Elephants In Entertainment Industry Find Freedom

Elephants in the entertainment industry have been steadily declining  in popularity. Victories such as the rescuing of Nosey the elephant and the reuniting of three circus elephants (Mia, Sita, and Rhea) are paving the way for freeing many elephants that are being mistreated and harmed.

Elephants that are still subjected to harsh forms of cruelty face many horrors. Many are beaten with bullhooks, electric shocks, shovels, and sledgehammers, not counting the starvation they may face. All of these methods are used to force elephants to perform unnatural and mostly painful tricks.

The process of freeing elephants is slow and sometimes discouraging.

“For years, these activists attempted to free [Nosey] legally from her abusive owner and painful life, but the process was slow and many who were working on her behalf had to resort to simply following and documenting Nosey’s struggles,” The Friends of Animals Blog said.

Decades can go by, and the suffering of these animals sometimes never comes to light.

“Most circus elephants are chained by at least two legs for 95% of their lives in a space no larger than an automobile. They are unchained only to perform. The natural behavior patterns of the elephant, which have evolved over thousands of years, are denied by this confined, chained, and dominated life. To disrupt and prevent the natural behavior of these intelligent, social creatures is not only inhumane and cruel, but stressful to the individual animal as well,” BornFreeUSA.org said.