WASHINGTON - The Humane Society of the United States calls on
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) to take action to confiscate, or at the very least
safeguard the well-being of, seven polar bears owned by the
Suarez Brothers Circus and forced to live in inadequate
conditions in tropical heat.
Despite concerns raised by animal protection organizations,
including the Marine Mammal Commission, an independent agency
of the U.S. government, and concerned citizens, the Fish and
Wildlife Service in consultation with APHIS issued the Suarez
Bothers Circus a permit to bring the seven polar bears into
Puerto Rico in May 2001.
Since that time, a number of agencies and organizations have
documented numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act by the
Suarez Brothers Circus concerning the polar bears. The circus
has been maintaining these Arctic animals in tropical heat at
times reaching 112 degrees, often without air conditioning or
access to pools of cold water and confined to a transport
vehicle for extended periods of time, in one instance for 55
hours.
The bears have also been suffering from a lack of veterinary
attention. An APHIS inspection from July 2001 reported that one
bear, named Alaska, had patches of missing hair and that there
was no record of the development or treatment of her condition.
A subsequent report made in August by an animal protection
organization described Alaska in a much-deteriorated condition,
with no hair remaining on her face, discharge from her right
eye and nose, and having difficulty holding her head up.
This appears to be standard procedure for the circus. An
earlier incident involving the death of another polar bear
revealed that the bear had not received timely medical
attention. In fact, the circus could provide no medical records
for the bear. There are also concerns about the Suarez Brothers
Circus' training methods. Trainers for the circus have been
observed hitting the bears on the face, head, and hindquarters
with whips and sticks.
Dr. Naomi Rose, HSUS marine mammal scientist, said, "These
bears are being forced to live in the most unnatural
conditions. In the Arctic, air temperatures rarely exceed 65
degrees in the summer and water temperatures always hover
around freezing. In the winter temperatures dip well below
zero. Even in this natural environment, overheating can be a
serious concern for polar bears, especially if they exert
themselves. Forcing these bears to perform tricks in tropical
conditions places them at risk of overheating and suffering
collapse." She added, "It is extremely disappointing that our
federal agencies rubber stamped the Suarez permit. Now they
need to step in and oversee the humane treatment and care of
these animals."
In August, the Ponce district attorney Benjamin Miranda
filed charges against the Suarez Brothers Circus for violations
of Puerto Rico's animal protection laws. The case will come to
trial on January 22, 2002. In the meantime, the polar bears
continue to suffer in inhumane conditions.
"Unfortunately, the Suarez Brothers Circus is not the only
traveling animal show with such a deplorable track record,"
said Richard Farinato, captive wildlife protection program
director for The HSUS. "This is typical of such shows in the
U.S. and abroad. These types of operations sometimes advertise
themselves as educational, but they rarely are. In fact, too
often what these circuses convey is a total lack of respect for
the animals by ignoring their needs and disregarding the fact
that they are intelligent, complex creatures."
George Miller (D-7th CA), Frank Pallone (D-6th NJ), Neil
Abercrombie (D-1st HI), and Anibal Acevedo-Vila (D-PR) will be
circulating a Dear Colleague letter to congressional offices
and soliciting signatures for letters to the US Fish and
Wildlife Service and APHIS expressing their concerns about the
welfare of the polar bears and worries that lax enforcement of
federal standards played a role in the current situation.
