Click on the image above to view the undercover video (warning: explicit language). RealPlayer required.

PETA has supplied undercover videotape to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that shows Carson & Barnes’ elephant trainer Tim Frisco yelling at, cursing, viciously attacking, and shocking endangered Asian elephants. The elephants emit agonizing screams while recoiling from the assaults. Frisco instructs other elephant trainers to hurt the elephants until they scream, holler, and run away, to forcefully strike the elephants with a bullhook, and to sink a sharp metal bullhook into their flesh and twist it back and forth until they begin to scream in pain. Frisco cautions that the beatings must be concealed from the public and that the elephants not be punished "in front of a thousand people." PETA’s investigator also videotaped a handler using a blowtorch on an elephant’s skin to remove hair.

Beating elephants, embedding sharp metal bullhooks deep into their flesh, shocking them with electrical currents, and flaming their skin with a blowtorch is barbaric, cruel, and a violation of the federal Endangered Species Act and Animal Welfare Act.

As disturbing as this videotape is, the practice of beating elephants into submission to perform in circuses is nothing new. The USFWS has turned its back on these beleaguered animals long enough. Please ask the agency to stop allowing protected species to be tortured by circuses. Write to:

Tim Van Norman, Chief
Branch of Permits
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Rm. 700
Arlington, VA 22203
Fax: 703-358-2281

The Animal Welfare Act states, "Physical abuse shall not be used to train, work, or otherwise handle animals." Please ask the USDA to charge Carson & Barnes with violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Write to:

Ron DeHaven, DVM, Acting Associate Administrator
USDA-APHIS
4700 River Rd., Unit 84
Riverdale, MD 20737-1234
Fax: 301-734-4993

Mastercard Promotes Ringling Circus

Ask Mastercard to end their support of the Ringling Bros. Circus.

Robert W. Selander, President and CEO
Mastercard International
2000 Purchase St.
Purchase, NY 10577
Tel.: 914-249-2000
Fax: 914-249-4206
Toll-free: 800-300-3069

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