Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus

P.O. Box 127
Deland, FL 32721
USDA License #58-C-0080

Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. has failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). In April 1999, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) filed formal charges of AWA violations against Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. because the elephants showed signs of being abused with sharp metal bullhooks. They were charged with animal cruelty in August 1999 by a New Jersey humane society for overloading and overworking an elephant. Two elephants, who were described as malnourished and neglected, died suddenly within a two-week period in August 1999. In five separate incidents, Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. elephants have killed two members of the public, injured more than a dozen others, and rampaged during performances, which caused tens of thousands of dollars in property damage. Contact PETA for documentation.

April 25, 2003: According to a USDA letter, a white tiger traveling with Beatty-Cole gave birth to two cubs while the circus was performing in Bayonet Point, Fla. Both cubs were pulled from their mother and died several days after birth. The USDA wrote, "[White tigers] appear to be less healthy than tigers without the genes that cause the color variation."

July 22, 2002: Knoxville Zoo staff veterinarian Dr. Ed Ramsay reviewed videotape of Beatty-Cole's elephant Bessie and commented, "The video segments clearly show this elephant to have restricted range of movement of the front left leg. ... [I]n my professional opinion there is little to no question this animal suffers from arthritis. ... [T]his condition is painful. ... Extended periods of exercise and forced performance of unusual leg motions may very well cause this animal to suffer."

November 19, 2001: Beatty-Cole exhibitor Svetlana Shamsheeva was cited for operating without a USDA exhibitor license, failure to have a program of veterinary care, failure to have records of acquisition, and failure to have an exercise plan.

August 23, 2001: A Beatty-Cole circus clown was found guilty on nine counts, including sodomy, sexual abuse, and endangering the welfare of a child, for sexually abusing a teenage assistant (see December 21, 1999). The boy testified that clown Christopher Bayer began sodomizing him in 1995, when he was 11 years old.

June 14, 2001: According to a USDA inspection report, a 56-year-old elephant named Bessie suffers from arthritis, causing her to be "short strided in both front legs."

Captivity-induced foot problems and arthritis are the leading reasons for euthanasia in captive elephants. The circus has refused to retire Bessie.

June 5, 2001: Beatty-Cole was cited for failure to have a veterinarian-approved exercise plan for its dogs.

April 2001: Circus officials confirmed that a disabled elephant named Helen was euthanized.

Helen had been sent to a poorly funded private facility in Missouri in September 2000. Helen was only 42 years old and was the fourth disabled Beatty-Cole elephant to die prematurely since 1997.

February 12, 2001: A USDA inspector noted, "We were asked to examine [Tina the elephant] because of a complaint about inadequate control of the animal and use of physical force. ... This matter is still under investigation at this time."

November 22, 2000: An elderly couple was killed in Brandon, Fla., when a circus tractor-trailer pulled in front of their pickup truck on the highway at a slow rate of speed. The driver for American Circus Corporation, a Cole Bros. Circus subsidiary, was jailed and charged with operating a commercial vehicle without the proper license and violation of the right of way.

October 18, 2000: In response to a letter from PETA, the USDA confirmed, "With regard to your additional concerns about Helen's knee condition, it does appear that this condition may be worsening. ... Helen is now retired at a private facility in Missouri."

The circus forced Helen to work for more than two years after her disability was first documented (see September 11, 1998).

September 20, 2000: In a letter to the USDA, PETA wrote, "PETA has written several times with concerns about Helen, an elephant with a serious knee disability. Helen's crippling condition has deteriorated, and she should be immediately taken off the road. ... Helen's persistent use has apparently caused her injuries to worsen."

July 11, 2000: Beatty-Cole was cited for failure to maintain the elephants' transport trailer.

June 13, 2000: According to congressional testimony provided by former Beatty-Cole elephant keeper Tom Rider, "[I]n White Plains, N.Y., when Pete did not perform her act properly, she was taken to the tent and laid down, and five trainers beat her with bullhooks. Pete is now dead."

March 9, 2000: Three veterinarians reviewed videotape of a disabled elephant named Helen who was forced to give rides and pull a caravan of heavy tiger cages. The veterinarians described Helen's disability as a chronic, degenerative condition causing pain-related lameness, which is aggravated by grueling circus routines. They determined that she could not be safely worked and recommended that she be removed from service. As of June 27, 2000, Helen remains on tour with the circus.

February 2-3, 2000: The USDA cited Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. with failure to handle two elephants in a manner that prevents trauma or physical harm. The inspector noted that Helen and Bessie had several bullhook scars.

The circus was cited with failure to provide adequate veterinary care. Bessie bleeds after and/or during urination and has not been diagnosed or treated for the condition. Helen has fecal material protruding from under her tail and has not been diagnosed or treated for the condition. According to the trainer, her tail was paralyzed by a truck accident. All four elephants are in need of foot care.

The local attending veterinarian is not experienced with elephants.

There were no records to document the tuberculosis status of five handlers who had direct contact with the elephants in the last year. Results of tuberculosis tests for the current elephant handlers are not known.

The circus was cited with failure to properly design the transport container after Helen was slammed into a wall and injured during sudden braking.

The circus was cited for failure to properly store food.

January 24, 2000: Beatty-Cole was assessed a $10,000 civil penalty by the USDA to settle charges of abusively using a bullhook on elephants. The USDA agreed to suspend the fine, provided the money would be used to pay an elephant consultant.

December 21, 1999: APBnews.com reported that the star clown of Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. was arrested in New York for allegedly sodomizing a boy. The incident was captured by a surveillance camera.

August 27, 1999: The Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New Jersey filed animal cruelty charges against Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus for overworking and overloading an elephant named Helen who appears to suffer from a crippling knee injury. The charges were filed after observing the animal during an exhibit at Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, N.J., on August 18-20, 1999. Both criminal and civil charges are pending in Freehold Township Municipal Court.

August 1999: Conti and Petunia, two elephants whom veterinarians characterized as malnourished and neglected, died suddenly within the same two-week period, shortly after the circus took them off-tour when they could no longer perform. Numerous complaints were received by the USDA about the condition of Conti before her death. Conti was 57, and Petunia was 51.

According to Petunia's necropsy report, she suffered from severe degenerative joint disease and arthritis. The USDA had no record that she had ever been diagnosed or treated for this condition.

April 1999: The USDA charged Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. with AWA violations. USDA undersecretary Michael V. Dunn stated, "We believe that on numerous occasions, employees of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus abusively used an elephant hook on several animals. Charges of abuse are always among the most serious. And it both angers and saddens me when I hear allegations such as these."

January 21, 1999: For the second time in two months, the USDA cited Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. for failing to allow access to or inspection of records pertaining to the health of the elephants.

November 18, 1998: The USDA cited Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. for failing to allow access to and inspection of the records. The circus would not provide the USDA's animal care inspector with a report concerning the health of the elephants. The inspector also noted scabs on the backs and behind the ears of the elephants. Medical records indicated that a veterinarian did not examine or treat these injuries. The circus was also cited for poor storage of food and bedding. The USDA inspector noted, "The back of the truck which stores the grain is dirty. There are cups, an empty cigarette pack, a gas-powered Weed Eater and spilled grain on the floor. This area also serves as storage for a can of paint as well."

September 11, 1998: The USDA cited Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. for failing to have an attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. The inspector also noted, "Three of the elephants (Conti, Helen, and Pete) are intermittently demonstrating abnormalities in gait and other movement that may be age-related. Helen may also be exhibiting some of these due to previous injuries." Results of tuberculosis tests for the elephants were also not available.

August 14, 1998: In an article in the newspaper The Tennessean, the circus admitted to puncturing an elephant's skin and stated, "We had a guy who put a couple of boils on an elephant, where you hook them too hard and puncture the skin."

June 12, 1998: The USDA cited Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. for failing to provide shade to the elephants and for the primary enclosure's needing repairs. The circus was also cited (for the second time in one month) for the handling of the elephants. The inspector stated, "On a previous inspection, two of the six elephants had obvious hook marks present. During the inspection today, four of the six elephants were observed with what appears to be hook marks." Several of the elephants' feet also had cracks in the nails.

June 3, 1998: USDA cited Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. for noncompliance with the AWA for the handling of the elephants. The inspector noted, "Two of the six elephants had obvious hook mark wounds on their legs. Some hook marks were also observed under the jaw of one elephant."

July 29, 1997: Dr. Elizabeth Goldentyre of the USDA stated, "This licensee [Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros.] is under investigation for alleged violations of the AWA and regulations."

March 1997: An elephant named Ola died under suspicious circumstances at age 40. Due to this death, the circus received an official warning from the USDA. The circus tranquilized Ola to trim her feet (which is not the standard procedure), and for 28-29 hours before her death she was unable to stand. The other Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. elephants were only 30 miles away and could have been brought to the facility to help lift her to a standing position. A circus employee claimed that because Ola was no longer a "performing elephant" due to hip problems, she was of no use to the circus anymore.

July 10, 1995: Two elephants went on a rampage in Queens, N.Y., triggering a panic that left 12 people injured. Six spectators were hospitalized. The elephants bolted from the tent, crushing parked cars before being brought under control.

May 15, 1995: In Hanover, Pa., two elephants rampaged, smashing windows, denting cars, and crashing through a large plate-glass window at a Sears Auto Center. The elephants caused $20,000 in property damage.

According to the York Dispatch, a local resident who witnessed the rampage said the elephants appeared "to act aggressive ... when the trainer 'would pound on the animals with the hook. ... He really lost control, really started hammering on them.'"

May 9, 1995: Crown Books, Washington's largest bookstore chain, canceled its plans to allow Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. to bring an elephant to a book-signing event at a downtown store. In a letter to PETA, Crown's director of marketing, Cynthia Holland, states, "After hearing from many sources about the potential safety hazards, it was decided that hosting this type of event was too risky, both for the people on the street and for the elephant himself."

June 5, 1993: An elephant crushed a man to death by pinning him against a trailer in Fishkill, N.Y.

May 21, 1992: Two tigers escaped from an unlocked cage during a performance in Muhlenberg Township, Pa. One tiger roamed around the center ring, frightening 2,000 spectators before he was recaptured.

February 1992-January 1993: The USDA cited the circus four times for not providing adequate security for its elephants.

July 7, 1985: An elephant crushed a woman to death in New London, Conn.

May 1983: A spectator was injured by an elephant who grabbed him and threw him to the ground. The man suffered multiple traumas, including several broken bones.

For more information, contact:

PETA
501 Front St.
Norfolk, VA 23510
757-622-7382

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