Baby Circus Elephant in “Training”
THE PRICE OF A CIRCUS SEAT
Dragged, kicking and screaming
to the circus we go
we once walked proudly,
freely for miles and miles each day
with our families
to whom we bond deeply
babies spending their entire lives
by the sides of loving mothers
we long for this life
that will never again be
for we are now
captive entertainers
circus elephants are we.
*
Our tiny baby elies
are torn from us
and forced
in the most inhumane ways imaginable
to be broken
beginning with the breaking of our bodies
followed by the breaking of our spirits
our terror is ignored
as our legs are bound
we are stretched out
slammed to the ground
gouged with bull-hooks
and shocked with electric prods
we cry, scream out
and struggle desperately to remain upright
looking deeply into the eyes of our tormentors
searching
for a compassionate face that might save us
the response is . . .
increased human anger
brutal force
of us into the painful positions necessary
to perform circus tricks.
*
Away from public eye
and carefully insured to be unmonitored
by those who may protect us,
we are shocked
and whipped
and beaten severely
with sticks, and canes and bats
about our heads, and legs, and ears and chins,
before we step upon your stage
lest we dare to forget
who is boss.
*
Intolerant of our fear, our terror
our overwhelming anxiety
we are stabbed with sharp objects
rammed violently and intentionally
into our delicate, tender places around our ears
reminding us that there will be no expression
of natural feeling or emotion
accepted here.
*
Late at night the circus spotlights dim
the music, loudspeakers, claps and cheers fall silent
costumes and makeup removed
the sea of human faces in the crowd
have long disappeared
and while you rest
we are
moved into compartments
extremely cramped spaces
arena basements
flimsy stalls
and box cars
the chains appear
heavy shackles forced upon our tired, aching legs
and then . . .
we wait
standing anchored to one spot
for seemingly endless hours
unable to move
hardly more than a step
devoid of stimulation
standing in our own excrement
swaying neurotically
no other choice for us
than to accept this life we did not choose
or be put down without dignity.
*
Of course there is an upside
for when the ‘mourning’ comes
more tickets will be sold
at fifteen to fifty bucks a pop
justifying our existence and noble purpose;
Our majestic lives in trade
for the price of a circus seat.
*
by Gerean Pflug for “The Animal Spirits”
November 26, 2012
*
(Reconstructed & Rewritten by influence of the PETA Video “Boycott Circuses That Use Elephants”
Alec Baldwin, Spokesperson, Video Link Below)
PETA VIDEO – BOYCOTT CIRCUSES THAT USE ANIMALS LINK
Find out what PETA is doing: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
*
The Dutch government has announced their ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
Greece and Bolivia have banned the use of animals in circuses!
The UK is in process of banning the use of wild animals in circuses!
What on earth is the United States thinking by allowing this travesty to continue?
*
The amount of pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally, that circus animals are put through to entertain human adults and the children for even one minute, is a crime. We can better serve our children and our children’s children at a compassionate and enlightened level, by boycotting circuses that use and abuse our world’s wildlife.
*
The ticket price of $15.00 – $50.00 per person, multiplied by the thousands/millions that attend circuses and are entertained at the cost of the animals, can be regenerated to assist in preserving animals in their natural habitats, supporting those who create natural habitats for our wildlife, providing funds and supplies to those working in animal rehabilitation, to those who protect our wildlife from illegal poaching or to wildlife orphanages that care for babies whose families have been needlessly murdered for the profit in ivory and other body parts.
*
What better way to raise our children in consciousness, than to educate them to respect, promote and protect our planet and all life that dwells here with us?
YOU CAN HELP
-
Refuse to attend circuses that use wild animals
-
Ask our elected officials to insist that lawmakers ban the use of animals in circuses
- Email Congress. Ask them to sign the Traveling Exoctic Animal Protection Act #HR3359 http://breakthechainus.com/action-needed-to-pass-hr-3359-the-traveling-exotic-animal-protection-act/
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Sign Petitions supporting causes that protect animals used in circuses:
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For more information visit: Animal Defenders International
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Raise public awareness: Reblog, Twitter and add posts to Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.
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Support Wildlife Protection by raising public awareness and helping raise funds.
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Reroute dollars spent at the cost of wildlife into support dollars for animal welfare and protection funds.
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Educate children of the need to protect our future wildlife.
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Exercise consistent shifts toward increasing empathy and compassion to all living creatures.
THE ANIMAL SPIRITS 
It is bad enough seeing them in zoos but circuses? They are a society that we should emulate, not ridicule.
So true. It makes me ill everytime I think about it. The only thing I can do is to write on the subject in hopes that more people will become aware, step up and call for a stop to it. Thanks for the visit.
Your post is so moving. I was there with the poor animal. I just cannot understand how people can put animals through so much suffering, particularly, like you said, when their eyes meet yours. I have never been to a circus and I never took my daughter to one. We went to Hyde park Winter Wonderland last week and were both horrified to find a circus there, which we avoided. i don’t know if they have wild animals there or not. Either way I am not interested and nor is she. It’s the word “circus”. I hate it and shudder when I see/hear it.
Thank you for reading and feeling. I saw the video (added link below my post) online by Peta. When I saw the footage of the treatment of these pool eles while no one was looking, I just cried for a long time. The best I have to offer at the moment to protect them is to write, so I am attempting to write at least 3 posts per week focusing on influencing empathy and compassion. Your comment helps me recognize that the posts can reach a deeper level than the surface. Thank you and many blessings.
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Reblogged this on Our Endangered Planet and it's Wildlife..
Very moving post! This blog post is exactly what is needed to encourage people to be aware of what really goes on behind the scenes of a circus. Everyone should know the suffering of these animals in order to gain more support and stop animal cruelty . Education is the best way to create change.
I am trying to influence empathy. If we put ourselves in the place of another living being . . . feeling their pain, anguish and loss, it is then we are willing to take action. Education and getting the facts in front of people is soooooo important. Thank you for taking the time to connect.
Reblogged this on Family Survival Protocol.
Reblogged this on bearspawprint and commented:
Kudos to Netherlands, Greece, Bolivia, soon the UK. What about the rest of us?
Reblogged this on SunnyRomy.
I dislike any animal that’s in captivity for any reason the only performing that they should is being free roaming there native lands it makes me sick to my stomach to see or here about these beautiful creatures being taken away from there mothers and them forced to something that is not natural i wish we didn’t have Zoos or circuses lets push to get this banned
Jerry~ I feel the same way you do. I have spent a lifetime connected to animals. The longer I live, the more aware I become. The way that the human species has abused and mistreated the innocent, sentient, living beings . . . the animal species, is at the upper levels of evil. I have decided to spend every spare moment of the rest of my life, focused on raising public awareness and doing my level best to influence those who are either unaware or indifferent, to act from a place of empathy and compassion to protect, defend and lend voice to these innocent, sentient, living beings who cannot speak for themselves.
I have become ACTIVE and will become increasingly active. I hope you do too! The world’s governments are NOT stepping up-to-the-plate to care for our planet. It is clear to me that we cannot depend on them. Therefore, it is up to the collective individuals as ONE international community to accept the responsibility. There is MUCH work to be done. Thank you for listening and hearing the message here. Your comment and the comments of others encourage me to continue to write with passion. Many Blessings! ~Gerean Pflug for “The Animal Spirits”