those that visit Denver, have rampaged and attacked due to stress and abuse, causing injury and death to themselves, bystanders, and even their own trainers. Exotic animal incidents in the U.S. have averaged more than one per month over the last two years.
* Recently, MasterCard joined General Mills, Sears, and Visa in ending its sponsorship of abusive circuses.
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http://www.animaldefense.com/Circus.htmlRingling Bros.: An Inhumane Circus
Contrary to their PR rhetoric, Ringling Brothers has a long, sordid history of animal mistreatment. Consider:
• In January, 1998 Ringling (RB) forced Kenny, a baby elephant, to perform even though he was known to be ill. Kenny died hours later. Also in January, RB trainer Graham Chipperfield killed a caged tiger with 5 shotgun blasts after the animal earlier attacked another trainer. Elephant Standing in Chains
• RB told the LA Times that animals are "never trained with whips and beatings" even though they had been caught on videotape beating elephants and had even struck elephants in front of government inspectors.
• RB has been out of compliance with minimal government standards for humane animal care well over 80 times during the past 7 years. This includes keeping dogs in boxes so small that "they could not stand, sit or lie down," and for a lack of exercise plans and veterinary records. Expired drugs have been found in RB's pharmacy trailer on at least 3 occasions.
• Federal inspectors reported that RB has transported animals in railcars with "torn jagged metal... leaving sharp points and edges- (and) the floor of (the) rail was in severe disrepair."
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http://www.rtis.com/touchstone/sept01/22.HTMCircus Hell Continues
by Colin Allen
For the past four years, Ringling Bros. Circus has been a regular fixture at Texas A&M's Reed Arena, and elephants are strongly featured in the local show. Local Bryan/College Station residents and groups concerned about animal welfare have picketed the circus in the past. Now, with yet another citation of a prominent Ringling Bros. animal trainer for animal abuse, there is reason for renewed concern about Ringling Brothers' treatment of animals.
Ringling's Mark Oliver Gebel was cited by California authorities this September for elephant abuse. Gebel was cited for striking a female Asian elephant, leaving an open wound behind the elephant's ear on her left shoulder with a bull hook. Although elephants are commonly thought to have strong hides, experts say their skin is extremely sensitive.
Gebel had previously been cited in the premature death of a 3-year old Ringling Bros. elephant, "Kenny," who was made to perform when he was sick. According to documents obtained by the ASPCA under the Freedom of Information Act, Gebel ignored the advice of Ringling's own veterinarian, who had determined that Kenny was too ill to perform. Ringling Bros. was also recently cited by the Department of Agriculture for inhumane treatment of baby elephants at its training facility in Florida.
Gebel is son of legendary Ringling Bros. animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams, who has been singled out for criticism in previous Touchstone coverage of animal abuses at Ringling Brothers (see "Ringling Brothers: "The Greatest Hell On Earth", by Frances DeGelia and Betsy McFarland,
http://www.rtis.com/touchstone/summer98/ringling.html). Writing in TheTouchstone, DeGelia and McFarland also brought attention to abuse of horses at the Sterling and Reid Brothers and Franzen Brothers Circus when it visited College Station in 1998,leading eventually to charges and conviction in California of circus co-owner Brian Franzen for animal cruelty (see www.rtis.com/touchstone/april98/circus.htm and www.rtis.com/touchstone/november98/letters.htm).
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http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/columnists/robert_trussell/6729000.htm?1cRingling has been investigated 16 times since 1990, according to Rogers. No violations were found in 11 cases, and letters of warning were issued in three others -- one for failing to provide sufficient cage space for dogs in 1992; and another in 1998 for "failure to euthanize...in accordance with a program of veterinary care" when a trainer killed a tiger with a shotgun after the cat mauled the trainer's brother.
Two cases involving an ill elephant that was required to perform twice before a veterinarian could examine the animal were combined, Rogers said. As a result, Feld Entertainment agreed in 1998 to contribute $10,000 to elephant conservation and another $10,000 to animal research in lieu of a fine. The ASPCA contends that the elephant was a baby that was forced to perform three times in one day.
snip
The report includes accounts of the drowning death of a 4-year-old elephant in Texas in 1999; cases of elephants with unreported cases of tuberculosis at Feld Entertainment's breeding facility in Florida; elephant performers, including juveniles, receiving frequent beatings; and baby elephants being separated from their mothers prematurely. In each case, the report alleges, the USDA found no violation despite physical evidence and eyewitness testimony to the contrary.
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http://www.circuses.com/ringlingfactsheet.htmlRingling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Ringling paid $20,000 to settle U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) charges of failing to provide veterinary care to a dying baby elephant. The USDA has also cited Ringling for failure to possess records of veterinary care, failure to provide animals with sufficient space, failure to provide animals with exercise, and endangering tigers who were nearly baked alive in a boxcar because of poor maintenance of their enclosures. In less than two years, two baby elephants died, a caged tiger was shot to death, a horse who was used despite a chronic medical condition died during Ringling's traditional animal march, and a wild-caught sea lion was found dead in her transport container. Of the 60 elephants touring with Ringling and kept at its Florida compounds, 44 were captured in the wild. At least 18 elephants have died since 1992. Contact PETA for documentation.
July 13, 2004: According to an affidavit by former Ringling lion handler Frank Hagan, a 2-year-old lion named Clyde died after traveling through the intense heat of the Mojave Desert in a poorly ventilated boxcar without being checked or given water. The lion is believed to have died from heatstroke and dehydration.
May 11, 2004: Two Ringling horses were struck by a freight train as they were being unloaded from the circus train near Dayton, Ohio. One horse died instantly, and the other was euthanized at the scene.
December 22, 2002: A 57-year-old endangered Asian elephant named King Tusk was euthanized because of osteoarthritis. Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanasia of captive elephants.
November 7, 2002: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to have four elephants tested for tuberculosis. The inspector wrote, ''TB is a disease that is dangerous to both man and animals. Animals must be tested in a timely manner for their protection as well as for their handlers.'' Ringling was also cited for failure to store food in a manner that protects it from contamination.
October 6, 2002: Veterinarian Gretchen Steininger, hired by Ringling to provide medical care and defend its use of animals, as reported in the Macomb Daily, while the circus was in Michigan, was fined $500 and reprimanded for negligence and incompetence by the Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services on June 22, 2002.
September 26, 2002: According to The Salt Lake Tribune, a Ringling acrobat was arrested and jailed in Idaho on charges of sexual battery against a 16-year-old girl. The acrobat allegedly dragged the victim back into his sleeping quarters, slammed the door, and assaulted her. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service also ordered the acrobat to be held.
February 21, 2002: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to dispose of expired medication, for improper feeding, and for poor sanitation.
August 25, 2001: California humane officers charged Mark Oliver Gebel, son of animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams, with cruelty to animals for striking and wounding an endangered Asian elephant with a sharp metal bullhook. Gebel allegedly inflicted the injury when the elephant, named Asia, hesitated before entering the performance ring at the Compaq Center in San Jose, Calif.
August 24, 2001: Ringling was fined $200.00 by the city of San Jose, Calif., for allowing a yak to run at large and cause a public nuisance.
August 20, 2001: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide access for inspection of animals, records, and property at its retirement center.
August 17, 2001: According to The Wichita Eagle, Ringling failed to secure a date at the Kansas Coliseum because of concerns about its declining circus attendance.
June 1, 2001: A 7-year-old endangered Bengal tiger named Jasmine was euthanized due to chronic renal disease. The circus did not announce this death.
May 25, 2001: A 34-year-old endangered Asian elephant named Birka stored at Ringling's breeding compound was euthanized due to abdominal neoplasia. The circus did not announce this death.
May 6, 2001: Ringling subjected a tiger in advanced stages of pregnancy to stressful conditions associated with transport. Four tiger cubs were born on the road while the circus was performing in Columbus, Ohio.
May 3, 2001: The USDA cited Ringling for improper food storage.
April 30, 2001: An endangered Asian elephant died due to marked osteoarthritis. Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanasia in captive elephants. The circus did not announce this death.
April 12, 2001: An endangered Asian elephant was euthanized due to "old age." The circus did not announce this death.
April 8, 2001: According to The New York Times, a Ringling spokesperson admitted that a trainer who had been videotaped tormenting elephants was still on elephant duty.
March 7, 2001: An endangered Bengal tiger was euthanized because of tumors in her ear canals and sinuses. The circus did not announce this death.
February 20, 2001: The USDA cited Ringling for improper food storage.
2001: Ringling's red unit is leasing five elephants, including its star attraction, a male elephant named Bo, from the George Carden Circus. On May 1, 2001, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported that two George Carden Circus employees had pleaded guilty to cruelty to animal charges in provincial court in St. John's, Newfoundland, and that each had been fined $200. The charges were brought after investigators found bears kept in filthy, undersized cages for 23 hours a day. The judge stated that he wished the legislation were stronger so that he could penalize the defendants more and suggested that people stay away from the circus.
November 10, 2000: A Ringling employee was arrested in Rosemont, Ill., after police identified him from a fingerprint left behind when he allegedly mugged an Ohio woman at knifepoint a month earlier. The circus worker, who had been convicted of aggravated burglary and drug abuse in 1989, was suspected of committing a string of recent armed muggings.
September 7, 2000: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide adequate veterinary care. The inspector wrote, "There is no documentation maintained on elephants that have minor lesions, scars, or abrasions. É Records of medical treatment were not available on the camel that recently had both rear feet caught in a train track."
Ringling was also cited for storing the animals' food near toxic substances and failure to maintain transport enclosures that could not be properly cleaned and sanitized.
September 6, 2000: The USDA cited Ringling for failing to provide veterinary care to an elephant named Tillie who has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Tillie, who is owned by Patricia Zerbini, is under the care of Ringling's Williston facility and commingled with other elephants, which puts them at risk for infection or re-infection. (See December 17, 1998.)
August 5, 2000: An endangered Bengal tiger was euthanized due to degenerative osteoarthritis. The circus did not announce this death.
July 12, 2000: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide adequate care in transit, failure to provide drinking water, and failure to maintain transport enclosures. The inspector wrote, "
nimals must be visually observed at least every four hours. É Tiger transport vehicle is inaccessible as long as train is in motion. É t is not clear if the opportunity to water the tigers every 12 hours is available. É Tiger transport design has allowed excessively high temperatures during routine transport. É Vent failure pushed these temperatures to a point of immediate danger to the animals."
July 5, 2000: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to maintain the structural strength of its tiger enclosures. Two tigers had injured themselves attempting to escape cages in which an excessive rise in temperature occurred when faulty vent doors blew shut. One tiger tore at the cage, tearing the track from the door and breaking off a tooth. A tiger in another enclosure suffered an injury above the eye caused by the same faulty vent-door problem.
June 16, 2000: USDA spokesperson Jim Rogers told the Austin American-Statesman that the agency has two investigations pending against Ringling Bros. for possible AWA violations.
June 13, 2000: According to congressional testimony provided by former Ringling Bros. barn man Tom Rider, " live in confinement, and they are beaten all the time when they don't perform properly. ... When I became disturbed about the treatment of the elephants, the continual beatings, including the baby Benjamin, I was told," That's discipline."'
June 10, 2000: An endangered Asian elephant was euthanized due to degenerative osteoarthritis. Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanizing captive elephants. The circus did not announce this death.
May 22, 2000: A horse found suffering from life-threatening colic as the Ringling train was traveling through Pennsylvania had to wait three hours for treatment while employees searched for a large-animal veterinarian.
April 17, 2000: In comments submitted to the USDA, Ringling opposes language in the agency's "Draft Policy on Training and Handling of Potentially Dangerous Animals" that reads, "Hot shots, shocking collars, or shocking belts should not be used for training or to handle the animals during exhibition, and any such use will be closely scrutinized. An ankus may not be used in an abusive manner that causes wounds or other injuries."'
February 22, 2000: Ringling was cited for failure to maintain a transport-shift cage for the tigers because it had a hole in the floor. The USDA also cited Ringling for failure to provide minimum space for the dogs and failure to identify dogs and cats with USDA tags.
January 28, 2000: Ringling's attendance fell an estimated 75 percent in the last decade. A Ringling news release stated, "More than 1 million Chicagoland residents and 30 million other Americans visited Ringling Bros. in the last three years ." In his 1993 book Two Hundred Years of the American Circus, circus historian Tom Ogden wrote Ringling was seen by "an estimated 40 million people annually."
November 19, 1999: The Chicago Tribune reported, "Last ThursdayÕs performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the 16,000-seat Allstate Arena was so small that two of the three rings were playing to rafts of empty seats. Attendees at several other first-week performances reported similarly small houses."
November 9, 1999: The USDA cited Ringling (for the second time) for tiger cages in need of repair. The inspector noted an elephant with chronic arthritis was continuously housed on concrete instead of a more comfortable surface such as rubber for large hoofed animals.
A female Asian elephant named Teetchie with a history of thin body condition and who tested positive for tuberculosis on September 11, 1999, was euthanized on October 28, 1999.
October 28, 1999: A 52-year-old endangered Asian elephant named Teetchie was euthanized due to multiple joints affected by osteoarthritis and an M. tuberculosis infection of the lung. Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanasia in captive elephants. The circus did not announce this death.
September 1999: Two frightened zebras who were tethered together escaped twice from their handler and ran toward a main street while being transferred from the arena between performances in San Jose, Calif.
July 26, 1999: Benjamin, a 4-year-old endangered baby elephant who had been removed from his mother before she could teach him to swim, drowned when he stepped into a pond while the circus was traveling through Texas. According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, Benjamin was removed from his mother when he was only 1 year old.
May 27, 1999: The USDA cited Ringling for tiger cages in need of repair and locking mechanisms, as well as for failure to dispose of medications that had expired as far back as February 1996.
May 11, 1999: In a letter to Ringling Bros., USDA Deputy Administrator Ron DeHaven wrote, "We have completed our review of the lesions observed on two juvenile elephants, Doc and Angelica, during the inspection of the Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk City, Fla., on February 9, 1999. ... e find that the handling of these two elephants was not in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act regulations. ... We believe there is sufficient evidence to confirm the handling of these animals caused unnecessary trauma, behavioral stress, physical harm, and discomfort to these two elephants."
February 25, 1999: According to an internal USDA memo written by an inspector, detailing injuries found on two baby elephants during a February 9, 1999, inspection, " Dr. Lindsay was very upset and asked repeatedly why we could not be more collegial and call him before we came. I explained to him that all our inspections are unannounced. ... All Ringling personnel were very reluctant to let us take pictures ."
February 22, 1999: A horse collapsed and died during Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's animal march to the Scope Convention Center in Norfolk, Va. A PETA videographer captured the horse's collapse on film despite Ringling workers' attempts to obstruct the camera. Although Ringling claims that a veterinarian is available to its animals 24 hours a day, there was no veterinarian on duty when the horse was in urgent need of medical care. According to the necropsy, Ringling was aware of this animal's delicate condition yet kept him on the road anyway.
February 9, 1999: A USDA report indicated wounds on the baby elephants' legs from separating them from their mothers. The report stated, "here were large visible lesions on the rear legs of both Doc and Angelica (baby elephants). When questioned as to the cause of these lesions, it was stated by Mr. Jim Williams and Mr. Gary Jacobson that "these scars were caused by rope burns, resulting from the separation process from the mothers on January 6, 1999." Angelica's lesion appeared as a pink linear scar, approximately 6" long and 1" wide on the right rear leg. The left rear leg also had a scar directly below the cloth leg tie. Both lesions appeared to have been treated with an iodine-based ointment. Angelica also had two linear healing scars on the back of the right hind leg. Doc had a pink scar on the right rear mid-leg area." (Both baby elephants were just under 2 years old when taken from their mothers. In the wild, female elephants remain with their mothers their entire lives and males for up to 15 years.)
Tuberculosis tests for one elephant were not available for review. No treatment was instituted for another elephant with positive tuberculosis status.
December 17, 1998: Ringling's Williston, Fla., facility was quarantined by the Florida State Health Department because of elephants' having tuberculosis. The facility remains under quarantine as of September 11, 2000.
December 9, 1998: A USDA inspector noted on an inspection report that an elephant with confirmed tuberculosis was euthanized. The circus did not announce this death.
The inspector also noted that three elephants did not have adequate shade and that an elephant named Congo had intermittent lameness and what appeared to be hyperkeratosis (a skin condition).
November 21, 1998: The Calgary Herald reported that the goat Ringling featured in 1980 as a "unicorn" was purchased from serial killer Leonard Thomas Lake. Lake abducted, tortured, raped, and murdered women before committing suicide when he was finally arrested in 1985. The "unicorn" was actually a mutilated goat whose horns had been manipulated to grow in the center of the animal's forehead.
November 1998: Three tigers escaped from their cage in a Chicago parking lot. A Ringling handler was hospitalized in serious condition with bite wounds over much of his body when he was attacked by one of the tigers.
October 7, 1998: A USDA inspection of Ringling's elephants found three with lameness and one with lacerations on her forehead.
October 1, 1998: The USDA cited Ringling for having a damaged transport enclosure for the hippopotamus.
September 11, 1998: A USDA inspector noted on an inspection report that three elephants (32-year-old Lechamee, 28-year-old Sofie, and 42-year-old Mini) had suffered from arthritis for at least 12 years.
September 3, 1998: According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, a 40-year-old elephant named Dolly died. Ringling did not announce this death.
August 31, 1998: A 12-year-old wild-caught sea lion named Gypsy was found dead in her transport container in Moline, Ill. In the wild, sea lions can live to be 20 years old.
August 28, 1998: Ringling was charged by the USDA with AWA violations for the death of Kenny, a baby endangered Asian elephant forced to perform in Jacksonville, Fla., despite his being sick. The USDA charged the circus with failure to provide veterinary care to Kenny, and Ringling paid $20,000 to settle the case out of court.
June 9, 1998: Ringling was cited by the USDA for failure to provide records of veterinary care for an elephant named Seetna who was euthanized due to prolonged dystocia. According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, Seetna was 30 years old when she died on May 22, 1996. Dystocia is difficult labor. In elephants, dystocia often indicates that the fetus has died and is decomposing in the uterus. The circus did not announce this death.
March 26, 1998: The USDA issued Ringling a "strong letter of warning" for the killing of Arnie, an endangered Bengal tiger. An angry trainer shot Arnie five times with a 12-gauge shotgun while he was locked in his cage.
March 17, 1998: The Mountain Xpress reported that a Ringling employee, who was on parole after serving seven years on a New York murder conviction, was arrested in connection with two break-ins and liquor theft at an Asheville, N.C., liquor store.
January 24, 1998: A 2 1/2-year-old baby elephant named Kenny was forced to perform in two shows while the circus was in Jacksonville, Fla., despite obvious signs of illness. According to the circus's animal care log, Kenny was "not eating or drinking," was "bleeding from his rectum had a hard time standing, was very shaky, walked very slowly," and "passed a large amount of blood from his rectum." The log noted that at 11:30 p.m., "the elephant was dead."
January 7, 1998: Ringling trainer Graham Chipperfield shot a Bengal tiger named Arnie five times while he was locked in his cage, killing him in retaliation for an attack against Graham's brother, Richard, during a photo shoot.
September 5, 1997: The USDA cited Ringling (for the second time) for improper food storage. The inspector noted that a complaint about a lame elephant could not be verified because "the circus could not allow the elephants to move freely."
July 24, 1997: The USDA cited Ringling for unsanitary food storage.
April 13, 1997: A Ringling employee was arrested in Worcester, Mass., on a fugitive-from-justice warrant, which listed a charge of counterfeiting.
February 3, 1997: The circus was cited for failure to correct a previously identified violation of unsanitary food storage.
January 21, 1997: The USDA cited Ringling for inadequate storage of animals' food.
December 20, 1996: The USDA cited Ringling for not providing environmental enrichment for primates. The USDA inspector stated, "There is no enhancement plan developed. The primates show signs of stereotypic behaviors (rocking, weaving, shaking, and cage-bar chewing and licking). All primates are housed singly. Cages have no enrichment." Ringling was also cited for not providing adequate space for a baboon. Additionally, the inspector cited Ringling for not providing adequate shelter for a hippo. He stated, "The length of the hippo is greater than the width of the hippo pool."
August 14, 1996: The USDA cited Ringling for not giving the elephants tetanus vaccinations, deworming, or fecal exams.
December 7, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to maintain tiger cages, failure to provide records of disposition for 10 elephants no longer on the premises, and improper food storage.
December 5, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to allow access to its property for an animal welfare inspection.
September 30, 1995: A Ringling lion bit off the index finger of a 31-year-old woman attending the circus.
September 20, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for not having a program of veterinary care. There was also no record of tetanus vaccinations.
June 8, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for improper food storage.
February 14, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to have an exercise program for the animals, as well as for animal enclosures that were in need of repair.
1995: According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, the following Ringling elephants died: 53-year-old Cita, 53-year-old Ranni, 45-year-old Rhani, and 34-year-old Karnaudi. The circus did not announce these deaths.
November 19, 1994: Ringling's vice president of animal care Gunther Gebel-Williams, was arrested in St. Louis and charged with disturbing the peace. Gebel-Williams had screamed at a police officer and threatened the officer with the whip that he uses on his tigers because officers were giving traffic tickets to circus customers.
November 10, 1994: The USDA observed that Ringling was storing animal food in an unsanitary manner.
October 19, 1994: A Ringling employee in Boston, Mass., was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon when he stabbed a horse trainer in the stomach with a penknife. A fight had broken out when the employee had tried to get the horses to kick the trainer.
October 18, 1994: During a routine USDA inspection, an elephant was being beaten by a Ringling trainer. The USDA inspector stated, "Upon entering facility, I heard yelling and the sound of someone hitting something. I observed an elephant trainer hitting an elephant with the wooden end of the handling tool to get it up."
A USDA inspector cited Ringling for failure to handle animals in such a way that there is minimal risk of harm to the animal and the public. Additionally, the inspector reported, "Animals were also being housed by other species that interfere with their health and cause them discomfort."
August 8, 1994: According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, a 41-year-old elephant named Jenny died. Ringling did not announce this death.
April 19, 1994: A railroad official testified that a circus-train brake operator who helped conduct a safety inspection just before a deadly Ringling train derailment had failed a drug test after the wreck. A clown and an elephant trainer were killed in the crash.
January 21, 1994: A USDA inspector cited Ringling for electrical wires hanging loose inside a lion's cage, causing the potential for injury or death.
January 17, 1994: Two Ringling performers were arrested in Post Orange, Fla., and charged with disorderly intoxication. One of the men was also charged with resisting arrest with violence after he swung at the arresting officer and tried to push the patrol car into the officer.
December 29, 1993: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide minimum space for dogs and for inadequate lighting in the dog enclosure. The boxes were too small "for most dogs to stand, sit, lie, and turn about freely." Ringling was cited for failure to correct previously identified violations of not providing minimum space for bears, including one bear with rub marks; failure to repair the lion cages; and improper food storage.
December 14, 1993: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide bears with the minimum space required by the federal AWA. Ringling also failed to provide a program for exercise.
May 6, 1993: A Ringling elephant killed her trainer in Gainesville, Fla. The elephant knocked down the 51-year-old trainer and stepped on his chest.
1992: According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, the following Ringling elephants died: a 26-year-old male named Petely, 50-year-old Nelly, and 50-year-old Mia.
1992: Ringling disposed of five tigers who were of no use to the circus by giving them to New Jersey resident Joan Byron-Marasek, who owns a poorly maintained private menagerie. One of the Ringling tigers killed four other tigers at the facility. Byron-Marasek has been charged by the USDA with failing to provide adequate veterinary care and maintain programs of disease control and prevention for her tigers, and she was charged by state officials with overcrowded conditions.
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