Year After Year, Shrine Circuses Put Children at Risk

Shrine Circuses put children at serious risk by exposing them to dangerous and diseased animals. And Shriners have not always been prepared when tragedy has struck. In one circus-related injury, the Shrine found that there was no insurance coverage because the circus's insurance agent had provided a fraudulent certificate. Below is a lengthy list of Shrine Circus-related tragedies:

2005

An elephant trainer performing for the Mizpah Shrine Circus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was stomped to death as he loaded the elephants into a trailer following a circus performance.

An emaciated elephant named Lota who had been used in Shrine Circuses died from a human strain of tuberculosis.

2004

A circusgoer attending the Hadi Shrine Circus in Evansville, Indiana, was reportedly hospitalized after being bitten on the face by a chimpanzee who was being used for a public photo session.

2003

A 9,000-pound African elephant performing at the Shrine Circus in Muskegon, Michigan, escaped from a tent shortly before a performance and was recaptured 15 minutes later in a busy downtown area.

2002

Two elephants performing with the Shrine Circus in Dunn County, Wisconsin, bolted out of a circus tent during a show. Crowds scattered, a child was injured, and one of the elephants caused hundreds of dollars of property damage.

Three elephants performing for Shrine circuses in Canada and giving rides to children were quarantined and deported back to the United States because they had been in prolonged contact with an elephant who had tested positive for tuberculosis.

2000

A 4,500-pound female African elephant named Kenya, who had been featured in Shrine Circuses, attacked and killed a circus worker in Florida.

Tina, an elephant used in Shrine Circuses, tested positive for a human strain of tuberculosis.

1998

A tiger who had previously been walked on a leash in close proximity to children during Shrine Circuses attacked and killed his trainer, then six weeks later attacked and killed his owner. The tiger was later shot and killed.

1997

A bear with the Shrine Circus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, bit off the tip of a 2-year-old child's finger.

A handler was hospitalized after he was attacked by an elephant performing at a Shrine Circus in the city of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

1995

An elephant used at the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne, Indiana, stepped on an employee, crushing her pelvis.

1994

Three children were injured during elephant rides at a Shrine-sponsored circus in Muskegon, Michigan.

1993

An elephant named Tyke charged through an arena entryway during a Shrine Circus performance in Altoona, Pennsylvania, ripping away part of the wall and causing $10,000 in damage. More than 3,000 children were in the audience, and one young girl was injured.

1992

A handler was hospitalized for a leg injury when an elephant grabbed him with her mouth while giving rides to several children at the Shrine Circus in Bloomington, Minnesota. One child was injured.

1990

A woman's foot was crushed by an elephant during elephant rides at the Zor-Shrine Circus in
Wisconsin.

A 600-pound tiger terrified hundreds of children and their parents when he ran loose for 15 minutes at the Shrine Circus at Mississauga's Square One mall in Ontario, Canada.