Will Jordan World Circus Skirt Clatsop County’s Bullhook Ban and Force an Ailing Elephant to Perform?
For Immediate Release:
March 24, 2026
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
A suffering elephant who has run from her abusers at least four times may now be hauled to Astoria by the Jordan World Circus, even though the county has banned bullhooks—weapons that resemble fireplace pokers with a sharp hook on one end, which circuses use to threaten animals into performing. Because circuses often try to dodge local bullhook bans by swapping them for canes or rods that elephants still obey out of fear, PETA supporters will gather outside Wednesday’s performance at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, calling for the release of Viola—called “The Most Desperate Elephant in the World.”
PETA supporters have been following the act across the country, with pleas to “Free Viola,” who is suffering from chronically swollen feet and other painful, debilitating ailments. She was taken from her home and family in Asia as a baby and has spent five decades in chains under the notorious Carson & Barnes Circus—which supplies elephants to the Jordan World Circus.
Other animals forced to perform in the circus include dogs, horses, and ponies—and PETA is calling on the Jordan World Circus to join Ringling Bros. and many other circuses by going animal-free for the animals’ safety and the public’s.
“While some people run away to join the circus, Viola the elephant keeps trying to run away from the circus, where she’s spent a lifetime suffering in chains and servitude,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on Jordan World Circus to end these archaic and cruel animal acts, and for everyone to stay away until they do.”
Where: Clatsop County Fairgrounds, 92937 Walluski Loop (outside Gate 1), Astoria
When: Wednesday, March 25, 6 p.m.
Why: In nature, elephants live in matriarchal herds, protect one another, and share mothering responsibilities for the herds’ babies. Video footage shows the head trainer for Carson & Barnes Circus—which has been cited for more than 100 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act—instructing trainers to sink sharp, steel-tipped bullhooks into elephants’ flesh and twist them until the animals scream.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
