Doc and Angelica’s Injuries
A February 9, 1999, USDA inspection report revealed that inspectors
found large, painful wounds on the legs of baby elephants Doc
and Angelica, caused when they were separated from their mothers.
In the wild, female elephants remain with their mothers their
entire lives and males for up to 15 years, but both of Ringling’s
baby elephants were just under 2 years old when taken from their
mothers.
The USDA report states, “[T]here were large visible lesions
on the rear legs of both Doc and Angelica (baby elephants). When
questioned as to the cause of these lesions, it was stated by
Mr. Jim Williams and Mr. Gary Jacobson that ‘these scars
were caused by rope burns, resulting from the separation process
from the mothers on January 6, 1999.’ Angelica’s lesion
appeared as a pink linear scar, approximately 6” long and
1” wide on the right rear leg. The left rear leg also had
a scar directly below the cloth leg tie. Both lesions appeared
to have been treated with an iodine-based ointment. Angelica also
had two linear healing scars on the back of the right hind leg.
Doc had a pink scar on the right rear mid-leg area.”
In a May 11, 1999, warning letter to Ringling Bros., USDA Deputy
Administrator Ron DeHaven wrote, “We have completed our
review of the lesions observed on two juvenile elephants, Doc
and Angelica, during the inspection of the Center for Elephant
Conservation in Polk City, [Florida], on February 9, 1999. ...
[W]e find that the handling of these two elephants was not in
compliance with the Animal Welfare Act regulations. ... We believe
there is sufficient evidence to confirm the handling of these
animals caused unnecessary trauma, behavioral stress, physical
harm, and discomfort to these two elephants.”
Click
here to see videotape of Doc and Angelica’s
injuries.
Angelica’s Beating
 The
painful rope burns that Ringling inflicted on Angelica in early
1999 were only the beginning of her problems. On August 20, 2004,
the San Francisco-based Citizens for Cruelty-Free Circuses captured
on video a Ringling handler hitting and jabbing Angelica while
she was restrained. The Oakland Zoo’s elephant manager,
Colleen Kinzley, describes the video as clear abuse in what appears
to be a random act of violence. Animals in circuses are often
hit for no apparent reason to remind them “who’s boss.”
Deborah Fahrenbruck, an animal behaviorist and veterinary technician
for Ringling viewed the beating and, incredibly, stated she saw
no evidence of abuse. Click
here to view a shackled Angelica being mistreated.
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