While circus parades into Oklahoma, groups denounce elephant restraints
While circus parades into Oklahoma, groups denounce elephant restraints
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From Staff and Wire Reports
Published: May 22, 2008
A spokesman for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey said Wednesday he doubts Oklahomans will be scared away from the circus next month by recent legal action accusing the company of chaining its elephants for days at a time.
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Hours spent in chains
In federal court papers filed in Washington, the groups said Ringling Bros.' own train records show the Asian elephants are chained in box cars for an average of more than 26 straight hours and often 60 to 70 hours at a time when the circus travels. In some cases, the elephants have been chained on trains for 90 to 100 hours, court papers allege.
The parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Feld Entertainment Inc., argues chaining elephants during transport is necessary and legal.
Steve Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, said the elephants were restrained "for their own safety” in accordance with federal guidelines. He compared the restraints to seat belts and said the box cars are monitored by circus staff.
But the plaintiffs' lead attorney, Katherine Meyer, said some of the elephants are spending more than half their lives in chains.
"It's not fair. It's not humane, what kind of life these animals have to live in order to give a 12-minute performance,” Meyer said.
The ASPCA is a plaintiff in the long-running lawsuit, along with the Animal Welfare Institute, the Fund for Animals and the Animal Protection Institute.
Payne said long chaining durations may have occurred in "extreme instances,” but he described Wednesday's legal request as an exaggeration.
"The elephants spend the majority of their waking hours socializing, exercising — untethered,” he said.
Payne said he doesn't think the case will keep people from visiting the circus at the Ford Center June 6-8.
"We're not at all concerned,” Payne said. "Our audiences can see for themselves when they come to our shows how happy and healthy our animals are.”
The company also plans to hold a pachyderm parade on June 4, when the 11 Asian elephants will be paraded from State Fair Park to the Cox Convention Center, where they can be viewed by ticket holders at the circus' animal open house.
The elephants were unloaded from a train at SW 19 Street and Agnew and marched to State Fair Park on Wednesday.
The lawsuit, alleging multiple violations of the Endangered Species Act, was filed in 2000.
What's next for case?
Meyer said the judge handling the case is expected to hold a hearing on the injunction request within 20 days. There is still no date set for the start of the trial.
Related Topics:
Special Interest Groups, Nature and the Environment, Civil Trials, Trials, Wildlife, Animal Rights, Mammals
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1822: Andrew Jackson recaptured four of his slaves who had run away: “Although I hate chains (I was) compelled to
place two of them in irons, for safekeeping until an opportunity offers to sell or exchange them. (Remini, 1977. p134)
One must remember though that the Food Stamp program is from the democrats. The only reason the republicans agreed to the override is the election year move. Any other year they would have voted it down. As for shackles of Black Slavery one must remember their history. There were many times when the founders of the democratic party could and should have ended slavery. Andrew Jackson, DP founder, had ample opportunity to end slavery. But it did not happen until Republican Lincoln came along. Then through the years democratic party controlled southern states refused to give Black people any rights.