Viola, the Most Desperate Elephant in the World, Is Still Suffering at Circuses

Viola was just a baby when poachers stole her from her family, shipped her across the world, and sold her into a lifetime of abuse and exploitation at a circus. For over five decades, the now-elderly elephant has tried again and again to reclaim the one thing every individual deserves: freedom. PETA needs your help to get Viola out—permanently.

Viola Doesn’t ‘Perform.’ She’s Coerced.

Elephants like Viola don’t do circus tricks because they want to. They comply because they’ve learned what happens when they don’t. Trainers use sharp weapons called bullhooks to threaten Viola and bully her into performing tricks and giving rides. The circus has been caught violently hitting Viola and other elephants with bullhooks during training and shows.

Viola has tried to escape her captors at least four times. The escapes show both her desperation to escape and the circus’s inability to do the bare minimum of keeping animals secure. Viola escaped as recently as 2024, dodging cars, pedestrians, and other chaos in a busy city center.

When Viola makes a run for it, she puts herself and everyone around her in danger. These aren’t “incidents”—they’re acts of resistance from an individual who has been denied autonomy for most of her life.

Even When She’s Not in the Ring, Viola Still Isn’t Free

When circuses aren’t using her for tricks and rides, Viola and the other elephants she’s traveled with are confined at an elephant training compound in Oklahoma, misleadingly named the “Endangered Ark Foundation.”

The Endangered Ark Foundation has a long history of elephant abuse. On March 14, 2026, Dr. Chris Draper, an elephant expert with over 25 years of experience in animal welfare science, visited the facility. There, he observed a trainer openly and forcefully using a bullhook on an elderly elephant named Traci, who was trying to stand up during a “bathing” encounter. As the trainer approached her, it became abundantly clear why she had been so desperate to stand: She defecated very loose stool. Dr. Draper opined that the looseness may have resulted from trying to hold her stool in, and also noted that rapid defecation can be a fear response.

Even with the crowd watching, and despite it being obvious that Traci was trying to stand and relieve herself, the trainer continued to insist that she stay down for the bathing encounters, even if it meant lying in her own loose feces.

Elephant Expert Who Observed Viola Fears She’s in Constant Pain

Dr. Draper also observed Viola at a 2026 Jordan World Circus performance. There, he saw her and another elderly elephant, Isa, being used for rides and a show. During rides, Dr. Draper noted that Viola was showing signs of serious leg stiffness and chronic veterinary issues. According to his report, “[Viola] appeared reluctant or unable to bend the right front wrist, shuffling the leg forward without visible flexion.”

Viola’s abnormal gait is plainly visible. Yet Carson & Barnes is still forcing her to carry as many as nine humans at once on a near-daily basis. This burden will only worsen her painful foot and joint conditions.

Help PETA Get Viola the Retirement She Deserves: Safe at an Accredited Sanctuary

In 2025, Viola was forced to perform at roughly 200 shows and spent most of the year on the road. In 2026, Viola’s tour with Jordan World Circus was cut short after the circus dropped elephant acts following a hard-hitting PETA campaign. While this was a huge win for all elephants, we are still pushing for Viola’s release to an accredited sanctuary, where she could get the care she so desperately needs.

When forced to participate in the harsh conditions of circus life, Viola endures:

• Near-constant travel in a trailer with no relief from unyielding metal surfaces.
• Confinement to hard surfaces outside venues in parking lots or arena backrooms.
• Being forced to walk in tight circles while carrying riders.
• Punishment and threats if she refuses to do tricks that are difficult for any elephant, especially an elderly one showing signs of chronic foot and joint problems.

Viola is old enough to be a great-grandmother. She appears to be suffering from swollen, painful feet, knee problems, and other issues likely caused by her long, sad life in the circus. She deserves a sanctuary where she can finally choose how to spend her days, feel the earth beneath her feet, and live without coercion.

Please politely urge the owners to stop all animal use and send Viola and the other elephants to reputable sanctuaries.