OMG … this is the cutest, most fascinating video that I’ve seen in a long time. Prepare yourself for intense adorableness. Watch CBS Videos Online You are now officially armed with even more proof that animals are emotional, sensitive, and complex beings. Written by Christine Doré
knoxnews / CC This has been a good week for elephants. Here’s why: When Ringling rolls into town, it often tries to partner with local businesses to promote the circus and give out tickets for free or at discounted prices (probably because fewer and fewer people actually buy them nowadays). Well, PETA is always right … Read more »
htmlhelp / CC Elephant inmates, that is. Two recent studies comparing the health of wild elephants to that of captive ones just concluded that—golly jeepers—free-roaming animals don’t fare very well if they’re kidnapped from their mothers and kept for life in cages—excuse me—”zoo exhibits.” You see, 8,000-pound elephants physically require exercise, including being active for … Read more »
hollywoodtoday / CC Sadly, I still remember the first time I heard Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time.” I was in the eighth grade and TRL was still wildly cool. My skinny, stirrup-tights-wearing, headgear sportin’ 13 year-old self just couldn’t get enough of the song. I remember thinking we had found a true pop princess. … Read more »
97.1 The Ticket / CC When PETA told basketball star John Salley of an opportunity to help elephants in Chicago—the city that he helped lead to multiple victories while playing for the Bulls—he jumped at the chance. There’s currently a piece of legislation before the Chicago City Council that would ban chaining elephants. So John … Read more »
It seems that some circus industry folks—including Feld Entertainment, Ringling’s parent company—have donated more than $40,000to certain Chicago aldermen and their respective ward organizations in an apparent attempt to derail efforts to pass an ordinance to prevent some of the worst cruelty that is inflicted on elephantsin circuses. And—what do you know?—a large amount of … Read more »
Photo: Elephant Sanctuary I have some good news, and I have some bad news. First, the bad news: Ned, an elephant confiscated from a Florida-based circus trainer, almost starved to death—he weighs a ton less than he should. That’s right, a ton. Carol Buckley, the founder and director of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, has … Read more »
Change was a hot topic this election, but we all need to remember the millions of animals whose lives will stay the same even though the election is over—unless we all do a lot of hard work. Breeders and pet shops will continue to contribute to the tragedy of dog and cat overpopulation—just to make … Read more »
americanelephant / CC It’s called “adding insult to injury.” A few weeks ago, we told you about an awful thing that happened on a new TV show called Greatest American Dog. It featured a sweet border collie named Leroy who was tormented by his trainer during a photo shoot so that he would look “angry.” … Read more »
A 32-year-old African elephant (*G as in giant, really giant) named Jenny has been getting a lot of media coverage lately. You see, Keke—the only other elephant at the Dallas Zoo, where she is kept—recently passed away. Because Jenny was taken from her mother in the wild when she was 2 years old, she missed … Read more »
As I’m sure many of you are aware, circuses that use elephants and big cats in their acts are not on PETA’s approved list! Circuses—including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, for instance—use aggression, violence, and confinement to “train” elephants to perform asinine tricks. This often results in pain, suffering, and trauma. Some elephants … Read more »
Last week marked the one-year anniversary of baby elephant Hansa’s death from herpes at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Activists braved the wind and rain to commemorate Hansa’s brief life and demand an end to breeding at the zoo. The zoo, on the other hand, is preparing to artificially impregnate Chai, Hansa’s mother, for … Read more »
She’s blue about being pimped out to a circus and a zoo! Meet Sydney—the pachyderm protagonist in Sanctuary Song, a new opera opening this summer in Toronto. A dynamic combination of song, dance, and theater, this ele-friendly opera follows Sydney as she recounts her life during a journey to a sanctuary in Tennessee. Discussing her … Read more »
I just got this email from Debbie Leahy, the director of PETA’s Captive Exotic Animals Department: Sad news. A dear friend, Delhi, passed away on Tuesday, March 11. Delhi was the first elephant confiscation in U.S. history. After an extensive campaign by PETA, the USDA seized Delhi from Hawthorn Corporation and transferred her to The … Read more »