Cole Brothers Circus

For all you folks who think you know elephants, tigers and other circus animals are routinely mistreated: How close have you been to the "backyard" of a circus? Do you know anything about circus animals, aside from what PETA tells you? I have. I worked two seasons on a show some years ago, and have been around various circuses off-and-on for the past 50 years, so I have a little first-hand experience. Think: An elephant and a tiger or lion are the biggest attractions a circus has; something no other form of live entertainment can offer. They don't come cheap, and their care isn't cheap. Why would anyone whose livelihood depended on these living "assets" want to abuse, starve or mistreat them? Circus animal handlers, even those who don't form sentimental attachments, understand the animals have to be happy and healthy to work and have long, productive lives. (Incidentally, I can tell you from first-hand experience that circus animals enjoy performing. One elephant trainer told me that sometimes one of them would give him a nudge if he missed a cue during the act.) I don't doubt that there are some misfits who abuse animals on a circus, just as there are people who abuse their pet dogs and cats. We don't bar people from having pets; we punish those who abuse them. It works the same way in the circus businses.

Urge the USDA to Confiscate Ailing Elephants Tina and Jewel Tina and Jewel, two severely neglected elephants, urgently need your help! They belong to Cole Bros., a circus that was assessed a $10,000 penalty by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for abusing elephants with bullhooks. Now things have gone from bad to worse. PETA filed a complaint with the USDA after confirming a whistleblower report noting that Jewel was emaciated. The USDA subsequently removed both elephants from the road, stating that, in the case of Jewel, "continued travel would be detrimental to her health ...." But now they are being housed at an unapproved facility in Leggett, Texas, and USDA inspection reports document a troubling pattern of poor health and Animal Welfare Act violations. According to one recent inspection, an elephant expert "determined that both elephants showed an alarming amount of weight loss." Cole Bros. is leasing the elephants to Davenport's Gigi Exotics, which tours under a variety of circus names, such as L.E. Barnes and Bailey Circus and Starr Bros. Circus. The Davenport family formerly operated the King Royal Circus, until its USDA license was permanently revoked when a young African elephant named Heather was found dead in a crowded, overheated trailer. PETA and In Defense of Animals are calling for these elephants to be confiscated by the USDA and relocated to The Elephant Sanctuary, where they can receive proper nourishment and veterinary care from qualified elephant caretakers. Please send polite letters to the USDA asking that it confiscate both elephants and transfer them to a sanctuary immediately: Chester A. Gipson, D.V.M., Deputy Administrator USDA-APHIS-AC 4700 River Rd., Unit 84 Riverdale, MD 20737-1234 301-734-7833 301-734-4993 (fax)

I would like to know what those of you who are still arguing about the ticket prices think about the animal abuse issue. The comments posted by other posters regarding the inexcusable treatment of the elephants and other animals are completely correct. How can you read about the way these majestic animals are being abused and still your only complaint is that the tickets cost too much? Ignorance might be an excuse for why people still attend the circus, but if you've read this you are not ignorant anymore. You now know how the animals are treated and if you still give the circus your money, you are directly supporting animal abuse. Shame on you.

7/10/95 About a dozen people were injured as they collided while trying to run from two Cole Bros. elephants who broke free before a show at Forest Park in the Queens section of New York. Seven people were treated by Emergency Medical Service and at the hospital. The elephants also damaged property including a car.(Associated Press, The Cincinnati Post)

Why are so many of you complaining about the circus? As far as the price--they are giving out free tickets for children under 12 at McDonalds. I just paid $43.00 for two adults and my two young grand children. Along the generations people have looked forward to and enjoyed a circus coming to town. Several years ago the circus here was wonderful, plenty of lovely bengal tigers, a lion, elephants, horses etc. It was the only time most people ever saw an exotic animal. Some of you complainers caused the circus to cut out the animals a couple years ago. That year their were NO elephants, tigers lions nor horses. They had house dogs and cats running around doing tricks! Who wants to see that? I didn't go that year-without the wild animals it was not a circus. No elephant rides or anything! This year I will take my grand daughters since I see there will at least be an elephant and couple of camels. Stop your whining and ruining a tradition for others. Go protest rodeos instead

We all need to change the way we not only treat animals, but the way we think about them.They are not a commodity,but we treat them as such.The animals that are used in the circus are treated horribly and the reason they perform tricks is because they are beaten into submission by their trainers and other circus workers.Elephants and bears are not supposed to dance and jump through hoops for us.These animals are beaten daily and trainers use electric prods, bullhooks, and whips until the animals become submissive.They are kept in tiny cramped cages and seldom are given proper exercise( that does not involve a bloody beating) or are they allowed the freedom to enjoy grass under their feet.Circus elephants usually have hoof & leg problems because they are made to stand on concrete surfaces for days on end.Is this what you want to teach your children- that is okay to torture animals as long as "perform" for us?Alot of people are on a tight budget this year.Why not save that money and instead take your child to the park or maybe a hike in the woods?Take them to see animals in their natural habitat.Children are not deprived if they do not attend a circus.I did not go as a child because even then I could see that the animals are mistreated.Take a walk around the circus tents to the back and get a good look at how the animals are treated- take a good hard look at the blank, cold stare in their lonely eyes and then maybe we we all change our tune about these majestic animals that deserve our love and respect.

Hopefully when they are here one will escape and kill the attendance. Stop the animal cruelty and start performing without the animals. cirquedusoleil.com does a wonderful job working without animals. Boycott the Circus and pet stores that sell dogs.

7/31/04 Apollo, a 7 year-old white Bengal tiger, escaped from Cole Brothers Circus while the circus was performing in Forest Park, NY. The 450- pound tiger took a half mile stroll around the Queens section of the city, the site of him causing a multi-car accident on the Jackson Robinson Parkway that injured 4 adults and one child. Apollo was eventually coaxed back into his cage. This is the second escape of the Cole Brothers animals from Forest Park(see elephant incident 07/11/95) (Associted Press)

as the entertainment. You pay the $20 you expect to see alot. Just like we did years ago. There were many clowns (not just 4), elephants, other exotic animal acts and several more of the "odd" people. We went a few years ago and were not so much disappointed in the price as in the show itself.

I will not attend the circus again this year. The cruelty to the animals is just too much to to bear. b

I am in agreeance the price for the tickets are just to high, yeah people don't have to go but kids want to and then parents have to break the hearts of the kids b/c it just to expensive. Me and my husband went last year and it was nothing like I remembered. Hispanic clowns you could not understand not alot of animals and was way to short.. I had planned on taking my 10 months old but with those prices, he may have to go to a bigger one else where..If I am going to pay a arm and a leg then he is going to get more than a 30 to 45 min people jumping around

I took my son and Mom to their circus years ago with pre-purchased tickets. When we got in the tent they wanted MORE money to sit along the sides of the ring, if we did not pay that we would have had to sit in the cheap seats with no view. Never been back since, felt ripped off.

Why is it that people always have to cut other peoples decisions down because they can afford to do something. Come on people its 20 dollars if you want the good seats. They have the cheep seats. People have to always make something out of nothing! I am surprised there hasn't been a racial remark made or something to that nature. Someone always has to complain! Get over it and splurge the 20 dollars or so...it comes once a year and no one is holding a gun to your head saying you have to go, if you cant afford it then its simple....don't go!

It is only my husband and I but we still can't afford to go. I would love to be able to take my 2 year old granddaughter but with the cost for my husband and I, the gas and then food and drinks we just can't afford it. It is too bad that a younger generation has to lose out on things like this that we got to enjoy as kids because of the raise in gas and food. Of course if the wages would go up like the rest then it wouldn't be so bad. Us lower class working people lose all way round.