Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

USDA# 52-C-0137 (past # 58-C-0106), 8607 Westwood Center Dr., Vienna, VA 22182

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Ringling paid $20,000 to settle U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) charges of failing to provide veterinary care to a dying baby elephant. The USDA has also cited Ringling for failure to possess records of veterinary care, failure to provide animals with sufficient space, failure to provide animals with exercise, and endangering tigers who were nearly baked alive in a boxcar because of poor maintenance of their enclosures. Ringling is under investigation for the death of a 2-year-old lion who is believed to have died from heatstroke. In less than two years, two baby elephants died, a caged tiger was shot to death, a horse who was used despite a chronic medical condition died during Ringling’s traditional animal march, and a wild-caught sea lion was found dead in her transport container. Fifty-seven of the approximately 62 elephants owned by Ringling in 1990 were captured in the wild. At least 24 elephants have died since 1992.

DEATHS

September 12, 2005: PETA confirmed the death of an infant elephant, believed to be a few months old, named Bertha. The circus did not announce her birth or death.
August 31, 2005: An endangered Asian elephant named Gildah died. Gildah was captured in the wild and used in Siegfried & Roy’s casino act. She was kept in solitary confinement at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
October 9, 2004: An endangered Asian elephant was euthanized because of osteoarthritis. The circus did not announce this death.
August 5, 2004: An 8-month-old elephant named Riccardo was destroyed after suffering severe and irreparable fractures to both hind legs when he fell off a circus pedestal. Riccardo was undersized when he was born to Shirley, a Ringling elephant, in December 2003. Failing to wait until Shirley was 18 years old, when she would have been physically and emotionally ready to raise offspring, Ringling used Shirley for breeding when she was only 7 years old (see “Animal Care,” December 5, 2003). Riccardo may have been afflicted with a bone disorder caused by malnourishment, since his mother was unable to nurse him.
July 13, 2004: According to an affidavit by former Ringling lion handler Frank Hagan, a 2-year-old lion named Clyde died while traveling through the intense heat of the Mojave Desert in a poorly ventilated boxcar without being checked or given water. The lion is believed to have died from heatstroke and dehydration.
July 1, 2004: An endangered Asian elephant died because of an aortic aneurysm. The circus did not announce this death.
May 11, 2004: Two Ringling horses were struck by a freight train as they were being unloaded from the circus train near Dayton, Ohio. One horse died instantly, and the other was euthanized at the scene.
January 24, 2003: An endangered Asian elephant was euthanized because of osteoarthritis. The circus did not announce this death.
December 22, 2002: A 57-year-old endangered Asian elephant named King Tusk was euthanized because of osteoarthritis. Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanasia of captive elephants.
June 1, 2001: A 7-year-old endangered Bengal tiger named Jasmine was euthanized due to chronic renal disease. The circus did not announce this death.
May 25, 2001: A 34-year-old endangered Asian elephant named Birka stored at Ringling’s breeding compound was euthanized due to abdominal neoplasia. The circus did not announce this death.
April 30, 2001: An endangered Asian elephant died due to chronic osteoarthritis. Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanasia in captive elephants. The circus did not announce this death.
April 12, 2001: An endangered Asian elephant was euthanized due to chronic osteoarthritis. The circus did not announce this death.
March 7, 2001: An endangered Bengal tiger was euthanized because of tumors in her ear canals and sinuses. The circus did not announce this death.
August 5, 2000: An endangered Asian elephant was euthanized due to degenerative osteoarthritis. Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanizing captive elephants. The circus did not announce this death.
August 1, 2000: An endangered Bengal tiger was euthanized due to degenerative osteoarthritis. The circus did not announce this death.
October 28, 1999: A 52-year-old endangered Asian elephant named Teetchie was euthanized due to multiple joints affected by osteoarthritis and an M. tuberculosis infection of the lung. Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanasia in captive elephants. The circus did not announce this death.
July 26, 1999: Benjamin, a 4-year-old endangered baby elephant who had been removed from his mother before she could teach him to swim, drowned when he stepped into a pond while the circus was traveling through Texas. Benjamin drowned as he tried to move away from a trainer poking him with a bullhook. According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, Benjamin was removed from his mother when he was only 1 year old.
February 22, 1999: A horse collapsed and died during Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s animal march to the Scope Convention Center in Norfolk, Va. A PETA videographer captured the horse’s collapse on film despite Ringling workers’ attempts to obstruct the camera. Although Ringling claims that a veterinarian is available to its animals 24 hours a day, there was no veterinarian on duty when the horse was in urgent need of medical care. According to the necropsy, Ringling was aware of this animal’s delicate condition yet kept him on the road anyway.
September 3, 1998: According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, a 40-year-old elephant named Dolly died. Ringling did not announce this death.
August 31, 1998: A 12-year-old wild-caught sea lion named Gypsy was found dead in her transport container in Moline, Ill. In the wild, sea lions can live to be 20 years old.
January 24, 1998: A 3-year-old baby elephant named Kenny was forced to perform in two shows while the circus was in Jacksonville, Fla., despite obvious signs of illness. According to the circus’s animal care log, Kenny was “not eating or drinking,” was “bleeding from his rectum … had a hard time standing, was very shaky, walked very slowly,” and “passed a large amount of blood from his rectum.” The log noted that at 11:30 p.m., “the elephant was dead.”
January 7, 1998: Ringling trainer Graham Chipperfield shot a Bengal tiger named Arnie five times while he was locked in his cage, killing him in retaliation for an attack against Graham’s brother, Richard, during a photo shoot.
May 22, 1996: An elephant named Seetna who was euthanized due to prolonged dystocia (difficult labor). According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, Seetna was 30 years old when she died. In elephants, dystocia often indicates that the fetus has died and is decomposing in the uterus. The circus did not announce this death.
1995: According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, the following Ringling elephants died: 53-year-old Cita, 53-year-old Ranni, 45-year-old Rhani, and 34-year-old Karnaudi. The circus did not announce these deaths.
August 8, 1994: According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, a 41-year-old elephant named Jenny died. Ringling did not announce this death.
1992: According to the Asian Elephant Studbook, published by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association, the following Ringling elephants died: a 26-year-old male named Petely, 50-year-old Nelly, and 50-year-old Mia.

VIOLATIONS OF STATE AND FEDERAL HUMANE LAWS

July 13, 2004: The USDA launched a formal investigation into the death of a 2-year-old lion named Clyde. According to a former Ringling employee, Clyde died after traveling through the intense heat of the Mojave Desert in a poorly ventilated boxcar.
November 7, 2002: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to have four elephants tested for tuberculosis and for failure to store food in a manner that protects it from contamination.
February 21, 2002: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to dispose of expired medication, for improper feeding, and for poor sanitation.
August 25, 2001: California humane officers charged Mark Oliver Gebel, son of animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams, with cruelty to animals for striking and wounding an endangered Asian elephant with a sharp metal bullhook. Gebel allegedly inflicted the injury when the elephant, named Asia, hesitated before entering the performance ring at the Compaq Center in San Jose, Calif.
August 24, 2001: Ringling was fined $200.00 by the city of San Jose, Calif., for allowing a yak to run at large and cause a public nuisance.
August 20, 2001: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide access for inspection of animals, records, and property at its retirement center.
May 3, 2001: The USDA cited Ringling for improper food storage.
February 20, 2001: The USDA cited Ringling for improper food storage.
September 7, 2000: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide adequate veterinary care. The inspector wrote, “There is no documentation maintained on elephants that have minor lesions, scars, or abrasions. … Records of medical treatment were not available on the camel that recently had both rear feet caught in a train track.” Ringling was also cited for storing the animals’ food near toxic substances and failure to maintain transport enclosures that could not be properly cleaned and sanitized.
July 12, 2000: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide adequate care in transit, failure to provide drinking water, and failure to maintain transport enclosures. The inspector wrote, “[A]nimals must be visually observed at least every four hours. … Tiger transport vehicle is inaccessible as long as train is in motion. … [I]t is not clear if the opportunity to water the tigers every 12 hours is available. … Tiger transport design has allowed excessively high temperatures during routine transport. … Vent failure pushed these temperatures to a point of immediate danger to the animals.”
July 5, 2000: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to maintain the structural strength of its tiger enclosures. Two tigers had injured themselves attempting to escape cages in which an excessive rise in temperature occurred when faulty vent doors blew shut. One tiger tore at the cage, tearing the track from the door and breaking off a tooth. A tiger in another enclosure suffered an injury above the eye caused by the same faulty vent-door problem.
June 16, 2000: USDA spokesperson Jim Rogers told the Austin American-Statesman that the agency has two investigations pending against Ringling Bros. for possible AWA violations.
February 22, 2000: Ringling was cited for failure to maintain a transport-shift cage for the tigers because it had a hole in the floor. The USDA also cited Ringling for failure to provide minimum space for the dogs and failure to identify dogs and cats with USDA tags.
November 9, 1999: The USDA cited Ringling (for the second time) for tiger cages in need of repair. The inspector noted an elephant with chronic arthritis was continuously housed on concrete instead of a more comfortable surface such as rubber for large hoofed animals. A female Asian elephant named Teetchie with a history of thin body condition and who tested positive for tuberculosis on September 11, 1999, was euthanized on October 28, 1999.
August 23, 1999: According to an inspection conducted by South Bay Animal Control Services, seven Ringling elephants were found to have multiple lacerations. A zoo veterinarian who reviewed photographs of these and other injuries concluded, “The majority of the wounds documented in these photographs are fresh, actively draining puncture wounds caused by an ankus or hook.”
May 27, 1999: The USDA cited Ringling for tiger cages in need of repair and locking mechanisms, as well as for failure to dispose of medications that had expired as far back as February 1996.
May 11, 1999: In a letter to Ringling Bros., USDA Deputy Administrator Ron DeHaven wrote, “We have completed our review of the lesions observed on two juvenile elephants, Doc and Angelica, during the inspection of the Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk City, Fla., on February 9, 1999. ... [W]e find that the handling of these two elephants was not in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act regulations. ... We believe there is sufficient evidence to confirm the handling of these animals caused unnecessary trauma, behavioral stress, physical harm, and discomfort to these two elephants.”
February 9, 1999: A USDA report indicated wounds on the baby elephants’ legs from separating them from their mothers. The report stated, “[T]here were large visible lesions on the rear legs of both Doc and Angelica (baby elephants). When questioned as to the cause of these lesions, it was stated by Mr. Jim Williams and Mr. Gary Jacobson that ‘these scars were caused by rope burns, resulting from the separation process from the mothers on January 6, 1999.’ Angelica’s lesion appeared as a pink linear scar, approximately 6” long and 1” wide on the right rear leg. The left rear leg also had a scar directly below the cloth leg tie. Both lesions appeared to have been treated with an iodine-based ointment. Angelica also had two linear healing scars on the back of the right hind leg. Doc had a pink scar on the right rear mid-leg area.” (Both baby elephants were just under 2 years old when taken from their mothers. In the wild, female elephants remain with their mothers their entire lives and males for up to 15 years.) Tuberculosis tests for one elephant were not available for review. No treatment was instituted for another elephant with positive tuberculosis status.
December 9, 1998: A USDA inspector noted on an inspection report that an elephant with confirmed tuberculosis was euthanized. The inspector also noted that three elephants did not have adequate shade and that an elephant named Congo had intermittent lameness and what appeared to be hyperkeratosis (a skin condition).
October 7, 1998: A USDA inspection of Ringling’s elephants found three with lameness and one with lacerations on her forehead.
October 1, 1998: The USDA cited Ringling for having a damaged transport enclosure for the hippopotamus.
September 11, 1998: A USDA inspector noted on an inspection report that three elephants (32-year-old Lechamee, 28-year-old Sofie, and 42-year-old Mini) had suffered from arthritis for at least 12 years.
August 28, 1998: Ringling was charged by the USDA with AWA violations for the death of Kenny, a baby endangered Asian elephant forced to perform in Jacksonville, Fla., despite his being sick. The USDA charged the circus with failure to provide veterinary care to Kenny, and Ringling paid $20,000 to settle the case out of court.
June 9, 1998: Ringling was cited by the USDA for failure to provide records of veterinary care for an elephant named Seetna who was euthanized due to prolonged dystocia (difficult labor).
March 26, 1998: The USDA issued Ringling a “strong letter of warning” for the killing of Arnie, an endangered Bengal tiger. An angry trainer shot Arnie five times with a 12-gauge shotgun while he was locked in his cage.
September 5, 1997: The USDA cited Ringling (for the second time) for improper food storage. The inspector noted that a complaint about a lame elephant could not be verified because “the circus could not allow the elephants to move freely.”
July 24, 1997: The USDA cited Ringling for unsanitary food storage.
February 3, 1997: The circus was cited for failure to correct a previously identified violation of unsanitary food storage.
January 21, 1997: The USDA cited Ringling for inadequate storage of animals’ food.
December 20, 1996: The USDA cited Ringling for not providing environmental enrichment for primates. The USDA inspector stated, “There is no enhancement plan developed. The primates show signs of stereotypic behaviors (rocking, weaving, shaking, and cage-bar chewing and licking). All primates are housed singly. Cages have no enrichment.” Ringling was also cited for not providing adequate space for a baboon. Additionally, the inspector cited Ringling for not providing adequate shelter for a hippo. He stated, “The length of the hippo is greater than the width of the hippo pool.”
August 14, 1996: The USDA cited Ringling for not giving the elephants tetanus vaccinations, deworming, or fecal exams.
December 7, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to maintain tiger cages, failure to provide records of disposition for 10 elephants no longer on the premises, and improper food storage.
December 5, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to allow access to its property for an animal welfare inspection.
September 20, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for not having a program of veterinary care. There was also no record of tetanus vaccinations.
June 8, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for improper food storage.
February 14, 1995: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to have an exercise program for the animals, as well as for animal enclosures that were in need of repair.
November 10, 1994: The USDA observed that Ringling was storing animal food in an unsanitary manner.
October 18, 1994: During a routine USDA inspection, an elephant was being beaten by a Ringling trainer. The USDA inspector stated, “Upon entering facility, I heard yelling and the sound of someone hitting something. I observed an elephant trainer hitting an elephant with the wooden end of the handling tool to get it up.” A USDA inspector cited Ringling for failure to handle animals in such a way that there is minimal risk of harm to the animal and the public. Additionally, the inspector reported, “Animals were also being housed by other species that interfere with their health and cause them discomfort.”
January 21, 1994: A USDA inspector cited Ringling for electrical wires hanging loose inside a lion’s cage, causing the potential for injury or death.
December 29, 1993: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide minimum space for dogs and for inadequate lighting in the dog enclosure. The boxes were too small “for most dogs to stand, sit, lie, and turn about freely.” Ringling was cited for failure to correct previously identified violations of not providing minimum space for bears, including one bear with rub marks; failure to repair the lion cages; and improper food storage.
December 14, 1993: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to provide bears with the minimum space required by the federal AWA. Ringling also failed to provide a program for exercise.
ANIMAL CARE August 25, 2004: According to the Oakland Tribune, Oakland Zoo elephant manager Colleen Kinzley described a video showing a Ringling handler hitting and jabbing an elephant as clear abuse. Kinzley also commented on video showing a chained elephant swaying neurotically, saying, “For such a young animal to be exhibiting that amount of abnormal behavior is just tragic."
July 31, 2004: According to an affidavit by former Ringling employee Frank Hagan, Ringling’s elephant trainer Troy Metzler, nicknamed “Captain Hook” by circus staff, was frequently observed abusively hooking elephants, including babies, with a metal-spiked bullhook.
December 5, 2003: An elephant named Shirley, who was bred by Ringling when she was only 7 years old, gave birth to an undersized calf. Elephants in the wild begin mating at age 18. Studies show that captive elephants who breed before age 12 have shorter lifespans.
December 12, 2003: Ringling’s parent company, Feld Entertainment, has refused repeated requests, including one from celebrity P!nk, to send its elephant Gildah to a sanctuary. Gildah was captured in the wild and used in Siegfried & Roy’s casino act. At age 56, Gildah continues to live a lonely life in solitary confinement at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
October 6, 2002: Veterinarian Gretchen Steininger, hired by Ringling to provide medical care and defend its use of animals, as reported in the Macomb Daily, while the circus was in Michigan, was fined $500 and reprimanded for negligence and incompetence by the Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services on June 22, 2002.
May 6, 2001: Ringling subjected a tiger in advanced stages of pregnancy to stressful conditions associated with transport. Four tiger cubs were born on the road while the circus was performing in Columbus, Ohio.
April 8, 2001: According to The New York Times, a Ringling spokesperson admitted that a trainer who had been videotaped tormenting elephants was still on elephant duty.
2001: Ringling’s red unit is leasing five elephants, including its star attraction, a male elephant named Bo, from the George Carden Circus. On May 1, 2001, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported that two George Carden Circus employees had pleaded guilty to cruelty to animal charges in provincial court in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and that each had been fined $200. The charges were brought after investigators found bears kept in filthy, undersized cages for 23 hours a day. The judge stated that he wished the legislation were stronger so that he could penalize the defendants more and suggested that people stay away from the circus.
June 13, 2000: According to congressional testimony provided by former Ringling Bros. barn man Tom Rider, “[Elephants] live in confinement, and they are beaten all the time when they don't perform properly. ... When I became disturbed about the treatment of the elephants, the continual beatings, including the baby Benjamin, I was told, ‘That’s discipline.’”
May 22, 2000: A horse found suffering from life-threatening colic as the Ringling train was traveling through Pennsylvania had to wait three hours for treatment while employees searched for a large-animal veterinarian.
April 17, 2000: In comments submitted to the USDA, Ringling opposes language in the agency’s “Draft Policy on Training and Handling of Potentially Dangerous Animals” that reads, “Hot shots, shocking collars, or shocking belts should not be used for training or to handle the animals during exhibition, and any such use will be closely scrutinized. An ankus may not be used in an abusive manner that causes wounds or other injuries.”
1992: Ringling disposed of five tigers who were of no use to the circus by giving them to New Jersey resident Joan Byron-Marasek, who owns a poorly maintained private menagerie. One of the Ringling tigers killed four other tigers at the facility. Byron-Marasek has been charged by the USDA with failing to provide adequate veterinary care and maintain programs of disease control and prevention for her tigers, and she was charged by state officials with overcrowded conditions.

DANGER

April 13, 2005: Elephant handler David Mannes was airlifted to a medical center to treat a fractured pelvis and soft tissue wound to his arm after being knocked down and kicked by an elephant named Tova while feeding the elephants at Ringling’s breeding compound in Polk City, Fla.
June 13, 2000: Congressional testimony by Tom Rider, a former Ringling employee, identifies Ringling’s elephant Karen as a killer: “Although she was the most dangerous elephant in the group, she is the one they used in the three-ring adventure where the public is allowed to stand around the elephant with no safety net or other protection around her. Karen had a habit of knocking anyone who came into range, slamming them into the ground, yet they allowed her to have contact with the audience.”
September 1999: Two frightened zebras who were tethered together escaped twice from their handler and ran toward a main street while being transferred from the arena between performances in San Jose, Calif.
November 1998: Three tigers escaped from their cage in a Chicago parking lot. A Ringling handler was hospitalized in serious condition with bite wounds over much of his body when he was attacked by one of the tigers.
September 30, 1995: A Ringling lion bit off the index finger of a 31-year-old woman attending the circus.
May 6, 1993: A Ringling elephant killed her trainer in Gainesville, Fla. The elephant knocked down the 51-year-old trainer and stepped on his chest.

IMPEDING INVESTIGATIONS

August 24, 2004: The Associated Press reported that Ringling’s parent company, Feld Entertainment, refused two recent subpoenas from the USDA, requiring Feld to provide a video of the October 3, 2003, tiger attack of Roy Horn to aid in the agency’s investigation.
July 13, 2004: According to an affidavit by former Ringling lion handler Frank Hagan, employees who had knowledge of how a lion named Clyde died after traveling through the intense heat of the Mojave Desert in a poorly ventilated boxcar were instructed not to speak to USDA inspectors who were investigating the death. Ringling quickly had misters installed in the lions’ boxcar before USDA officials arrived.
March 26, 2001: An internal USDA memo stated, “This is a request to subpoena to compel testimony and provide documentation ... under the AWA. ... I have been involved in an investigation into allegations of elephant abuse and exhibiting elephants infected with TB by Ringling Brothers Circus. ... The investigation has been very frustrating in that Feld Entertainment has not been cooperative with allowing the USDA to review medical records on the elephants, and the key witnesses will not cooperate due to court settlements with Feld Entertainment that prevent them from discussing any circus issues with anyone.”
August 23, 1999: According to an incident report from the Humane Society of Santa Clara Valley, Ringling veterinarian Bill Lindsay and two other circus employees surrounded a humane investigator in a threatening manner and angrily confronted the investigator in an attempt to impede an investigation into bloody lacerations found on numerous elephants.
August 6, 1999: The USDA was forced to subpoena a necropsy report from Texas A&M University’s veterinary laboratory for Benjamin, a 4-year-old elephant who drowned, after Ringling ignored AWA requirements and two investigators’ July 28 requests for the documents.
February 25, 1999: According to internal USDA memos written by inspectors, detailing injuries found on two baby elephants during a February 9, 1999, inspection, “[Ringling veterinarian] Dr. Lindsay was very upset and asked repeatedly why we could not be more collegial and call him before we came. I explained to him that all our inspections are unannounced. ... All Ringling personnel were very reluctant to let us take pictures [of the calves’ rope lesions].” Ringling personnel were described as “badgering,” “disgusted,” “antagonistic,” and “defensive” towards the inspectors.

ELEPHANT TUBERCULOSIS

November 7, 2002: The USDA cited Ringling for failure to have four elephants tested for tuberculosis. The inspector wrote, “TB is a disease that is dangerous to both man and animals. Animals must be tested in a timely manner for their protection as well as for their handlers.”
April 16, 2001: An affidavit from a veterinarian at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories stated that Ringling elephants Tectchie, Vance, Sabu, Mala, Dolly, Calcutta 2 and Siam tested positive for tuberculosis.
September 6, 2000: The USDA cited Ringling for failing to provide veterinary care to an elephant named Tillie who has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Tillie, who is owned by Patricia Zerbini, is under the care of Ringling’s Williston facility and commingled with other elephants, which puts them at risk for infection or re-infection.
October 28, 1999: A 52-year-old endangered Asian elephant named Teetchie was euthanized due to multiple joints affected by osteoarthritis and an M. tuberculosis infection of the lung.
February 9, 1999: A USDA report indicated that tuberculosis tests for one elephant were not available for review and no treatment was instituted for another elephant with positive tuberculosis status.
December 17, 1998: Ringling’s Williston, Fla., facility was quarantined by the Florida State Health Department because of elephants’ having tuberculosis.