have not been treated appropriately
Activists say elephants
have not been treated appropriately
By sandi carpello
Staff Writer
Not everyone is happy about the circus coming to town. As the Florida-based Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus makes its way to the site of the former Foodtown shopping center on Route 70 this weekend, animal rights activists plan to distribute fliers, protesting the circus’ alleged cruelty to animals.
The flier, distributed by the Englishtown-based New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance (NJARA), alleges that the circus’ "grueling routines" and chain-shackling practices have led four elephants to their deaths in a span of four years.
Activists have also accused Cole Brothers of abusing elephants and posing a threat to public safety.
Janine Motta, spokeswoman for NJARA, said the animal rights organization has "zero tolerance for any circuses that use animals. The issue is, the circus does not have a right to take animals out of their natural habitat and put them in an unnatural environment."
Cole Brothers Vice President of Administration Renee Storey said the allegations were the typical banter of activists.
"It goes on and on," she said. "If they create their own story, they get publicity.
"[While] there are some allegations that have substance, most are accusations without foundation," she said.
Storey said the elephants get the best of veterinary care.
"No veterinarian has found them to be malnourished or abused," she said.
According to the flier, in 1995 two elephants "rampaged in Queens, N.Y., triggering a panic that left 12 people injured." Also, in 1995 in Hanover, Pa., the flier alleges, "two elephants rampaged, smashing windows, denting cars, and crashing through a large plate glass window at a Sears Auto Center."
Storey said that wasn’t exactly how it happened.
There were some "behavioral issues" with a couple of elephants in Queens and Hanover, she said. The two elephants got into a "pushing and shoving" match. One had a sort of antipathy against the other because one was smaller than the other," she said.
In those events, Storey said, the spectators were not injured, they just had a few scraped knees.
As for the allegations that grueling circus routines, malnourishment, abuse and use of tranquilizers in "foot trimming" procedures led to the death of four elephants, Storey said they were only partially true.
"Yes, four elephants died in the past four years, but three of them died because of old age," she said. She said an elephant has a life span of about 60 years.
"Helen died after retirement. … She reached the end of her lifetime," said Storey of one of the elephants.
Ola, who died after being tranquilized, was receiving a "not routine, very risky foot surgery, not a foot trimming," Storey said. "Since then, we’ve been a lot more careful in giving elephants anesthesia."
Storey said she was puzzled why so many activists would make these accusations.
"Logically it makes no sense. People who train them (the elephants) work hard. It’s a lot of work and it’s not clean work. We keep them in an open corral and do everything to maintain their well-being."
Motta said she doesn’t believe the circus’ statements.
"Circuses will always say they treat the animals well," she said. "It’s tough to make people understand that the circus is not giving animals the life they rightfully deserve. If you and I were forced into servitude, but given three square meals a day and were not allowed to see our loved ones, we wouldn’t be happy. Animals also deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Motta urged the public either to ban the circus from their weekend agenda or stage a public protest.
"We do ask people to take a stand … Let them know that you don’t appreciate that this type of entertainment is coming to this town," she said.
Storey said she can only encourage circus-goers to come to Cole Brothers’ elephant seminar at 9:15 the morning of performances. Spectators will be shown how the elephants are cared for and how the angus (a hook-like object) is appropriately used, according to Storey.
"The hardest thing you have to deal with is a closed mind," Storey said.
The Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus will be held on the corner of Route 70 and Brick Boulevard from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.