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Local Animal Activists 'Thrilled' By Ringling Bros. Decision
By Kelly Glista
Performers take to the stage during the second of eight Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey shows in May 2013. (Mark Mirko)
The news that the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be phasing out the use of elephants in its traveling circus was seen as a huge victory Thursday by animal rights activists in Connecticut.
"We're just really, really thrilled," said Amy Harrell, president of the non-profit group Connecticut Votes for Animals. "This is such great news for all animal activists."
Connecticut residents have fought against the use of elephants in circus shows for years, Harrell said. When the Ringling Brothers show pulled into Hartford last year, protesters stood outside the XL Center during each and every performance, holding signs that read "Cruelty Under The Big Top" and "Animal Cruelty Is Not Family Entertainment."
In 2013, a plan to bring an elephant show to the Durham Fair led to an online petition in opposition and numerous protests.
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"Elephants need more protection now than ever," Harrell said.
Kelly Dougherty, a 32-year-old Berlin resident who has been participating in animal rights protests since she was 17, said the point isn't to take away from the entertainment of the circus.
"When we protest, we, as animal rights activists, are not looking to take the fun out of people's lives," she said. "We understand the circus has a long history in this country, and particularly this state, and that it is a source of nostalgia for many generations, but we also understand that this form of entertainment is based under the hopeful misconception that these once-wild animals actually enjoy performing tricks and that they are treated with respect and positive reinforcement. Unfortunately, this is not the case."
The circus has 13 elephants traveling with three different Ringling Brothers circus units. According to a press release sent out Thursday, all 13 will be transferred to the Ringling Brothers Center for Elephant for Conservation in Florida by 2018. The circus will continue to showcase other animals, such as lions, tigers, camels, horses and dogs, the release says.
Executives from Feld Entertainment, Ringling Brothers' parent company, called the decision the "most significant change" the company has made since founding the conservation center.
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A traveling circus is really no place for an elephant, Harrell said.
"To some extent they're always going to be cooped up in a cage somewhere," she said.
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Activists are also concerned by the methods circuses use to train the elephants, Harrell said, calling the animals "giant, wonderful, gentle creatures."
The Ringling Brothers' "Circus Xtreme" show is scheduled to be in Hartford May 6-10. The show's website boasts "x-traordinary circus artists and magnificent x-otic animals."
Harrell said that she and other local activists hope to see this decision expand to the exploitation of other animals, including lions and tigers.
"We hope this is the first step," she said.
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