How Circus Training and Abuse Killed These Baby Elephants

Posted September 22, 2015 by Kim Johnson

The first step in training baby elephants to perform is to destroy the bond between them and their mothers. To do this, Ringling Bros. trainers drag the babies away from their mothers. For up to 23 hours a day, the babies’ legs are tethered so that all they can do is stand in one spot on a concrete floor. They aren’t provided with any mental or physical stimulation, and they can’t lie down, stretch their legs, or even turn around.

After up to six long months of standing in their own waste, these once curious and energetic elephants lose all interest in fighting back. Their spirits are broken. Now, they’re under the control of the trainers, who begin forcing them to do confusing and painful tricks through the use of violence and fear. This type of “training” and abuse is what killed these elephants:

Riccardo

Riccardo’s life began inside Ringling’s misleadingly named breeding facility, the Center for Elephant Conservation. After Riccardo’s mother, Shirley, gave birth—while she was chained by three legs—she made several desperate attempts to reach out and care for her newborn, but instead of allowing mother and baby to bond, Ringling’s trainers pulled Riccardo away.

When Riccardo was only 8 months old, he fell off a pedestal and broke his hind legs. Ringling trainers originally claimed that he had fallen while he was playing, but it was later revealed in court that Riccardo actually fell while he was being trained to get on the pedestal. His trainer admitted that he was holding a bullhook and that a rope was tied around Riccardo’s trunk when the baby elephant toppled over. The damage to Riccardo’s legs could not be treated, and veterinarians euthanized him. 

Kenny

Kenny was just 3 years old when he died. In the wild, he would still be at his mother’s side, but in the circus, Kenny had to spend much of his time traveling around the country inside a cramped boxcar. One day in 1998, Kenny was reportedly very sick, but trainers still forced him to perform in two shows. 

According to the circus’s animal-care log, Kenny was “not eating or drinking.” He also was “bleeding from his rectum … had a hard time standing, was very shaky, walked very slowly,” and “passed a large amount of blood from his rectum.” Later that night, he died alone in his stall. 

Benjamin

Just a year after Kenny’s death, Benjamin died while he was traveling with Ringling. During a stop in Texas, he went swimming in a pond with another young elephant named Shirley (who would later give birth to Riccardo, mentioned above). When the elephants’ trainer commanded them to exit the pond, Shirley obeyed immediately, but being a young and curious elephant, Benjamin continued to splash and play in the water, ignoring the trainer’s commands.

The trainer then grabbed his bullhook and went into the water after Benjamin. Likely out of fear of the trainer and the bullhook, Benjamin moved away into deeper water and drowned. 

Bertha

In 2005, an 11-day-old elephant named Bertha reportedly died. The circus did not announce her birth or death.

What You Can Do

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has announced that it plans to phase out the use of elephants in its performances by 2018. While this is a great victory it is not enough. For the next three years, elephants with Ringling will still be chained, hit with bullhooks,and crammed into tiny boxcars. Many of the elephants suffer from painful arthritis or carry tuberculosis, and their retirement day needs to come now.

Three years is too long for a mother elephant separated from her calf, too long for a baby elephant beaten with bullhooks, and too long for an animal who would roam up to 30 miles a day in the wild but who is instead kept in shackles.

Never go to a circus that uses animals! Continue to speak up for animals abused by Ringling, and urge the circus to retire the elephants NOW.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/ringling-baby-elephant-training-deaths/#ixzz3mVvHRDhO

California State Senate Votes to Ban Bullhooks

Written by PETA | September 1, 2015

The California State Senate voted 28 to eight to ban bullhook use with elephants, making it the first state to enact such a ban. A bullhook is a long rod with a sharp metal hook at the top. It’s one of the weapons used by circuses to beat elephants in the name of “training” in order to coerce them into performing tricks.

California’s bullhook ban is now in the hands of Gov. Jerry Brown, whose signature can turn the bill into law. When this historic ban goes into effect in 2018, no elephant in California will ever again be beaten, hooked, jabbed, or threatened with these weapons, or the wielder will pay a price.

A bullhook being used on a baby elephant.

Some individual cities—including Austin, Texas; Miami Beach, Florida; Oaklandand Los Angeles, California; and Richmond, Virginia—have already banned bullhook use. While this is a step in the right direction, no animal should be forced to perform for our entertainment.

What You Can Do

Never patronize circuses or other shows that use animal acts.

Saying it proud and saying it loud!

By: Hannah Easley


Hey everyone! I'm saying it loud and saying it proud with my sign, "I am an animal."

    Let's see you taking a picture with you "I am an animal" sign and share what you think about
 animal rights. Tag #AnimalsAreNotOurs and #IAmAnAnimal and share it with friends!
 

   Let's spread what animal liberation is to us! #VeganPower #VegetarianPower

If you want to learn more on ways to be a vegan, go here!

                                      If you want to learn more of issues, go here!
                                      If you want to play some fun games, go here!
                                      If you want some recipes, go to my tabs above or go here!
                                      If you are interested in joining a Peta2 Street Team to get FREE 
                                       stuff and help animals, go here!

Zero Joy for Zebras in the Circus

Posted July 1, 2015 by Hannah Healy

After years of being hauled around the country and forced to perform for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, a 12-year-old zebra named Lima broke free from his trainers, squeezed through a fence, and ran through the streets of Atlanta for 40 minutes, pursued by police and his trainers.

After police blocked off lanes of the interstate on which Lima was running, he was eventually captured. A Ringling Bros. spokesperson said that Lima would likely perform as usual—but the injuries to his hooves were so severe that he had to be euthanized.

Just like the lions, tigers, and elephants circuses exploit, zebras are wild animals. They tend to be high-strung and unpredictable, which puts both the animals and the public at risk. For example, three zebras, including Lima, escaped from Ringling while the circus was performing in Baltimore and dashed into traffic. In another incident, a Ringling veterinary technician informed California authorities that zebras had jumped out of a pen during a show. And when Ringling was performing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, four zebras and three horses who were being walked into an arena got spooked. All seven animals reportedly ran loose near a busy interstate.

Zebras are meant to roam large areas, and being kept inside cramped pens is bad for their health. There’s no vaccine data available for zebras, and they can contract diseases from horses and pass illnesses on to them. Yet Ringling travels with both horses and zebras.

According to a study by three veterinarians, two of whom worked for Ringling, zebras require heavy sedation (“ultrapotent narcotics”) for even minor procedures, so any injury puts them at risk.

Zebras are natural prey animals. Placing them in the middle of large crowds—not to mention in close proximity to lions and tigers—is extremely frightening to them. Because of their tendency to be easily spooked, this is dangerous for them and everyone around them. Zebras also have distinct social structures, but in the circus, they’re forced to live in incompatible groups. Less aggressive individuals can be bullied and hurt.

In the wild, zebras spend their days grazing together and grooming one another. They’re social animals who thrive in the company of other zebras. If one is threatened or attacked, the herd will often circle the wounded zebra, defending him or her from the attacker.

Zebras want to live in herds in the wild, not traveling in cramped boxcars or performing stupid tricks for humans’ “amusement.” They are NOT OURS to use for entertainment. Never go to any circus that uses animals, and urge your friends and family to stay away, too.

No chains. No cages. No Tanks. 

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/circus-ringling-zebras/#ixzz3hPcqnDEi

How Long Could You Survive Inside This Hot Car?

Posted July 15, 2015 by Megan Rondeau

Every summer, thousands of dogs suffer and die when their guardians leave them inside a parked car. It might be for “just a minute” while they run inside the gas station or pop into a store, but it could result in tragedy.

NFL free safety Tyrann Mathieu is a huge animal lover, so when he heard about the dangers of leaving dogs inside hot cars, he jumped into action. How long do you think you could last inside a car that’s baking in the summer heat? Five minutes? Six? Mathieu accepted the challenge—and the results are shocking …

Even on a mild 73-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can reach 120 degrees in minutes. Dogs aren’t equipped to handle such high temperatures. Unlike humans, they can’t sweat to cool themselves off—and while you can take off your jacket or roll up your sleeves, dogs wear permanent fur coats 365 days a year. Animals can suffer and die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes, even with the car’s windows partially rolled down. Parking in the shade and leaving water in the vehicle won’t help.  If You See a Dog Locked Inside a Hot Car - Take down the vehicle’s make, model, color and license plate number, and have the owner paged in the nearest buildings. Call local humane authorities or the police immediately. Call 911 if the animal is in distress. Don’t leave the scene until the situation has been resolved. If you can’t find the owner, the authorities are unresponsive or too slow, and the dog’s life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness (or several) who will back up your assessment, and take steps to remove the suffering animal from the car. Wait for the authorities to arrive.

Harry Styles has a message for Seaworld -

Here are four reasons why you should listen to Harry and stay away from SeaWorld:

1. Dolphins in the wild swim vast distances every day with their extended families, playing and exploring new territory together. However, at SeaWorld they’re confined to cramped, barren concrete tanks. This is especially traumatic for them because they’re highly social animals who communicate through vocalizations and navigate by echolocation. In pools such as those at SeaWorld, the reverberations from these sounds bounce off the walls around them.

SeaWorld, San Diego (300443) | Robert Linsdell | CC by 2.0

2. Captive dolphins are sometimes housed in incompatible groups, and because of the cramped conditions, they’re unable to escape conflicts.

3. Many dolphins develop painful ailments, such as stomach ulcers, and some die prematurely from the stressful conditions of captivity. Sixty-two bottlenose dolphins have DIED at SeaWorld parks in just ten years. Sixteen of those dolphins were stillborn babies.

255-8 | Sompop S | CC by 2.0

4. Cheap tricks can hurt dolphins. In 2008, Sharky, a captive dolphin at SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida, was fatally injured while performing an aerial trick. He collided in mid-air with another dolphin and subsequently died. And in 2012 at SeaWorld’s San Antonio facility, two dolphins crashed in mid-air, and one was ejected onto the concrete walkway below. The dolphin lay bleeding and helpless as guests looked on.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/harry-styles-seaworld/#ixzz3fdHRRIEq

Why YOU Should NOT Support Zoos

Posted June 24, 2015 by Hannah Healy

Here at peta2, we get a lot of questions about animals in zoos. Most people understand that confining a beautiful wild animal to a cage a mere fraction of the size of their natural habitat is wrong. And many were furious after watching the eye-opening documentary Blackfish, which detailed the suffering that marine animals endure in captivity. However, there are many common misconceptions about zoos that make some people question why PETA doesn’t support them. We’re here to answer those questions.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/zoo-cruelty-questions/#ixzz3fSRWeDOD

Why does PETA say that animals don’t belong in zoos?

Zoos generally regard the animals they keep as mere commodities. They’re regularly bought, sold, borrowed, and traded with little regard for their established relationships. Think about this: One member of a loving family herd could be shipped off to another zoo! Removing animals from established social groups and forcing them to adjust repeatedly to new routines, different caretakers, and unfamiliar cage-mates is disruptive and traumatic for them.

A major reason that zoos choose to breed animals is because people LOVE seeing babies. A new baby can draw in zoo visitors and boost revenue. However, the animals’ fate is often bleak once they outgrow their “cuteness.” Zoos often become crowded, and older animals may be kept in warehouses behind the scenes or shuffled off to shabby roadside zoos, animal dealers, or auctions.

Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals

Even large, well-known, and popular zoos engage in unethical practices, such as dumping unwanted  animals or acquiring them from the wild. The San Diego Zoo and Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo imported a combined 11 African elephants from Swaziland. And accredited zoos in Denver; Houston; Litchfield Park, Arizona; San Antonio; San Diego; and Tampa, Florida, imported a combined 33 monkeys who had been illegally trafficked by poachers in Africa!

Aren’t there laws to protect animals in zoos?

Some countries have no laws whatsoever to protect captive animals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues licenses to animal exhibitors in the U.S. The agency is supposed to enforce the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), but licenses are issued to nearly ANYONE who fills out an application and sends in a fee.

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In addition, the AWA only addresses basic issues. It states that animals must be fed, given water, and provided with shelter. However, cages are allowed to have concrete floors, and there’s NO specific requirement for grass, greenery, or other natural vegetation. Cage space regulations are liberally interpreted and require only that the animals be provided with enough room to stand up, lie down, turn around, and move around a bit. Basically, this means that if YOU were only protected by the AWA, you could legally be locked inside a concrete closet.

Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals

Some animals, including reptiles, fish, and other cold-blooded animals, are specifically EXCLUDED from the AWA. Shockingly, even though Congress amended the act in 2002 to include birds used for exhibition as regulated (protected) animals, the USDA has yet to cite ANYONE for neglecting them—even though many birds are obviously suffering and some have died as a result of apparent AWA violations.

Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals

While local authorities do typically have the legal power to enforce state and local cruelty laws for animals suffering in zoos, the vast majority simply refuse to take action, often passing the buck to the USDA. Even though the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) PROHIBITS harming or harassing protected species held in captivity, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (the agency tasked with enforcing the ESA) ALSO typically defers to the USDA’s inadequate enforcement of the AWA.

Aren’t zoos critical to conservation efforts?

The first thing people need to know is that most animals kept in zoos are NOT endangered. Those who are endangered may have their plight made worse by zoos’ focus on crowd appeal.

The second thing you need to know is that animals kept in zoos are almost NEVER being prepared for release back into their natural habitats. It’s nearly impossible to release captive-bred animals into the wild safely. Think about this: How are we going to help save animals from extinction if we’re displaying them in tiny cages and never releasing them to replenish the species? Animals who are reared in zoos live in unnatural environments and can’t learn survival skills—and often, they have little or no natural habitat left to return to because of human encroachment.

Many zoos are holding endangered species primarily as spectacles for tourists. Basically, most endangered animals in captivity are being exploited for the profit of zoos.

Won’t children be deprived if they can’t see animals in zoos?

Sociologists in the U.K. gathered data from children between the ages of 7 and 15, both before and after they visited the London Zoo. The researchers found that 59 percent of children who took an educator-guided tour of the zoo had no positive educational outcomes. That number jumps to 66 percent when the children went on an unguided visit. In many cases, the trip to the zoo even had a negative impact on children’s understanding of animals and their habitats.

Taking kids to the zoo may actually HURT conservation efforts, too! In fact, numerous studies have shown that exhibiting animals in unnatural settings may undermine conservation by causing visitors to believe that the species must not be in jeopardy. This is especially the case for displays in which humans are allowed direct contact with animals. 

What CAN we do to save endangered animals?

Ultimately, we’ll only be able to save endangered species if we save their habitats and stop animals from being hunted and killed—not by breeding them in captivity. Zoos regularly squander millions of dollars erecting statues and amusement rides and building gift shops and concession stands. This money would do far more to help animals if it were spent on habitat-preservation projects.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/zoo-cruelty-questions/#ixzz3fSS4HIip

If you love animals, it’s only natural that you want to be close to them, but animals shouldn’t have to live in misery because of our curiosity! They don’t belong to us and they’re NOT OURS to confine in zoos. Pledge never to support zoos, and urge your friends and family to stay away, too.

No chains. No cages. No tanks. 

How Swimming With Dolphins Is Actually Killing Them

Posted July 7, 2015 by Lily Trahan

“Swim with dolphins” programs profit from tourists’ curiosity and desire to be close to the animals they love. Although people may have good intentions in wanting to interact with their favorite marine mammals, they’re actually supporting an industry that condemns these individuals to a lifetime of loneliness. Have you ever wondered where these dolphins came from in the first place? Well, here’s the deal:

Sometimes, dolphins are torn away from their families in the wild and sold to marine parks around the world. Even babies, who typically stay with their mothers for three to six years, are taken. Can you imagine how you’d feel if you were stolen from your parents as a kid?

Many of the dolphins who are considered less “attractive”—and, therefore, less profitable—are actually slaughtered during this capture process and sold as meat to consumers. Can we say “WTF?!”

©Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Others are bred in captivity and suffer for their entire lives in miserable pens or concrete pools.

Swimming With Dolphins | Britt Reints | CC BY 2.0

Not only are the dolphins used in these tourist attractions forced to live in barren pools, they also have to endure the trauma and stress of being repeatedly transported. One dolphin named Sasha was captured from her home in the Gulf of Mexico in 1987 and has since been transported to different facilities 21 times! She is now being held captive at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas, one of the most popular “swim with” facilities.

Atlantis Dolphin Cay Shallow Water Interaction | Austin Kirk | CC BY 2.0

In the wild, dolphins swim up to 60 miles each day, but in captivity, they’re confined to cramped sea pens and often chemically treated concrete pools. This is especially traumatic for them since they communicate through echolocation.

Captive dolphins are often housed in incompatible groups, and because of the cramped conditions, they’re unable to escape conflicts.

Many dolphins develop painful ailments, such as stomach ulcers, and some die prematurely from the stressful conditions of captivity.

Some other illnesses—including viral, fungal, and bacterial infections—can be passed from dolphins to human visitors. People have also been bitten and sustained broken bones during their swimming sessions or while “interacting” with dolphins at marine parks. Umm … no, thanks!

Now that you know about the true cost that dolphins pay for our amusement, what will you do? Never visit marine parks or participate in “swim with” programs—and urge your friends and family to avoid them, too. Dolphins are NOT OURS to use for entertainment.

No Chains. No Cages. No Tanks.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/swim-with-dolphins-programs/#ixzz3fMG7YgR7