Circuses
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Elephant Deaths
Circus Elephant Death List
From 1994 to 1998, at least 26 circus elephants died premature and unnatural deaths. Most circus elephants are chained by at least two legs for 95% of their lives in a space no larger than an automobile. They are unchained only to perform. The natural behavior patterns of the elephant, which have evolved over thousands of years, are denied by this confined, chained, and dominated life. To disrupt and prevent the natural behavior of these intelligent, social creatures is not only inhumane and cruel, but stressful to the individual animal as well.
Information regarding the deaths and injuries of captive elephants is difficult to obtain. This list is therefore probably incomplete.
List compiled by The Elephant Alliance
| Name | Age | Sex | Date | Cause of Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 13 | F | 4/98 | Injury of questionable origin |
| Kenny | 3 | M | 1/98 | Gastrointestinal infection? |
| Sneeze | 27 | F | 12/97 | Kidney failure |
| Heather | 8 | F | 8/97 | Incompetent animal husbandry |
| Ola | 40 | F | 3/97 | Died after foot surgery |
| Name Unknown | ? | F | 1997 | Herpes virus? |
| Tunga | 32 | M | 9/96 | Unknown |
| Hattie | 27 | F | 8/96 | Tuberculosis |
| Joyce | 47 | F | 8/96 | Tuberculosis |
| Bandula | 30 | F | 6/96 | Euthanized after suffering 26 years with arthritis |
| Stoney | 21 | M | 8/95 | Complications from training injury |
| Mary | 50+ | F | 4/95 | "Collapsed and died" |
| Jockey | 20 | M | 3/95 | Shot to death |
| Rhonda | 9 | F | 3/95 | Burned to death |
| Mike | ? | M | 3/95 | Burned to death |
| Lois | 24 | F | 1/95 | "Foot infection spread through her body" |
| Sahib | 20 | M | 1/95 | Killed because he was "unmanageable" |
| Bombay | 40+ | F | 1994 | Unknown |
| Dumbo | 43 | F | 12/94 | Tuberculosis |
| Mona | 26 | F | 10/94 | Metabolic disease |
| Kay | 50 | F | 10/94 | Kidney ailment |
| Amy | ? | F | 9/94 | Unknown |
| Tyke | 21 | F | 8/94 | Shot to death |
| Siam | ? | M | 7/94 | "Euthanized" |
| Assam | 24 | M | 6/94 | "Died under sedation |
