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Andrea Orozco
Dr. Lynda Haas
WR 39C
29 May 2016
Issues with Elephants Used in Entertainment
Introduction
The study of animals all began with Charles Darwin. As Darwin argues, there is no
doubt that there is a great gap between the lowest man and the highest animal.
Nevertheless the difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is,
certainly is one of degree and not of kind (Darwin 128). He adds to say that our senses
and emotions, such as love, memory, attention, curiosity, imitation, and reason, may be
found in even the lowest animals. Elephants have especially proven through scientific
research that they are one of the animals with highly remarkable consciousness. With
that being said, I will be doing a literature review on elephant studies through mourning
and intelligence of elephants to prove that they have full consciousness and they should
not be used as entertainment in any way, shape, or form.

Mourning
It is easy to say that animals have emotions, a common one being fear. Elephants, for
example, are one of the many animals that go through the process of mourning when
they face traumatic events. When it comes to animals, one usually thinks that fear is
one of the few instinctual emotions they possess. Elephants, surprisingly, demonstrate
the broad emotions they hold, mourning, being one of the more studied emotions.

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Do Elephants Show Empathy? by Richard Byrne, psychologist from the University of

St. Andrews, et al, his research article compiles over thirty-five years of reports
describing the behavior of elephants with potential to revealing signs of empathetic
understanding. Et al present some of these traits, being, babysitting calves, protecting
and comforting others, and removing foreign objects from one another (209). In general,
the records demonstrate how elephants are capable of empathetic understanding of
others through these abilities and also discuss why elephants show more empathy
compared to other non-primates. Byrnes also presents observational reports of
elephants that respond to the emotional states of others. Focusing in the Amboseli
ecosystem in southern Kenya, the elephant population has been studied over the past
thirty-five years by members of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants (ATE). Some things
they found is the characteristic of protection; for example, when a young or injured
individual is in a potentially dangerous situation, but is unable to defend itself sufficiently,
it may receive protection from another elephant (Byrne 209).

Some zoos have become more sensitized to animal emotions. For example, several
years ago, a zoo got in contact with an animal communicator to consult with their
elephants because of strange behavior they had been having. The consultant learned
that one of their elephant companions had recently died and he believed that the body
had been removed too soon and therefore didnt give the elephants a chance to mourn
and say their goodbyes. The elephants skull was then brought back to the elephants
and they immediately gathered around it and began their ritual involving touching and
caressing (Bradshaw 149).

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Intelligence
Elephants are one of the most studied animals when it comes to learning about animal
intelligence. Evolutionary biologist, Bernhard Rensch, explores elephant intelligence
through various experiments conducted at a German zoo and compiles his findings in
his article, The Intelligence of Elephants. He starts off his article by stating the general
rule of the animal kingdom the bigger the brain, the greater the brain power. Elephants
are not only the largest land mammals, but they also have the largest brains weighing in
at almost 13 pounds. Through his experiments on intelligence trials, Rensch
hypothesized that brain size actually does contribute to intelligence as larger animals
develop the complicated parts of the cerebral cortex to a greater degree that allows
them to have a greater learning ability (44).

Rensch had the privilege to travel to India and study the taming and training of working
elephants. As soon as a new working elephant is captured, it is assigned to a mahout
meaning elephant boy. To Renschs surprise, after two to three weeks of daily training,
the elephants quickly learned commands such as Go!, Stop!, Kneel down! and so
forth (44). Rensch then sought out to find out how large of a vocabulary a trained
elephant could understand. His observations of the Indian working elephants ability to
learn vocabulary prompted him to make a laboratory examination of elephants acoustic
discrimination.

In the experiment for discrimination between sounds, Elephants were put into cells and
given positive and negative sounds. As shown in figure 1, when an elephant heard a
positive tone, she knocked on a box with her trunk (top). What this did was it closed an

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electrical circuit which then moved another box containing bread towards the elephant
(middle). When given a negative tone the elephant knew to wrap her trunk around the
horizontal bar of her cell (bottom) (Rensch 46).

Some evidence of elephant intelligence is shown

through the use of tools. According to Elephant
Cognition in Primate Perspective by Richard Byrne,
who is mentioned earlier in this literature review, et
al, both Asian and African savannah elephants have
been seen to use multiple tool types for up to six
different functions (69). Some of these include body
care, like scratching and removing ticks, as well as
for unbelievable functions like fly swatting. When
Asian elephants would be presented with busy
branches, they often modified them by breaking them
in half or removing leaves to their preference.
Recurring events like this allow elephants to be
added to the short list of animals who are cognitively
capable of using tools for their convenience (Byrne et
al 69).

Ethical Questions
Speciesism is the prejudice against other species according to Richer Ryder, a
psychologist, philosopher, and animal rights activist from Oxford University. The amount

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of pain of any animal matters just as much as the same amount of pain for a human. He
argues that for humans, race and gender doesn't matter when it comes to pain so we
should have the same moral respect for animals. He has the claim that people argue
that because human beings are more intelligence or more independent compared to the
other species, that gives us a moral superiority, which is morally irrelevant (Ryder). If
that is true, then why have we stuck to the idea that is is morally okay to use animals for
our pleasure through entertainment? The scientific research on elephant studies proves
that we need to put a stop to elephants being used in entertainment as they are fully
conscious and aware of their surroundings.

The Problem
For decades, animals have been a great spectacle in circuses all around the world.
From riding bicycles, to standing on their heads, to balancing on balls, and jumping
through rings of fire, animals are being trained and abused in order to perform these
involuntary tricks. During brutal training sessions in the Ringling Bros. circus, elephants
are often beaten, jabbed with bullhooks, and electrically shocked to a point that is
unbearable for them. Some of the problems associated with elephants used in circuses
include but are not limited to: calves being separated from their mothers at an early age,
traveling from city to city in unbearable weather, being chained for hours, and lastly,
they're trained to pose in unnatural ways through the use of torture tools.

Emily E. Beverage, a journalist from the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and

Technology Law with an interest in entertainment law and animal law, discusses in
Abuse Under the Big Top how the Asian elephants used by the Ringling Brothers and

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Barnum & Bailey Circus should be guaranteed humane treatment by the Animal Welfare
Act and by the Endangered Species Act. The AWA protects animals in exhibition while
the ESA covers treatment of endangered animal such as the Asian Elephants.
According to Beverage, elephants have been subjected to extensive abuse because
the agencies responsible for implementing the laws have not aggressively enforced
them (157). She makes it clear that circus animals have been suffering greatly mainly
due to the fact of the overlooking done by the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), an agency responsible for implementing laws.

In an article titled Are wild animals suited to a traveling circus life? by Graziella Iossa
et al, a research associate with a PhD in Behavioral Ecology at the University of Bristol,
she examines circus animal welfare focusing moreover on their behavior, health, living,
and traveling conditions. With that being said, she was able to compare their conditions
with non-domesticated animals in circuses with their counterparts in zoos. For example,
Iossa states that most circus cages provide only a small amount of space for elephants.
According to her studies, the average circus provides only 26.3% of the recommended
size for zoo outdoor enclosures (Iossa et al 131). Iossa further on mentions the cruel
training that these elephants are constantly put through. In training, trainers utilize the
use of sticks or whips for controlling the [elephants] movement (Iossa et al 132).
The most common tool used on circus elephants is the bullhook. Not only are elephants
abused in training, but traveling also has effects on them. Some of these include forced
movement, human handling, noise, cage motion and confinement (Iossa et al 133). In
general, she argues that the species of non-domesticated animals oftenly used in
circuses appear to be the least suited to a circus life.

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Incidents
Deborah Nelson is a Pulitzer prize-winning freelance journalist at Reuters and the
Associate Professor of Investigative Reporting at the University of Maryland who
focuses her article on the cruelty towards elephants in the entertainment business more
so committed by the Ringling Brothers. In her article, The Cruelest Show on Earth, she
discusses the 1998 death of Kenny the Elephant due to mistreating and unjust
veterinary care. Kenny had showed signs of illness and was still neglected. According to
federal regulation, any sick elephant must obtain medical care and a veterinarys okay
before performing (Nelson 50). Apparently, neither of this happened so during
showtime Kenny became more ill, got diarrhea, began bleeding from his bottom, and
wasn't able to stand on his own. It was not until all the suffering that they decided to
bring in a veterinarian. The vet prescribed Kenny some antibiotics and recommended
him to be shackled in his stall. Two hours later, a night attendant discovered his lifeless
bodies body in a pile of blood. His cause of death is still unclear. Since Kennys death,
3 more of the 23 baby elephants born in the Ringling's counted breeding program have
died, all under disturbing circumstances that weren't fully revealed to the public (Nelson
50).

Solutions
Elephants being used in entertainment has created much controversy as scientific
studies have proven that they are fully conscious animals. Organization have tried
several ways to stop the use of animals in entertainment. For example, PETA, People
for Ethical Treatment of Animals, is a worldwide animal rights organization that focuses

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most of their attention in the four areas which most animals suffer: factory farms,
clothing trade, laboratories, and lastly, animals in entertainment. In their article,
Circuses, PETA reiterates all the cruel training animals have to face in circuses. They
offer many ways that we can get involved to stop this. One of their solutions is to
boycott those circuses that use animals and instead visit animal friendly circuses like
Cirque Du Soleil (PETA). Under their What You Can Do section on their article, the
only solution they have listed is, Never patronize circuses or other shows that use
animal acts (PETA). This is definitely helpful but it hasn't been much of a success as it
is hard to get society to follow that.

In order to achieve the best results, we need to do something about it ourselves instead
of asking people to boycott. Melissa Cronin, form New York University, is a freelance
environmental and politics journalist reporting on the world and the wild things in it. In
her article, California Introduces Groundbreaking Bullhook Ban to Keep Elephant
Circuses Out, Cronin mentions that a bill to ban the use of bullhooks has been
introduced by the state Senator Ricardo Lara (Cronin). What this law would do is
prevent any circus that uses bullhooks from entering the state. Although it would not
take effect until 2018, it is still a large step towards the right direction.

With that being said, for my global solution I will be introducing a law that bans the use
of bullhooks in circuses (figure 2). The California Legislative Information introduces
Senate Bill 716 as, [expanding] the scope of these provisions to apply to any person
who ... is in direct contact with an elephant and would additionally provide that abusive
behavior toward the elephant [with] the use of a bullhook, ankus, baseball bat, axe

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handle, pitchfork, or similar device. If we achieve banning the use of these torture tools,
trainers will have a difficult time controlling the elephants which will later become a
domino effect of them not performing correctly, causing horrible performances, then
later circuses may choose to stop using elephants. This would not put an end to all
cruelty in circuses but is at least a good first step.

When advocating for solutions, social media plays a grand role of reaching out to
society and bringing awareness. Clay Shirky, an American writer, consultant, and
teacher on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies, expands on how
grand social media has grown in connected people all around the world. With this being
said, there should be no doubt about using social media as part of any 21st century
advocacy campaign. Like Shirky mentions, not only do you get one message across to
everyone, but everyone can respond back to you as well as communicate with the
other everyones. Social media has easily become more often a way of creating an

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environment for convening and supporting groups. With that being said, I will definitely
be using social media as a way to spread awareness about my solution. I can say with
experience that social media is the way to go when you want to advocate a solution. I
would try to reach different people through different platforms. You connect with so
many people that have the same values and beliefs as you and with that, you build a
stronger team.

Conclusion
My ending argument would be that we need to start raising awareness and fix this issue
we have with elephants used in entertainment. The big picture is to end the use of
animals in entertainment completely but of course that will not be done so easily. We
need to take baby steps and the first step is putting a stop to the use of cruel torture
objects used during training, like bullhooks. Elephants are fully conscious and dont
need this horrible treatment especially keeping in mind that they are on the verge of
extinction. We, as a nation, can no longer be seen as a nation that allows any animal to
be put through this cruelty. As Gandhi believes, "The greatness of a nation and its moral
progress can be judged by the way its animals are treatedI hold that, the more
helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection from the cruelty of humankind.

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Works Cited
"Animal Minds." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 24
Apr. 2016.
Bekoff, Marc. "Animal Emotions: Exploring Passionate Natures." BioScience. 2000.
Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
Beverage, Emily. Abuse Under the Big Top: Seeking Legal Protection for Circus
Elephants after ASPCA v. Ringling Brothers. Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment
& Technology Law. Fall 2010, Vol. 13 Issue 1, p155-184. Web. 10 May 2016.
Bradshaw, Isabel Gay. "Not by Bread Alone: Symbolic Loss, Trauma, and Recovery in
Elephant Communities." Society & Animals 12.2 (2004): 143-58. Web. 20 Apr.
2016.
Byrne, Richard W., Lucy A. Bates, and Cynthia J. Moss. "Elephant Cognition in Primate
Perspective." Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews CCBR 4 (2009). Web.
01 May 2016.
Cronin, Melissa. "California Introduces Groundbreaking Bullhook Ban To Keep Elephant
Circuses Out." The Dodo. 8 Apr. 2015. Web. 23 May 2016.
Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 1998. Print.
Iossa, Graziella. Soulsbury, Carl. Harris, Stephen. Are Wild Animals Suited to Traveling
a Circus Life? Animal Welfare. May 2009. Vol. 18 Issue 2, p129-140. Web. 11
May 2016.
Irie, Naoko, and Toshikazu Hasegawa. "Elephant Psychology: What We Know and
What We Would like to Know." Japanese Psychological Research 51.3 (2009):
177-81. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

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Nelson, Deborah. The Cruelest Show on Earth. Mother Jones. November/December

2011. Vol. 36 Issue 6, p46-57. Web. 13 May 2016.
PETA. "California State Senate Votes to Ban Bullhooks." PETA. 01 Sept. 2015. Web.
20 May 2016.
PETA. "Circuses." PETA. Web. 20 May 2016.
Rensch, B. "The Intelligence of Elephants." Sci Am Scientific American 196.2 (1957):
44-49. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.
Ryder, Richard. What is Speciesism? Online video clip. Youtube. 25 October 2012.
Web. 9 May 2016.