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After eight years in the making, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and its parent company, Feld Entertainment, Inc. finally stand trial to face charges for the inhumane treatment of its Asian elephants in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
The groundbreaking lawsuit alleges that Ringling Bros. violates the Endangered Species Act by abusively training and disciplining endangered Asian elephants with sharp implements such as bull hooks and by intensively and continuously confining and chaining the animals for hours and even days on end.
Over the years, the plaintiffs have amassed a wealth of evidence to support their claims including photographs, video footage, internal Ringling Bros. documentation and reports from the United States Department of Agriculture.
In addition to such evidence, eyewitness testimony from former Ringling Bros. employees and testimony from leading elephant behavior experts will be presented by the plaintiffs at trial.
The plaintiffs in the case include HSUS affiliate The Fund for Animals, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Welfare Institute, Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute, and former Ringling Bros. employee Tom Rider. HSUS vice president and chief counsel for Animal Protection Litigation and Research, Jonathan Lovvorn, is one of the Fund’s lawyers in the case and provided an update from the trial here.
Day 2: February 5
by Jonathan Lovvorn
10a.m.
The judge takes the bench for day two, with a much, much smaller crowd in the galley.
10:15a.m.
An issue is raised about a particular fact witness in the case blogging on the proceedings, and whether this violates the Court’s pre-trial order. As a result, and as a prophylactic matter, the Court orders all participants, witnesses, and officers of the court not to blog on the proceedings. The latter category includes this writer.
The Fund For Animals and the other plaintiffs will issue appropriate press releases and advisories on major developments on the case on this site. For media requests, please contact Rachel Querry at 301-258-8255.
