PETA 'Elephant' on Crutches to Confront Potential Circusgoers in Grand Rapids

Protesters Will Draw Attention to Ringling's Practice of Forcing Lame Elephants to Perform Stunts

For Immediate Release:
September 19, 2012

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382  

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- An "elephant" on crutches will lead PETA protesters on Thursday as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus prepares for its opening show at Van Andel Arena. The protesters will display photos taken inside Ringling's training center, which expose how baby elephants are stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with steel-tipped bullhooks, and shocked with electric prods in abusive training sessions that go on for several hours. Additionally, PETA will screen its new video exposé of the Ringling Bros. circus narrated by Alec Baldwin.

When:   Thursday, September 20, 12 noon

Where:  Van Andel Arena, 130 Fulton St. W. (southeast corner of Fulton Street W. and Ottawa Avenue S.W.), Grand Rapids

"Grand Rapids residents would run screaming from the big top if they knew that elephants used by Ringling suffer a lifetime of abuse," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "As infants, elephants are torn away from their mothers and beaten into submission—and older, arthritic elephants, are still forced to perform painful contortions despite their ill health."

Late last year, Ringling paid the largest fine in circus history—$270,000—for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

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