Circus mistreats animals 

Readers deserve to know the truth about the elephants with Garden Bros. Circus (“UNDER THE BIG TOP: Elephants the main attraction at Garden Bros. Circus,” Feb. 7). Like virtually every circus with animals, Garden Bros. has a history rife with not just animal abuse but also endangering public health and safety.

The head trainer for Carson & Barnes, the outfit currently supplying the elephants for Garden Bros., was caught on video screaming at elephants while violently attacking them with electric prods and bullhooks— weapons that resemble fireplace pokers—and encouraging others to do the same.

Habib Omar, the elephant handler currently with Garden Bros. who is quoted at length in your article, was caught on video using the sharp, pointed tip of a bullhook to force the elephant Libby’s head down while swearing at her. Libby is currently being forced to perform with Garden Bros. Circus, along with Bunny, even though both of these elephants are about 50 years old and likely suffer from painful and potentially life-threatening arthritis that is aggravated by circus tricks and transport.

In another incident, Omar was caught on video hooking an elephant after she attacks Libby in a circus ring and he completely loses control of the animals. This was only one of many such perilous incidents. At least three elephants have escaped from Garden Bros. Carson & Barnes has a long history of elephant escapes and recently paid a penalty for its unsafe handling of elephants. Elephants are dangerous and can easily kill a human with a single trunk swipe or foot stomp.

Garden Bros. has also repeatedly exposed the public to zoonotic diseases. The circus has featured an elephant carrying tuberculosis, even though the potentially fatal disease is transmissible from elephants to humans—even without direct contact, since it’s airborne.

Until Garden Bros. ends its reckless and dangerous use of elephants, everyone who cares about animal welfare or just the health and safety of their family should stay far away from this notorious circus.

Delcianna J. Winders

Animal Law & Policy Fellow

Harvard Law School

Cambridge, Massachusetts

This time animals hurt

As he was signing edicts hurting one group after another over the past two weeks, it was only a matter of time before Donald Trump got around to hurting animals – already the most oppressed sentient beings on earth.

The animals’ turn came this week – by taking down the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) site that reports on government regulation of roughly 9,000 animal handling facilities. These are laboratories, dog breeders, fur farms, circuses, zoos, and aquariums.

The site is used every day by animal protection activists to monitor government enforcement of the 1966 Animal Welfare Act, the only effective federal law protecting animals.

Taking down the APHIS inspection site is a huge setback for animal protection. It will almost certainly lead to reduced government inspection of animal facilities and more animal suffering – a virtual repeal of the Animal Welfare Act. Ironically, this oppressive act was launched by the same dark-of-night process as that of pulling more than 100,000 visas from thoroughly vetted Muslim immigrants one week earlier – no notice, no hearings, no due process, no public announcement.

The oppressive mindset doesn’t really care who the victims are. Hopefully, the courts will.

Malcolm Williams

 

Meridian