What I Saw Behind the Scenes at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

[dannyboy9]

I receive e-mail from PETA all the time (I'm suscribed) and I received this four days ago but I never got around to watching it. Check out the links I posted throughout the letter I received too...I was pretty shocked. I'm sure you can infer that there's animal cruelty and such in these vids so if you're a bit soft-hearted, please don't watch these videos. I think I can take vids like this but after a while I get too infuriated to watch any longer. This is such a shame - people hurting God's humble creatures and treating them in the careless manner in which they do.
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Dear Friend,

As an eyewitness to the barbaric practices that take place behind the scenes at Ringling, I'd like to tell you exactly what happens so that you can help me spread the word to people who still think that circuses that use animals are good family "entertainment."

I joined Ringling last April because I wanted the opportunity to work with animals every day. I was totally unprepared for what I saw.PETA TV: Select Your Media Preferences: Whips, Lies, and Videotape

The public has no idea that Ringling's handlers are taught to keep the animals afraid. I saw the elephants, horses, and camels get hit, punched, beaten, and whipped by circus staff members. Everyone from the head of animal care to totally inexperienced handlers abused animals. The abuse did not take place once in a while; it happened every day.

Witnessing this abuse left me a nervous wreck. I routinely complained to my supervisors about what I knew was outright cruelty to animals, but I was told repeatedly that I was overreacting. Just a few months after I'd joined, I quit Ringling because I couldn't stand the cruelty inherent in the circus any longer.

I was an animal lover before I joined Ringling. Now, I am also an animal activist. I have joined PETA's efforts to stop the horrific violence inflicted on animals by Ringling.Circuses.com: The Circus is No Place for Animal Abuse

I am a mother of five children, and having seen what goes on behind the scenes at Ringling, I will never again take them to a circus that exploits animals.http://getactive.peta.org/ct/Wd3-fy41aXHF/

Among all the horrors I saw behind the scenes at Ringling, one event stands out. That was the day I saw Ringling's head trainer viciously assault a sweet elephant who was chained by her front and back legs, unable to escape from the blows. For at least half an hour, the trainer beat her with a bullhook—a heavy, steel-tipped club that Ringling's handlers use frequently. At one point, I saw the trainer swing the bullhook into the elephant's ear canal with all his force as she screamed in pain.

That particular trainer was known to have a violent temper. On June 11, 2006, I saw him lead two elephants, whom I believe were called Luna and Tonka, within inches of a man who was videotaping them. Luna and Tonka are Ringling's most aggressive elephants, and I was shocked that the trainer would so recklessly endanger this man's life. I then saw the trainer attack the man with his bullhook. It was only later that I learned that the person the trainer had threatened worked for PETA.Ringling Bros.: Dirty Tricks Hide Dirty Secrets

The PETA staff members who tracked our tour stood in stark contrast to the bullies working for Ringling. I observed the tireless PETA staff members from afar and was impressed by their composure, dedication, and compassion. That's why I knew I had to tell PETA everything I'd seen when I decided to leave Ringling. Circuses.com: Ringling Employees Tell of Bloody Beatings, Routine Abuse.

Now that I've come forward, I know that PETA—and members like you—will make sure that Ringling faces consequences for its heartless cruelty. Let's make sure the elephants' story is told.

Sincerely,

Archele Hundley

I can only imagine the kind of resources it takes to put investigators on the road in order to follow a company like Ringling for an entire year. But if it weren't for PETA's willingness to do so, no one would ever know what's being done to Ringling's animals. Thank you for supporting their work.http://getactive.peta.org/ct/I13-fy41aXHD/

[mitchcumstein]

Lol @ Carnies. Would you really expect anything less from them?

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

And wait till you hear what happens to the bearded lady

[VBigNate]

yeah i bet they wouldnt be beating on the lions and tigers..p*ssies

[VBigNate]

oh yeah.. i fvckin hate carnies. one time i was at a festival and i went to the side of the basketball shoot thing and i saw that the rim was bent in making it very unlikely to make a shot and I said that outloud and the carnie flicked me off..i wanted to fvckin beat him down right there...

[mitchcumstein]

One of these days when that dickhead is beating on the back of an elephants leg its gonna turn and stomp a motherfvckin mudhole in his ass. I hope someone gets that on tape.

[Cammo]

FvCK ..... I can't watch that sh!t - it gets me too upset & angry - I just want to punch the fvcking lights out of those scumbags.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by VBigNate

oh yeah.. i fvckin hate carnies. one time i was at a festival and i went to the side of the basketball shoot thing and i saw that the rim was bent in making it very unlikely to make a shot and I said that outloud and the carnie flicked me off..i wanted to fvckin beat him down right there...

You should have stood there and told every person who walked up to play to piss the guy off...what a d!ck

[dannyboy9]

Videos like these upset me a lot like I said. I just don't understand why people are so mean to animals, they don't do anything to people. Then, people are in shock when an wondrous animal like a(n) [insert animal that amazes you ] turns out and attacks the hell out someone and rips/stomps/slays apart.

Justice is served when things like that happen IMO, even if it happens to an innocent person, examples have to be made somehow. Not that I agree with that concept of making an example even if it involves innocent people dying/being hurt but Nature has a huge sense of irony, at least I think

[Cammo]

It's a power trip thing ... Dewik Anfony would be the kind of guy who is mean to animals - social rejects take their frustrations out on the things that are the most defenceless.

[hrpiii]

maybe I should stay out of this thread, being a southern boy, I had to pay my way through school. In the winter, I trapped.

[VBigNate]

thats differernt though, herp. you werent physically torturing animals for the hell of it. There is a difference in doing what you have to do to survive, and fvcking with animals like those stupid fvcking carnies..

[dannyboy9]

Unless "you gotta do what you gotta do", have a money situation, you live miles from civilization or some other circumstances I can't think of ATM, there's no need to kill an animal.

Half the people that are vegetarians are that way because of the way they slaughter the animals just so the "meat lovers" can have their steak or their chicken breast. I bet not even half the people that are carnivores would eat meat if they had to kill the animal themselves...let me not get started...I'm on a BB'ing forum

[mitchcumstein]

I hunt. I also eat every last bite of the animal i killed. I feel much better about killing a deer and eating it than i do eating slaughtered farm animals. Hunting is a humane way to control wild animal populations and prevent starvation and suffering but thats a whole different topic. How humane is it when a lion chases down a zebra in the wild and tears him limb from limb and basically eats him alive? Nonetheless, i have no plans changing my diet to exclude meat.

[wnxmaximus]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

Unless "you gotta do what you gotta do", have a money situation, you live miles from civilization or some other circumstances I can't think of ATM, there's no need to kill an animal.

Half the people that are vegetarians are that way because of the way they slaughter the animals just so the "meat lovers" can have their steak or their chicken breast. I bet not even half the people that are carnivores would eat meat if they had to kill the animal themselves...let me not get started...I'm on a BB'ing forum

I definitely agree that animal cruelty is a pretty low and horrible thing. But let me just lay something out there.

Lets say today, 90% of the population became vegetarians, we stopped eating all meat, so no more animals would be killed, etc. If that happened, the animal population would sky rocket, and there would be some serious issues with how many animals we had around. I mean, I know that some meat plants, and farms and such, arent humane towards their animals, and I don't agree with them treating animals badly. However, I don't think its wrong or unnatural to eat meat. If all meat eating stopped, there would be some serious issues to address, and I am sure eventually they would start killing animals just for the sake of population control.

My point is, i am fine with vegetarians, but the should be fine with me eating meat as well. I dont think my way is the best way, or vegetarians have it all figured out, its just a preference, and I prefer eating meat. But we can agree that causing animals unnecessary pain is just horrible.

[mitchcumstein]

Humans are built to eat meat. We are also atop the food chain yet it amazes me how we would let a political or moral viewpoint decide what we put in our stomach. Those people are obviously the weak link and Darwin will eventually take care of them.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

Unless "you gotta do what you gotta do", have a money situation, you live miles from civilization or some other circumstances I can't think of ATM, there's no need to kill an animal.

Half the people that are vegetarians are that way because of the way they slaughter the animals just so the "meat lovers" can have their steak or their chicken breast. I bet not even half the people that are carnivores would eat meat if they had to kill the animal themselves...let me not get started...I'm on a BB'ing forum

Haha, sure and I love how contradictive vegetarians and vegans are.

Do they wear leather? Leather shoes? Leather purses/wallets/gloves?
Do they drive cars with leather seats? Have watches with leather bands?
Hmmm, good questions huh?

Well what about this: Do they ever eat gelatin or pehaps some ice cream?
Well last I checked, animals were killed to make these things.
What about honey? Arent they worried about the bee's being abused?
Hmmm, more contradictions

Also, arent plants alive?
So what about the morality of killing a plant to eat it? Perhaps it suffered?
If you want to get political, at some fundamental level, life is life, there is no difference between plants and animals.

If they want to talk the talk, they should walk the walk!