Beating Barack?

Before I tell you this story, please go check out our newest exposé on the abuse of baby elephants for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The exposé has been featured extensively in The Washington Post.

Keep those heartbreaking photos in mind as I tell you about Ringling’s newest addition to its troupe of miserable, abused elephants. Barack is a baby Asian elephant who was born on January 19, the day before President Barack Obama was sworn into office—hence the name. TampaBayOnline reported that Baby Barack, who is not even 1 year old, just made his “debut” at a Ringling rehearsal at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

It’s hard to believe that anyone would use an electric shock prod on an elephant like Baby Barack—or that someone would bind a baby elephant with rope and then slam that baby to the ground—but that’s exactly the information presented to us by one of Ringling’s own baby elephant trainers, the late Samuel Haddock Jr., who had a change of heart about his nearly 20-year career with Ringling.

In his statement about Ringling’s treatment and training of baby elephants, Mr. Haddock noted, “Babies are typically pulled from their mothers around 18–24 months of age. Once they’re pulled from their mothers, they’ve tasted their last bit of freedom and the relationship with their mother ends.” He added, “Sometimes [the baby elephants] would start crying when they saw their mothers brought in from outside.”

After the terrified babies are torn away from their devastated mothers, they begin a life of bondage and are forced to learn “tricks” such as sitting on tubs and standing on their heads.

Once again: Barack was born in January of this year, meaning that he isn’t even 12 months old.

Would President Obama disapprove of the treatment of his namesake? I believe he would. I’ve posted this information on my Facebook page to let others know that I don’t approve of Ringling’s elephant abuse. Won’t you do the same?

Written by Karin Bennett