Cole Bros. Circus Elephant Transport Truck Crashes
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Animal Defenders International (ADI) / Break the Chain
October 2012

On Sunday night a semi-truck pulling a trailer of four circus elephants, belonging to Cole Brothers Circus of the Stars, ran off Interstate 10 in south Mississippi.

Local media reports: Kurt Necaise, incident commander for West Hancock County Fire and Rescue, says three elephants were unloaded while the trailer was unhooked from the damaged truck and pulled back to the interstate, but the fourth was too angry to unload. Reports say that the driver and elephants were unhurt.

Tim Phillips, ADI Vice President: “It is lucky that the animals nor people appear to have been seriously injured. Although the injuries to a huge, heavy animal like an elephant being thrown around during an accident may not be realized yet, so we will have to see. Accidents do happen, but if you are carrying dangerous wild animals then the consequences are potentially disastrous.”

“The accident highlights the terrible lives these circus animals lead. Kept for almost the entire year in temporary housing or being transported. Every week travelling circuses force elephants, tigers, and lions onto the backs of trucks to move them to the next location. As the country’s roads get more congested, some accidents are inevitable. But not other exotic wildlife is transported again and again like this. It’s a serious welfare issue and if these animals get loose it is very serious for people too.”

The Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act launched in Congress by ADI and the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) would eliminate the use wild and exotic animals in traveling circuses.  

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