Shirley, now 52, was just 5 years old when she was captured in her homeland and torn from her family. She was sold to the Kelly- Miller Circus, which forced her to perform for 25 years. In 1958, she and the entire circus were detained for weeks by Fidel Castro’s forces in Cuba. Several years later, she narrowly escaped death when she was evacuated just before the circus ship she was on caught fire and sank while docked in Nova Scotia.

In 1977, Shirley suffered a permanent leg injury from an attack by another elephant that ended her life with the circus. The Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo took Shirley. Fearing that her injury might put her at risk with the other elephants, they kept intelligent, social Shirley in solitary confinement for the next 22 years.

Then the Louisiana zoo curator learned about the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, the nation’s only natural-habitat refuge for Asian elephants.

At the time, the sanctuary was home to three other Asian elephants, Tarra, Barbara and Jenny. He contacted the sanctuary, which agreed to take Shirley, and arrangements were made for her journey to the safe haven.

When Shirley arrived at the sanctuary, she was scared to leave the trailer. But at last, she decided to back her way out of it, and the last chain she would ever wear was removed from her leg. Few of the onlookers could hold back their tears.

After a snack of fresh fruits and veggies, a cooling shower and rest, Shirley met Tarra, who gently inspected her injuries. They intertwined their trunks and “purred.” Then the gates to the barn were opened so that Shirley could explore her new surroundings. It took several hours for her to muster up the courage to step outside.

That evening, Jenny returned to the barn and discovered the newcomer—and an amazing thing happened. Jenny and Shirley frantically touched each other with their trunks and then began trumpeting together. Twenty-two years earlier, when Shirley was 30 and Jenny was just a baby, they had spent one winter together in the same circus. Although so much time had passed, they recognized each other instantly. Shirley and Jenny are inseparable now. Shirley is very protective, much like a mother watching over her daughter. After more than two decades apart, Jenny and Shirley will be together forever.

The Sanctuary’s Newest Residents:
Bunny and Sissy
Two more elephants have recently joined the growing family at the Elephant Sanctuary.

Bunny was the lone elephant at the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Indiana, for more than 40 of her 48 years. Her only “companion” was a brown ball, her “security blanket.” Standing on concrete for decades caused problems for Bunny’s feet, so local people started a campaign to retire her. PETA helped by meeting with zoo personnel, sending letters to City Council members and testifying at a public hearing. The vote by the Evansville Parks Board was unanimous—Bunny would retire to the Elephant Sanctuary.

Bunny arrived at her new home with her brown ball by her side. At first she was nervous, never losing sight of her ball. Tarra calmly convinced her that she had nothing to fear, that she was with friends. Bunny is now “one of the girls,” loved and accepted by all the elephants. These days, Bunny leaves her brown ball behind.

Sissy came from the El Paso Zoo, where workers were caught on videotape viciously beating her with wooden bats. Three of her legs were held down by chains, and the fourth was tied to a bar. The workers swung the bats over their heads and hit her with all their might. If Sissy did not react to a command within two seconds, the beatings began again. Twice, she was hit so hard that her legs buckled and she fell to the ground. Zoo director David Zucconi defended the beating, claiming that Sissy was beaten for “the safety of zookeepers.”

PETA and outraged citizens demanded that Sissy be moved. The El Paso City Council voted to retire Sissy to the sanctuary. Today, she roams the green hills, free at last.

•Write for our free circus ordinance pack detailing how to run the circus out of town. •If you learn that the circus is coming to town, encourage everyone you know to contact the sponsors to suggest alternatives. •If the sponsors insist on a circus, contact PETA’s Campaign Department for tips on organizing a demonstration. We can supply all materials. •For more information, visit our Web site at www.Circuses.com and the sanctuary’s Web site at www.elephants.com.

FAR FROM HOME
In their homelands, elephants walk freely every day and live in family groups for a lifetime. In circuses, elephants spend most of their time chained, and handlers use sharp metal hooks, electric stunning prods and heavy sticks to show who’s boss, forcing them to perform for up to 50 weeks each year. Between acts, elephants are kept chained or confined to railroad cars.

CIRCUSES BANNED
Public concern for circus animals has caught the attention and support of lawmakers. Seattle Mayor Paul Schell proposed a ban on circuses using wild animals, noting, “Circuses without exotic animals can still be circuses....Kids can enjoy it all just as much without watching performances that celebrate humankind’s ability to dominate wild animals. And the grownups sitting next to them can feel just a little cleaner about the values we’re passing along.”

Hollywood, Florida; Quincy, Massachusetts; Redmond, Washington, and Riverside County, California, have banned circuses. Finland, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and India, as well as Vancouver, Langley and Coquitlam in British Columbia, Canada, have banned or restricted animal acts. In England, animal acts are often denied licenses to perform on public land.