The Ringling Brothers Circus has been highly scrutinized over the past few years for it's unacceptable cruelty to it's animals. The Ringling Brothers Circus, which is the largest circus in North America has repeatedly been under investigation through a network of disguised workers, who were able to watch and relay first hand accounts of how animals in the circus are trained and housed. Yes, both were unacceptable by a long shot.

  Bull hooks (rods that look like fireplace pokers, with a sharp metal hook on the end) were used repeatedly on Elephants, and Tigers were whipped over and over again if the trainers could not get them to do their act. It is common for circus goers not to know this or see it as it is all done backstage, and during training, which is also private. Ringling's own Tech Vets reported seeing Elephants who were "Dripping Blood" from Bull hook wounds. Elephants and Tigers are also routinely subjected to "Hot Shots", which is like a highly energized Tazer.

  The animal cruelty to circus animals isn't just confined to the training arena, but rather spills over into where the animals are housed, caged, and even secured into place by chains that get embedded into Elephants legs and become bloody wounds. If you think this is all bad enough just imagine how an average Elephant in the wild roams up to 30 miles a day, swimming, playing in a highly social environment. Elephants are highly social and family oriented creatures as well as highly intelligent and sensitive. Imagine riding around with Ringling's horror show and not allowed to move around at all except for torture filled training sessions. The same holds true for 600 pound Tigers whose cages are barely large enough for them to fit in. Couple that with lack of proper nutrition does anyone really have to wonder why they are not obedient? Some of these animals begin to suffer from what is termed "Zoochosis", a psychological illness brought on by stress, boredom, and depression.

  The man behind the mask, Kenneth Feld, C.E.O. of Feld Entertainment, which is the parent company of Ringling Brothers goes to huge lengths to hide this dark side of the circus world and allows his shady treatment of animals to go shrouded with the misconception that it is all about peoples entertainment. This is why he keeps this mistreatment out of public view, but can not keep undercover investigators from finding the truth. The attitude of a frightened animal trying to avoid being beaten again is an obedient animal is something you might see back in the dark ages.

 The Department Of Agriculturere has been given notice that the Animal Welfare Act has been violated and are being pressured to have abused Elephants from Circuses like Ringling Brothers be turned over to them and the evidence is there to prove the allegations. Also criminal complaints have been filed with 18 law enforcement agencies and city prosecutors in seven states to call on investigations into the animal cruelty. One only hope that they will pursue these complaints with the same zeal they would any other crime.

  In closing just imagine if you would a poor Elephant wrapped in chains in a sweltering hot boxcar so cramped in size that it can not even move one foot back or forward. It smells inside, they have no freedom to get exercise or water, and suffer from the isolation of not being free and being with their own kind. This all in the name of human entertainment. It's humans at their worst. Elephants were not put on this planet for this purpose and it is sickening to know it goes on as long as anybody goes to a Ringling Brothers Circus. Thank goodness several companies are now realizing this. The car chain Jiffy Lube no longer gives out Tickets to the Ringling Brothers Circus as it used to in the past to customers or for incentives. Hats off to you fellows, that is where i will go for my next oil change.