For over a century, Cole Brothers Circus has shuttled elephants across the country in boxcars and forced these gentle giants under threat of physical pain to perform unnatural acts for audiences. Now, thanks to the compassionate efforts of animal advocates, this cruel "tradition" may soon come to an end, as Cole Brothers Circus considers dropping elephants from their lineup.

Cole Brothers Circus' owners say the reason they are thinking about revising their repertoire is that animal rights advocates are making it difficult to do business in many cities. This shows that educating the public about circus cruelty through demonstrations, letter writing and humane legislation is indeed effective, and circuses that still use animals are definitely feeling the pinch, especially economically. If venues are unwilling to host shows that feature elephants, the circus loses money, which is the driving force behind this industry's exploitation of animals.

"After 25 years of observing and documenting circuses, I know there are no kind animal trainers." So said Pat Derby, a former animal trainer who today heads the Performing Animal Welfare Society, a sanctuary where many former circus elephants are allowed to live in peace. Circus trainers use many weapons to force obedience, breaking elephants' bodies and spirits over the course of a lifetime. Using bullhooks (heavy sticks with a sharp metal hook on one end), electric prods and chains, circus trainers apply both physical punishment and psychological intimidation to instill fear in their unwilling subjects. Elephants and other animals perform in circuses not because they want to, but because they have no choice.

Elephants in circuses also suffer from being deprived of their families. In the wild, male elephants are raised by their extended family of adult females until they are teenagers, and females spend their entire lives in the herd. Ironically, to provide "family entertainment" for people, circuses deliberately break families up because elephants are easier to control on their own.

In addition, many circuses are on the road 11 months out of the year, during which elephants and other animals spend the majority of their time locked inside cramped railroad cars or trucks, enduring searing heat in summer and bitter cold temperatures in winter. Elephants are also typically shackled at the ankles when they are not practicing or performing their routines to keep them immobile.

What You Can Do

Take your family to one of the many wonderful circuses that do not exploit animals but instead feature human acrobats, aerialists and jugglers performing astounding feats of agility. Over the last two decades, the "nouveau circus" movement, led by international sensation Cirque du Soleil, has reinvented the art form for the 21st century. These imaginative extravaganzas make it clear that Cole Brothers Circus and others that abuse animals are already outdated artifacts from a more barbaric age that will someday be remembered only for their loathsome cruelty.