Controversial Artwork Spotlights Big-Top Elephant Abuse as Ringling Rolls Into Town

For Immediate Release:
November 5, 2009

Contact:
Amanda Fortino 757-622-7382

Pittsburgh -- Despite the city's delay in issuing a permit, PETA's sad-elephant sculpture, Ella PhantzPeril, is coming to Pittsburgh--and just in time for the arrival of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The sculpture will be displayed in Mellon Square from Thursday, November 5, through Monday, November 9.

"We hope that people will take one look at the tears in this elephant's eyes and decide to stay away from Ringling and all other animal circuses that take baby elephants away from their loving mothers and put them in chains for life," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "Elephants in circuses are deprived of everything that is precious to them--including their freedom--and endure a lifetime of loneliness, beatings, and cheap tricks."

PETA's sculpture was designed by Harry Bliss, a renowned New Yorker cartoonist and illustrator of numerous best-selling children's books. It depicts a shackled baby elephant and includes the inscription "See Shackles, Bullhooks, Loneliness--All Under the Big Top."

A recent PETA undercover investigation of Ringling Bros. revealed that circus employees--including an animal superintendent and a head elephant trainer--used sharp, metal-tipped bullhooks to strike elephants on the head, ears, and trunk and to yank them with steel barbs.

For more information, please visit PETA's Web site RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.