Take Action for the Elephants
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At the September Dane Co. Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Al Matano, District 11, introduced an ordinance prohibiting the exhibition of elephants for amusement or entertainment.
The ordinance was discussed at the December Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting, but no action was taken. A decision was postponed because of questions about the County’s contract with the Zor Shrine.
If you live in Wisconsin, and particularly if you live in Dane County, please take the time to contact the Public Works and Transportation Committee members listed below to let them know that you support a ban on elephants in Dane County.
In the subject line, say something like: “I support the elephant ban.” Be sure to include your city and state. Since Supervisors receive e-mail from all over the country, messages not indicating city or city-and-state are not considered as seriously as those that do indicate this.
If they get very many emails, they may not read them all, but they should at least be able to tell your opinion from the subject line.
| Matt Veldran, Chair | Cell (608) 235-8369 | veldran@countyofdane.com |
| Chuck Erickson, Vice chair | (608) 212-8753 | erickson.chuck@countyofdane.com |
| Dave Ripp, Secretary | (608) 849-7643 | ripp.david@countyofdane.com |
| Bob Salov, Member | (608) 423-4358 | salov@countyofdane.com |
| Robin Schmidt, Member | (608) 221-0514 | schmidt.robin@countyofdane.com |
Please contact Dane County Executive Joe Parisi as well.
| Joe Parisi | (608) 266-4114 | parisi@countyofdane.com |
Below is a Q&A and links to various documents such as sworn statements from circus employees, George Carden Circus USDA inspection reports, undercover investigations, and observations on the County contract with Zor Shrine. We hope you will find this information useful and informative.
The Zor Shrine hires the George Carden Circus to stage its annual Shrine Circus. The Carden Circus and other circus companies stage Shrine Circuses across the country. There is no single entity known as the Shrine Circus.
The largest circus company in the United States is the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Ringling is the primary supplier and trainer of elephants for circuses in the U.S. It has a sustained record of routine mistreatment of elephants, as cited by the USDA.
The George Carden Circus and Ringling have close ties. They share and trade elephants, as was noted by Shrine Circus spokesman Bob Sands at the December 13, Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting. The George Carden Circus 2nd unit is currently touring with Ringling.
Ringling’s premier position in the industry has resulted in it being the most closely watched circus in regard to its elephant care. Although Ringling has the largest elephant herd and the greatest resources, in 2011, its treatment and care of the elephants resulted in the largest fine ever assessed by the USDA.
Animal care at Ringling is probably better than animal care at smaller less financially capable circuses. Animal care at Ringling is a reasonable indication of the best-case scenario of animal care at all U.S. circuses. This is particularly true for the George Carden Circus, due their closer than normal ties with Ringling.Questions About Elephants and Circuses
Are elephant acts educational?
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Larry Carden of the George Carden Circus and Bo, one of the few bull elephants used in a circus. |
No. Circus acts misrepresent elephants. Seeing elephants in costumes, watching them balance on stools or balls, or perform odd unnatural behaviors aren’t worthwhile or meaningful educational experiences; they are misleading. Wild elephants maintain strong family and social connections, engage in complex rituals like mourning their dead, and roam thirty to fifty miles a day. Only in circuses are they chained for most of their lives, and forced to perform tricks in costumes.
Outstanding factual videos and books are readily available to the public.
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Are the training methods humane?
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No. Very young elephants are isolated from their mothers and forced into awkward unnatural positions with ropes, chains, and are further intimidated through the use of bull-hooks. They learn to avoid punishment by “behaving” and assuming the unnatural behaviors they are forced into.
In His Own Words: A Ringling Baby Elephant Trainer Tells All
The images above are from a large gallery of photographs taken by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant trainer Sam Haddock.
Mr. Haddock's sworn declaration.
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Do federal or state laws protect elephants in circuses and assure their humane care?
No. The Zor Shrine hires the George Carden Circus to stage its annual circus at the Dane County Alliant Energy Center. At the most recent circus in February, 2011, observers noted and reported signs of chronic mistreatment of the elephants. One elephant was struggling to walk while being used to give rides.
The USDA subsequently conducted its own investigation and cited the George Carden Circus for failing to provide adequate care for the elephants.
This was just one of several violations of basic care standards for which the USDA has cited the George Carden Circus in recent years. One of the more blatant violations occurred in June of 2006, when the USDA cited the George Carden Circus for failing to provide veterinary care to an elephant named Judy who had three open wounds on her forehead and one open wound on her left front leg.
Sworn statements and letters from staff in the circus industry provide an insider's look at the routine treatment of the elephants when inspectors and the public are not watching:
2006 statement from Ringling animal handler A.F. Hundley.
2006 letter to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daily from Ringling employee M. Tom.
2000 sworn affidavit from Ringling employee T.E. Rider.
See too: Ringling Bros., they're elephants, not clowns. Editorial. L.A Times. 2011. "Feld Entertainment Inc. will pay $270,000 to settle complaints about its treatment of circus animals. But the real solution would be to stop using elephants in performances."
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Are local officials able to ensure that the elephants are healthy and humanely treated?
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Alliant Energy Center 2009 |
No. The sincere wish of the Shriners and Alliant Energy Center staff to protect elephants while they are performing in Dane County cannot be realized. Much of the mistreatment is chronic and occurs during the elephants’ training and transport. The abuse that occurs at an actual circus takes place when the elephants’ handlers are unobserved.
The video below was taken by someone working undercover at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Ringling's size and resources give it, arguably, the "best" animal care in the business. The video below is probably indicative of standard procedures.
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Does the Shriners’ circus in Dane County serve a charitable purpose?
No. The Shriners use all proceeds from the circus for their own organizational and social expenses. No proceeds are distributed to hospitals or any other charitable cause.
Although the Shriners give “free” tickets to children through the Dane County school system, this is a standard circus-industry marketing practice to sell tickets to parents and other family and guardians who must accompany the children with the free tickets. It does not have a charitable purpose.
A letter from the Shriners Hospitals for Children verifies that they receive no support from Shriner circuses:
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“... To shed light on the subject of the Shrine Circus proceeds, I must first tell you that Shriners Hospitals and the Shriners fraternity are two very distinct entities. ... Shriner bylaws state that 100% of the proceeds from activities destined to fund the hospitals must be remitted to the hospitals. “There is one exception to this rule however and this applies to the Shrine Circus. ...the Circus is the only Shriner activity where proceeds do not go to the hospital, but rather go to the Fraternity itself....” |
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Do elephants in entertainment pose a risk to the public?
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Yes. Close contact with elephants always carries a risk.
Two elephants from the Henry Vilas Zoo have killed people. Coincidentally, they were both named Winkie. In 1966, the first Winkie grabbed a 3-year-old girl who was feeding her popcorn, pulled her through the bars of her pen and stomped her to death. The second Winkie attacked a keeper and vet at the Vilas Zoo in 1999. That Winkie was moved from the zoo to the 2,600-acre Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee in 2000.
In 2006, the second Winkie killed an elephant caretaker at the Elephant Sanctuary. She either kicked or stepped on the woman and injured a male caretaker who tried to help the her.
In 2011, at the Zor Shrine Circus, an elephant being used for elephant rides was observed reaching around with her trunk touching the small boy who was seated at the front of the saddle. No problem resulted, but the elephant had an opportunity to grab the child. Had she done so, the ensuing pandemonium would probably have also involved all the children riding her at the time.
In 2011, the George Carden Circus was cited by the USDA for failing to have animal handlers with each elephant during their elephant rides.
See too: Santa Ana Zoo ends elephant ride attraction. "The decision, based on policy changes adopted by the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums, aims to protect zookeepers and trainers from being harmed by the elephants." L.A. Times. 2011.
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Can the Shriners continue to bring a circus to the Alliant Energy Center if Dane County enacts a ban on elephants-in-entertainment at its facilities?
Yes. Over the last several years, the Shriners have contracted with an independent producer, the George Carden Circus, which trucks elephants from Missouri to Dane County for its performances. However, there are numerous circuses that provide wholesome, family entertainment without elephants. The Shriners could contract with one of these, or it could offer to continue to contract with the George Carden Circus, but stipulate no elephants.
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Can Dane County enact a ban on elephants-in-entertainment at its facilities without violating the terms of its Alliant Energy Center (AEC) lease agreement with the Shriners, which extends through February 22, 2015?
Yes. Dane County’s contract with the Shriners prohibits use of the AEC for any “improper, immoral, or objectionable purpose.” Community standards determine what is objectionable, and a decision by the elected Board of Supervisors to ban elephants-in-entertainment would unambiguously demonstrate Dane County’s community standard on this issue. Additionally, the contract requires the Shriners to comply with federal, state, and local laws and ordinances.
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Have other communities banned the use of elephants in circuses?
Yes. Orange County, North Carolina; Stamford, Connecticut; Boulder, Colorado; Redmond, Washington, and other communities do not allow the use of elephants in circuses.
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For all of these reasons: the precedent of closing the Vilas Zoo exhibition because of concerns about Dane County's ability to provide the elephants with humane care, the impossibility of humane elephant training and handling in a circus environment, and the risk to spectators, we urge you to support a ban on the exhibition of elephants in all Dane County owned and operated facilities.
Thank you.