‘Crying Elephant’ to Crowds in Mount Vernon: Stay Away From Cruel UniverSoul Circus

Chaining, Bullhooks Prompt PETA Protest of Notorious Circus

For Immediate Release:
May 1, 2018

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

What:    A “crying elephant” will lead PETA members in a spirited demonstration outside UniverSoul Circus‘ opening-night performance in Mount Vernon on Wednesday. The protesters will display a bullhook—a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker with a sharp hook on one end, which circus handlers use to threaten elephants into performing.

When:    Wednesday, May 2, 6 p.m. sharp

Where:    Hutchinson Field (at the intersection of Garden Avenue and Sargent Place), Mount Vernon

“It’s clearer than ever that today’s compassionate public has no interest in sitting through UniverSoul’s abusive animal acts,” says PETA Foundation Associate Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Rachel Mathews. “PETA is calling on all wild-animal circuses still on the road to end cruel and antiquated animal acts and modernize their shows by using only willing human performers.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that an inspection of UniverSoul’s elephant exhibitor, Larry Carden, last year revealed that elephants with bruised feet were still being forced to stand on concrete and that one elephant’s wound had been covered up with a gray powder called Wonder Dust.

New York State has banned elephant acts (effective in 2019), New York City has banned wild-animal circuses (effective later this year), and Ringling Bros. circus went out of business last May, citing the public’s changing attitude toward its use of animals as well as a decade of declining ticket sales.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.