USDA Fines Ringling Bros. Circus: CNN Interviews Elephant Sanctuary CEO

On Nov. 30, 2011, CNN reported on a fine Ringling Bros.' parent company, Feld Entertainment, received from the USDA for allegedly mistreating elephants.

The Elephant Sanctuary's CEO, Rob Atkinson, was interviewed by CNN's Brooke Baldwin and explained the benefits of sanctuary life for elephants.

You can see the original story on CNN's website: http://bit.ly/vGirK6

To observe how elephants live at The Elephant Sanctuary, visit our channel:
http://youtube.com/ElephantSanctuaryTN

You can visit our LIVE EleCam! http://elephants.com/elecam/

For more information on The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, visit: http://elephants.com

• Category

  Nonprofits & Activism

[elephantsanctuarytn]

There are certainly two sides to every story. Please carefully research any organization using trained animals before you support them to make sure that they are not using any practices that you disapprove of.

In response to the questions about the bullhook, yes the elephants do have thick skin..but it IS their skin. Elephants are clearly agitated by a bug bite, and they will use their trunks to swat at a fly on their back. Their thick skin is very sensitive.

[lucycatism]

I have been a contributor to the Elephant Sanctuary for six years. It costs $125,000 per year to maintain each elephant at the Sanctuary. They have special diets, veterinarians, staff, heated barns, and maintenance of the 2,700 acres where both the Africans and Asians have separate areas.

They have room for dozens of more Asian and African elephants, but it takes the almighty dollar to keep the Sanctuary running. Won't you help? Thank you and God bless the ES!

[elephantsanctuarytn]

Thank you so kindly for your wonderful words, your dedicated support and for helping raise awareness. We really appreciate our supporters like you and couldn't do what we do without you!!

[kelsad1234]

Have a circus that has no animals, then I will take my family, but not until then!!!

[John Hiram]

DO NOT go to a circus ever

[EEJuliana909]

muito bom..!

[qeproductions1]

Wonderful video. I have worked circus for many years and am glad that standards are being raised. I have not seen animal abuse. I've seen people abuse!!!

How could they take a movie and compare that to real life. A bullhook is a steering mechaniscm, they have thick skin. Most trainers use the other end of the hook. It is not negative reinforcement nor a pain inflicting mechanism. Please, lets get two sides of each story. Slanted newsreport.

[irishveganboy]

they are scum.

[boooshwa]

Does anybody realize how much force it takes to hurt an elephant with a hand held object? Its more than any man could exhibit. Their skin is almost an inch thick, thicker than the hull of a cargo ship. Elephants do have a brain and realize when a trainer swings an object at them they will try something else. If they take animals out of circuses, they might as well take all cats and dogs from homes.

[Desiree Luciano]

Animals should definitely not be in the circus. They were meant to be wild and free not standing on their heads.

[adoptnotbreed]

Circuses without animals are very entertaining Cant believe people still support this