Yesterday, after nearly 10 long years in the making, closing arguments were heard in the case brought by The Fund for Animals and other animal protection groups against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and its parent company, Feld Entertainment, on charges that the circus mistreats its Asian elephants in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
The case was heard in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., and the judge’s decision is forthcoming.
The Evidence Is In
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Evidence shows that Ringling Bros. hits and chains its Asian elephants.© Corbis |
Over the course of the trial, which began Feb. 4, plaintiffs presented volumes of evidence demonstrating that circus employees use abusive and harmful training and discipline methods to control these highly endangered and extremely intelligent animals.
The evidence focused on two of Ringling’s standard practices and the harm they cause the elephants. These practices are the use of a bullhook (a sharp metal hook on the end a club) and the nearly constant chaining and confinement of the animals.
Plaintiffs put on days of evidence supporting these claims of mistreatment, including photographs, video footage, internal Ringling Bros. correspondence and reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Additionally, several former Ringling Bros. employees presented forceful eyewitness testimony.
One of these was The Fund’s co-plaintiff, Tom Rider, who worked at Ringling Bros. for 2.5 years before leaving the circus because of the abuse he saw.
"Handlers Hit Elephants"
Perhaps the most striking moment in the trial came in early March, when Kenneth Feld, chief executive officer of the circus, admitted under cross-examination that all of the Ringling handlers hit elephants with bullhooks, and that they do it to punish the animals.
This stunning admission flies in the face of decades of Ringling propaganda and advertising to mislead unsuspecting circus patrons with claims that Ringling would never hit or otherwise harm any of its elephants.
“Together with our partners we’ve fought long and hard to get to this point, and we’re pleased that the elephants have had their day in court,” said Michael Markarian, president of The Fund. “The evidence that Ringling Brothers is hitting and chaining these animals is no longer disputed, and we’re confident the Court will find that Ringling’s actions violate federal law.”
The groundbreaking lawsuit was filed against the circus in 2000 by The Fund for Animals, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Welfare Institute, Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute, and former Ringling Bros. barn man, Tom Rider.
Along the way, Ringling Bros. used stall tactics and repeatedly tried to have the case dismissed, wasting considerable time and resources. The plaintiffs are represented by the public interest law firm Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal.
Timeline
• March 18, 2009—Closing arguments are heard in the trial against Ringling Brothers. Judge’s decision could come at any time.
• February 4, 2009—Ringling Brothers finally faces trial on charges of the unlawful mistreatment of Asian elephants in U.S. District Court.
• August 23, 2007—U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan issues a ruling rejecting Ringling Brothers' attempts to have the case dismissed, and permitting the plaintiffs' case to proceed to trial.
• October 2006—In response to a court order, Ringling discloses its own internal veterinary records revealing severe abuse at the hands of Ringling's elephant handlers.
• September 2005—The federal district judge assigned to the case announces that he will "incarcerat[e]" Ringling's lawyers and executives if they do not turn over critical veterinary documents that were required to be produced much earlier in the litigation.
• February 2003—A unanimous panel of the federal appeals court in the District of Columbia finds that the plaintiffs have standing to sue Ringling Brothers for its mistreatment of Asian elephants.
• June 2000—Animal welfare groups file suit against Ringling Brothers in federal court in the District of Columbia under the Endangered Species Act to stop Ringling's inhumane and unlawful mistreatment of highly endangered Asian elephants.
Behind the Big Top
