WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Elephants and tigers and zebras, oh my.
The Cole Bros. Circus rolls into town in just a matter of days. The circus has been wowing audiences across the US since 1884. For years it has been a staple in Wilmington during the Azalea Festival.
This morning, Ron West and Tickles the Clown stopped by to talk about the new big top and some old favorites you'll see under it this weekend.
"We have the Thunderdome with the three motorcycles inside, we have a new cat act this year, we have the ballet, all new this year," West said. "We've got lots of stuff new, and lots of people have never come and visited a circus. The idea is to treat yourself."
The first show gets underway thursday at 4:30 p.m. The last show is Sunday.
You can get you tickets at the Azalea Festival office.
USDA fines Cole Bros $150,000
Shame, shame on the Azaleas Festival for continuing to promote a circus who abuses its elephants.
Cole Bros. Circus plead guilty to violating the Endangered Species Act in February 2011. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that the Cole Brothers Circus and its president, John Pugh, have pleaded guilty to violating the Endangered Species Act for unlawfully selling two Asian elephants ("Tina" and "Jewel"). The two long-suffering elephants were confiscated by the USDA in 2009. Mr. Pugh was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours of community service and over $5,000 in fines. The Cole Bros. Circus was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine.
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/February/11-enrd-233.html
Animal abuse is violent and remains a common method of training and controlling elephants and other animals in the circus. In 2010, the Cole Bros. Circus traveled with several elephants under the control of trainer Tim Frisco. Mr. Frisco is infamous for undercover video footage that captured him beating elephants with bullhooks and shocking them with electric prods. In the video, Frisco is heard instructing other elephant trainers to, “Hurt ‘em! Make ‘em scream! … Sink that hook into ‘em … When you hear that screaming, then you know you got their attention!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZF_KvjhL18
My family did not attend and wonder why your organization continues to promote Cole Bros year after year. You would not ignore child abuse so why would you ever ignore animal abuse for entertainment.
Raising of tents
Does anyone know when the tent will be raised by the elephants? We want to take my granddaughter but can't find the time.