THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280054
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT HARPER AND DIANE TENNANT, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
IMAGES OF THE circus coming to town: wide-eyed children, cotton candy, clowns - and, now, animal-rights activists.
The debate over treatment of circus animals arrived in Hampton Roads again, just before the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which played Norfolk last week and performs in Hampton through March 3.
It is a debate sparked at nearly every one of the 90 cities that Ringling Brothers visits during a two-year tour, circus officials say - especially now, as the animal-rights movement has grown in numbers and resolve.
``The last few years, a lot of these groups have stepped up their activity because they know when we come to town, we'll be drawing a lot of media,'' said Barbara Pflughaupt, spokesman for Ringling Brothers, headquartered in Northern Virginia. ``We're used to these questions by now.''
Activists say their core message, that animals shouldn't be used for people's amusement, applies to all circuses, not just Ringling Brothers.
``It's very fundamental: These animals are imprisoned,'' said Sue Perna, a Chesapeake activist who protested outside Scope in Norfolk last week. She was escorted by police to the sidewalk and later photographed by circus security.
``I'm just out there to pose the questions,'' Perna added. ``Because if people really think about them, they'll realize this is wrong. This is cruel.''
The drive to stop wild animals from being used in circuses is led by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an international organization that has announced plans to move its headquarters from suburban Washington to Norfolk as early as this spring.
PETA claims, among other things, that Ringling abuses its animals by forcing them to travel 12,000 miles a year, that railroad cars are ``filthy'' and that tigers live in cages that are 4 feet by 5 feet by 6 feet. The group further claims that animals perform unnatural acts under threat of punishment and that elephants have scars around their eyes and on their trunks from beatings.
PETA passes out coloring books called ``The Circus Elephant'' to schoolchildren. The eight-page booklet says baby elephants are captured from their families in the wild and sold to circuses.
Ringling Brothers vehemently denies these charges, especially those raised in the coloring book.
``It's against international law to import these elephants,'' Pflughaupt said. ``It just shows what these groups rely on - emotion and not facts.''
In a news release distributed at each stop, Ringling says its animals ``are afforded the finest care of any animals on Earth.'' A full-time veterinarian travels between the two circus units that tour the country, the release says, and local veterinarians are on call in each city where the circus appears. While in Norfolk, a circus dog was taken to a local veterinary dentist for root-canal surgery.
Ringling claims that it has never been cited by the United States Department of Agriculture for abuse, mistreatment or neglect of animals. ``In fact, the (USDA) considers Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey to be the world's most experienced and knowledgeable source for the care of exotic animals,'' according to the media release.
In fact, since 1990, USDA inspectors have ticketed Ringling twice for noncompliance with the federal Animal Welfare Act. But the cases - including one in Virginia - were not pursued by anything stronger than a warning letter, because the circus quickly corrected what USDA spokeswoman Cindy Eck called ``minor problems.''
``That's true, we've never had a case against them, which is pretty surprising considering their size,'' Eck said of the circus' claim.
Ringling opened a $5 million Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida recently, and seven Asian elephants have been born there. The circus says the center will be used to study, conserve and breed elephants in conjunction with scientists and researchers from around the world.
Still, even if the circus avoids flagrant physical abuse, PETA and other activists argue that using animals in shows at all is cruel and unnatural, and that the animals are forced to perform tricks under fear of punishment.
``You can't get a tiger to jump through a ring of fire by giving it a biscuit at the end,'' said Anne Burky, president of the Hampton Roads Vegetarian Society. ``It's so unnatural for these animals. There's no way to get them to do these things in an uncruel manner.''
Burky was supposed to debate a Ringling Brothers official on a local radio program last week. Instead, the circus sent several faxes explaining its position.
Activists say circuses can be fun and entertaining without animals. They point to several outfits that currently tour the country, and note that countries such as Sweden, Denmark, India, Finland and Switzerland have barred or restricted animal acts.
``It's insulting and frivilous to continue this,'' said Doreen Dykes, organizer for the Alliance for Animals in Virginia. ``These animals are beautiful in their own element. Why do we need to parade them around and exploit them this way?''
Ringling says its animals are pampered and loved, and that displaying animals often provides children with their first experience with a lion, a tiger or an elephant.
``Let the public judge for themselves,'' said Pflughaupt. ``We think anyone who sees our animals in performance will see they're healthy and active.'' by CNB