Bill Description:
This bill prohibits the use of elephants in entertainment acts.
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Exemptions:
• Institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
• Wildlife sanctuaries.
• Non-profit environmental education programs.
It will go into effect two years after it becomes a law.
Background:
The elephants in circus acts and roadside zoos are deprived of everything that is important to them. They are kept in small cages or on concrete floors, denied the opportunity to express their physical and social needs, and for traveling shows are forced to spend endless hours in transit inside of trailers and train cars. Circus training often involves severe punishment, and their handlers may beat, restrain, and sedate them. Animals kept in such conditions frequently display abnormal behaviors such as rocking, swaying, pacing, and self-mutilation. This “zoochosis,” as it is called, indicates extreme mental distress stemming from severe deprivation.
The inhumane conditions for elephants in roadside zoos and circuses are compounded by the threat these animals pose to the public. Elephants are inherently unpredictable and incapable of being tamed. Born Free USA’s Exotic Animal Incidents Database details many incidents, including in New York. For instance, in Poughkeepsie an elephant in the Hanneford Circus escaped from the ring and charged toward the crowd. Three people were injured while fleeing. Exposing the public to wild animals is very dangerous.
Take Action:
New York citizens, contact your Assembly member and urge him or her to support this bill.
Read the full text and follow its progress here.