PETA’s ‘Injured Elephant’ to Confront Circus World Attendees on Opening Day

Cruel Company Hires Exhibitor Caught on Video Viciously Beating Animals

For Immediate Release:
May 16, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

An undercover video of a Carson & Barnes Circus training session shows its head trainer attacking elephants with a steel-tipped bullhook and electro-shocking them. But that wasn’t enough to get Circus World to stop hiring these abusers. Last year, while at Circus World, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited Carson & Barnes after the agency found an underweight elephant with visible hip bones and shoulder blades—one of dozens of Animal Welfare Act violations that this exhibitor has racked up for neglecting and abusing elephants and endangering the public. Carson & Barnes also supplied the elephants who escaped at a Shrine circus in March. And last month, Chip Arthurs, the trainer Circus World is bringing in this year, was recorded striking the same elephants with a bullhook. A week later, Carson & Barnes was cited for public endangerment at another Shrine circus, where Arthurs was exhibiting the elephants. Arthurs was also previously caught on video whacking and forcefully hooking elephants with a bullhook. That’s why PETA will deploy its “bleeding,” bandaged “elephant” to lead a protest against Circus World on Saturday, the opening day of its circus shows.

When:             Saturday, May 17, 10:45 a.m.

Where:           Main entrance to Circus World, 550 Water St., Baraboo

“No matter who the exhibitor is, animal abuse is the rule—not the exception—at Circus World,” says PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Delcianna Winders. “Circus World has a history of hiring animal abusers, so the best thing this notorious company could do is stop using animals altogether.”

Nearly 65,000 concerned citizens have contacted the company, but Circus World has ignored all appeals.