Date
November 19, 2002
Contact
Tom Rider:
(917) 930-5621
Joyce Friedman:
(718) 298-5874
In Defense of Animals
131 Camino Alto
Mill Valley
CA 94941
IDA is an international, California-based animal advocacy organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by defending their rights, welfare and habitats.
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Chicago, IL – Former Ringling Brothers’ elephant handler, Tom Rider, is available in Chicago on Tuesday November 19, anticipating the arrival of Ringling Brothers’, to reveal a new undercover video taken as recently as September 3. Mr. Rider is available to discuss and view the video footage (available from IDA), which reveals repeated and obvious abuse of elephants by several Ringling performers and elephant handlers and the USDA violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Call 917.930.5621 to arrange an interview.
One segment shows an animal handler - employed at least five years by Ringling - clearly stabbing an elephant in the stomach with a sharp instrument in violation of Ringling’s stated policy of not using bull hooks to discipline or harm animals.
In Defense of Animals (IDA) anticipates widespread coverage of the Ringling Bros opening in Chicago and encourages you to include the views of animal advocates in your coverage.
“I have seen firsthand the horrific cruelty that animals in circuses suffer,” asserts ex-Ringling employee Tom Rider, who detailed Ringling’s animal abuses to Congress in June 2000. “Contrary to the rosy picture painted by Ringling Bros. propaganda, chaining, forced travel, violent training techniques, and other methods of cruel domination are still used to get wild animals to perform unnatural tricks for profit. This can in no way compare to their lives unfettered in the wild. We ask the public to boycott violence to animals by supporting circuses that only use willing human performers.”
Other facts about Ringling Bros. to consider:
- Since 1993, Ringling Bros. has been cited for more than one hundred deficiencies in animal care during inspections conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Ringling Bros. has consistently opposed legislation and regulations to improve the conditions of animals forced to perform. For example, Ringling Bros. opposed legislation to limit the time an elephant may be confined in chains in a 24-hour period.
- USDA affidavits (available from IDA) reveal that Ringling Brothers is responsible for the death of a baby elephant named Benjamin who drowned under questionable circumstances in 1999 and that a Ringling employee repeatedly asked if the USDA can call before they come for inspections and even tried to stop government officials from taking pictures!
- Ringling Bros. has been sued by animal protection organizations for conducting illegal spying operations. Rather than admit guilt, Ringling agreed to turn over custody of older animals to settle one case.