It’s officially Spring again and seasonal diets are not just for humans anymore. According to France 24, Three overweight elephants at a Swiss circus will have to diet and work out in order to shed between 50 and 300 kilogrammes (110-660 pounds), Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger reported Wednesday. To help them lose weight, Circus Knie [...]
Casey Rasmussen White is an art teacher based out of California and this mother of three has been working away at a circus-inspired art collection. She’s nearing completion and to help her prepare for the debut art show in October, she’s recently launched a kickstarter campaign to assist with the costs involved. A donation as [...]
The fairground in Dillon Montana has a tombstone for a show elephant that was struck down by lightning in 1943. The pachyderm, Pitt, was reportedly 102 years old. By all accounts I could find online, elephants live between 60-80 years in captivity. Pitt had been traveling with the Cole Bros. Circus at the time of [...]
URGENT! In just over one week, the future of circus elephant rides will be discussed at The Circus Fans Association of America recently issued this statement: If any of you are unsure how you feel about elephant rides, take a moment to think about it. Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT) provides the best care possible [...]
Some friendships last a lifetime and such is the case for Dr. Jim Laurita and an elephant named Rosie. Laurita is a veterinarian and one-time elephant trainer who worked with Rosie years ago. The pachyderm is now 42 years old and retired from circus life. Laurita is concerned that Rosie will not be able to [...]
I’m currently supplementing my summer’s travel with The Advance Man: A Journey into the World of the Circus, an autobiographical look at one man’s experiences while marketing and promoting the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Although I’m only about 1/3 of the way through this read, I can say this much: What the [...]
The unforgiving tornado that ripped through Joplin, MO on May 22 took the lives of 134 individuals and ravaged 8,000 homes and apartments, in addition to more than 500 commercial properties (CBS). In the wake of this devastating event, citizens and organizations from around the country have been sending food to survivors, collecting funds for [...]
What’s a circus to do when one of their exotic animals passes away? Today, there’s infinite legal complexities involved in the disposal of such a carcass. But not so back in 1848! According to WalesOnline, A beer garden is being dug up to search for a legendary Victorian circus elephant. The garden at the [...]
The logistics of a traveling circus are nothing short of awe-inspiring, and many a fanatics (not to mention Armies, with a capital A) have been moved to study the intricacies of such an operation. When engaging in a conversation on the topic, the more commonly cited stats refer to the early 1900s Ringling Circus-style operation, [...]
So you want to expand your circus, and feel your show could use an elephant. Once upon a time, this would entail tracking down an elephant owner or breeder, purchasing a calf and continuing on your merry way. Those days ceased to exist with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and now Uncle Sam regulates [...]