Ringling Bros. circus got quite a shock at its opening-night performance in Bakersfield, California, when PETA was in the audience live-tweeting the performance in order to help circusgoers look beyond the spectacle and bright lights and remember that the tricks they paid to see animals perform are possible only after breaking baby elephants’ spirits by binding and beating them and “training” big cats by hitting them with sticks.
Ringling goes to great lengths to hide the cruelty that it inflicts on animals—such as using Wonder Dust, a gray powder, to conceal bloody bullhook wounds on elephants. But thanks to social media, it’s getting harder and harder for Ringling to hide its abuse.
Here’s what we found:
HAPPENING NOW:
We're LIVE-tweeting from #RinglingBros 2 show the TRUTH abt animals in the circus!
#LiveAtRingling pic.twitter.com/AKBxNl6US3— PETA (@peta) September 5, 2014
BULLHOOK: A sharp, metal weapon used by #RinglingBros “trainers” to beat & gouge elephants. #Abuse #LiveAtRingling pic.twitter.com/HiB3LOF8kZ
— PETA (@peta) September 5, 2014
https://twitter.com/peta/status/507715031417380864
Humans CHOOSE 2 play basketball.
ANIMALS DON'T. That's why he has a bullhook.#LiveAtRingling #BoycottTheCircus pic.twitter.com/ti5ZMOVbf2
— PETA (@peta) September 5, 2014
https://twitter.com/peta/status/507718305298538496
https://twitter.com/peta/status/507721965616910336
If u were kept in a tiny cage & HIT WITH STICKS 2 perform, you'd be pretty angry too.
RT if u agree! #LiveAtRingling pic.twitter.com/G6869tzH3B
— PETA (@peta) September 5, 2014
https://twitter.com/peta/status/507739294849454080
Big cats usually live & travel in cages w barely enough room 2 turn around, only 4 A FEW MIN on stage #LiveAtRingling pic.twitter.com/ANrHWHaVIo
— PETA (@peta) September 5, 2014
Dressing up an elephant as a woolly mammoth is NOT entertaining. It's HUMILIATING.
RT if u agree! #LiveAtRingling pic.twitter.com/5YwQUfVMbK
— PETA (@peta) September 5, 2014
https://twitter.com/peta/status/507755282257018880
https://twitter.com/peta/status/507757566802161665
What You Can Do
Please help PETA remind people that baby elephants are beaten and bound in order to train them to perform tricks by sharing this exposé on Facebook. And never attend a circus that uses animals.
