Topic: Ringling Bros. Circus caves to animal rights activists, phasing out elephants

[richb]

A mere two years after winning a 25 million lawsuit against loony  animal rights activists,  Ringing Bros.  Circus caves and annonce's  the phase out of elephants from the show by 2018.   

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/03/05/ringling-bros-eliminating-iconic-elephant-acts-from-performances/

Sounds like the banning of elephant acts in many cities is one of the reasons too.    They are keeping the elephants for the time being.   Though I imagine once they aren't earning their keep,  how long can they afford to keep them?   

[IronDioPriest]

I have a hard time getting too upset about this. There's an awful lot of heinous video out there of elephants being mistreated in order to condition them to do tricks.

They are majestic, intelligent, and endangered. Even their sanctuaries are threatened by poaching. I say let 'em exist with the dignity that comes along with the size God gave 'em. He made them large, imposing, and powerful for a reason.

Commence throwing stuff at me for being a whiny liberal. LOL

[Glock32]

I'm no tree hugger, and detest the lawfare tactics of the Left, but I also have some issues with how animals are kept at these circuses and theme parks.  Like with the killer whales for instance, they spend their lives in the equivalent of a goldfish bowl, rather than roaming the open ocean in their pods of dozens (they're a highly social animal).

[Libertas]

Jeez, look at all ya'll PETA people!      

But hey, some animals, smaller ones mostly, I don't have a problem with captivity as long as they are not mistreated, and I'm sure our definition of mistreatment isn't always the same as the Eco-whackos.

But larger critters, ones that need space...elephants, big cats, etc...

Large acreage preserves is the way to go for large critters...but most lazy-assed Americans won't go for that, requires too much commitment, so instead the providers gave them what they wanted to make a buck.  I have no problem with the notion of having to go on more of a safari experience to see the big game, it's the way it should be.

And large sea mamals makes no sense to pen up, dolphins and seals, fine, they are adaptable and sociable with people.

Problem is with Leftists they make it hard to consider compromising with them, it is their way or you are a Gaia-hating creature-slaughtering blood-thirsty Neanderthal who fails to see critters have rights and are people too and in fact are more important than people so if you don't do it all our way then to Hell with you.  They would have us all living in trees and caves again and have humanity paired down to a mere fraction of itself and they'd still be bitching about some stupid ass thing!  Those eco-tards...I just want to shove their faces into rocks!

[AlanS]

I have a hard time getting too upset about this. There's an awful lot of heinous video out there of elephants being mistreated in order to condition them to do tricks.

They are majestic, intelligent, and endangered. Even their sanctuaries are threatened by poaching. I say let 'em exist with the dignity that comes along with the size God gave 'em. He made them large, imposing, and powerful for a reason.

Commence throwing stuff at me for being a whiny liberal. LOL

The sanctuaries are for the African elephant that is prized for its tusks. The circus uses Indian elephants. Easy to tame compared to an African elephant.

[Pandora]

The Ringling Bros. elephants are not mistreated.  As a matter of fact, Ringling won a 22.5 million dollar judgement against some animal "rights" group a couple years ago because the judge found the group had not only paid the plaintiff to bring suit, he lied about the mistreatment.

Ringling owner (forget his name) testified at the time that if the elephants went, it'd be the end of his circus.  So, we'll see.

[Libertas]

I do seem to recall something about that case...

Bloody neerdowells...can I hit them with my rock?

[IronDioPriest]

You know, the animal "rights" activists did lose that lawsuit, but all that means is that in a court of law, the preponderance of the evidence didn't prove abuse beyond a reasonable doubt.

But the video is out there. So I suppose it boils down to what one views as "abuse" when considering training and treatment methods. When I see the videos, I happen to believe it is abuse of a majestic animal. YMMV

[Predator Don]

Jeez, look at all ya'll PETA people!      

But hey, some animals, smaller ones mostly, I don't have a problem with captivity as long as they are not mistreated, and I'm sure our definition of mistreatment isn't always the same as the Eco-whackos.

But larger critters, ones that need space...elephants, big cats, etc...

Large acreage preserves is the way to go for large critters...but most lazy-assed Americans won't go for that, requires too much commitment, so instead the providers gave them what they wanted to make a buck.  I have no problem with the notion of having to go on more of a safari experience to see the big game, it's the way it should be.

And large sea mamals makes no sense to pen up, dolphins and seals, fine, they are adaptable and sociable with people.

Problem is with Leftists they make it hard to consider compromising with them, it is their way or you are a Gaia-hating creature-slaughtering blood-thirsty Neanderthal who fails to see critters have rights and are people too and in fact are more important than people so if you don't do it all our way then to Hell with you.  They would have us all living in trees and caves again and have humanity paired down to a mere fraction of itself and they'd still be bitching about some stupid ass thing!  Those eco-tards...I just want to shove their faces into rocks!

Large acreage preserves don't work......Jurassic Park.....

[Libertas]

Jeez, look at all ya'll PETA people!      

But hey, some animals, smaller ones mostly, I don't have a problem with captivity as long as they are not mistreated, and I'm sure our definition of mistreatment isn't always the same as the Eco-whackos.

But larger critters, ones that need space...elephants, big cats, etc...

Large acreage preserves is the way to go for large critters...but most lazy-assed Americans won't go for that, requires too much commitment, so instead the providers gave them what they wanted to make a buck.  I have no problem with the notion of having to go on more of a safari experience to see the big game, it's the way it should be.

And large sea mamals makes no sense to pen up, dolphins and seals, fine, they are adaptable and sociable with people.

Problem is with Leftists they make it hard to consider compromising with them, it is their way or you are a Gaia-hating creature-slaughtering blood-thirsty Neanderthal who fails to see critters have rights and are people too and in fact are more important than people so if you don't do it all our way then to Hell with you.  They would have us all living in trees and caves again and have humanity paired down to a mere fraction of itself and they'd still be bitching about some stupid ass thing!  Those eco-tards...I just want to shove their faces into rocks!

Large acreage preserves don't work......Jurassic Park.....

Worked fine...

Hungry critters ate stupid humans!   

[Libertas]

Oh, hey...check out this legitimate animal abuse!

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/28390024/bomb-sniffing-elephants-not-so-nutty-us-army-says

But hey, it is South Africa...run by the formerly oppressed black folk...so, if a few elephants get blowed to smitherines...it's no big deal...so back to America PETA, nothing to shake down here...