Elephant Viola attempted 4 escapes from the circus where she spent 50 years on a chain between acts, involving abuse with steel-tipped bullhookss is free (video)

Viola doesn't have to perform anymore but she is waiting for a sanctuary to spent her last years in with good veterinary care 

After months of sustained pressure from PETA and growing public backlash over the use of wild animals forced to perform under threat, Jordan World Circus has officially removed elephants from its performances, effective immediately, according to PETA.

Following the announcement, PETA has suspended its campaign targeting the circus’s elephant acts, which included dozens of demonstrations at tour stops nationwide, more than 600,000 emails sent by supporters, and formal complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The shift comes after renewed scrutiny of the treatment of Viola, an elephant long used in circus performances. In March, PETA released a report from a leading elephant expert detailing serious foot and joint conditions affecting Viola—who has been described as “The Most Desperate Elephant in the World” due to multiple attempted escapes during her lifetime in captivity. Taken from her family in Asia as a calf, Viola has spent approximately five decades in chains with Carson & Barnes Circus, which has supplied elephants to Jordan World Circus. Throughout those years, she has been forced to perform physically demanding tricks despite her age and deteriorating health. PETA has documented that elephants used in traveling circuses are frequently transported across the country for most of the year, often denied consistent veterinary care, and controlled through violent training methods involving steel-tipped bullhooks.

“Jordan World Circus has heard the message loud and clear that kind people don’t want to see elderly elephants hit with sharp metal bullhooks and threatened into performing tricks,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “This is a great step forward, and PETA will continue pushing for these elephants to be released to reputable sanctuaries where they’ll never be chained or beaten again.”

While PETA has welcomed the circus’s decision to end elephant performances, the organization is now urging everyone to call on Carson & Barnes Circus to transfer Viola and the other elephants to accredited sanctuaries where they can receive proper care and live out their remaining years in peace.

The organization, whose motto is that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way,” advocates that Every Animal Is Someone while offering free Empathy Kits. For more information, Click HERE!

Viola’s Desperate Attempts to Escape Abuse in the Circus Industry

Elephants like Viola don’t perform in circuses because they want to—they perform because they’re afraid of what will happen if they don’t. Trainers use sharp weapons called bullhooks to threaten Viola and bully her into performing tricks and giving rides. The circus has been caught violently hitting Viola and other elephants with bullhooks during training and performances.

 Viola being forced to give rides by a handler carrying a sharp metal bullhook. Photo: PETA

Viola has attempted to escape her captors on at least four separate occasions, demonstrating both her desperation to escape and the circus’s ineptitude to keep animals secure. Viola escaped as recently as 2024, dodging cars, pedestrians, and other chaos in a busy city center.

Escaping puts her and everyone around her in danger, but after decades in the circus, it seems like she’s willing to do anything to get away.

Viola and Other Elephants Suffer Even When Not Used for Circus Tricks

When not forced to perform uncomfortable and demeaning circus tricks, Viola and the other elephants she’s traveled with are confined at an elephant training compound misleadingly named the “Endangered Ark Foundation” in Oklahoma.

The Endangered Ark Foundation has a long history of elephant abuse and poor animal welfare. On March 14, 2026, Dr. Chris Draper, an elephant expert with over 25 years of experience in animal welfare science, visited the facility. There, he observed a trainer openly and forcefully using a bullhook on an elderly elephant named Traci who was trying to stand up during a “bathing” encounter. As the trainer approached her, it became abundantly clear why she had been so desperate to stand: She defecated very loose stool. Dr. Draper opined that the looseness may have been a result of trying to hold her down.

Viola has attempted to escape her captors on at least four separate occasions, demonstrating both her desperation to escape and the circus’s ineptitude to keep animals secure. Viola escaped as recently as 2024, dodging cars, pedestrians, and other chaos in a busy city center.

Escaping puts her and everyone around her in danger, but after decades in the circus, it seems like she’s willing to do anything to get away.

Viola and Other Elephants Suffer Even When Not Used for Circus Tricks

When not forced to perform uncomfortable and demeaning circus tricks, Viola and the other elephants she’s traveled with are confined at an elephant training compound misleadingly named the “Endangered Ark Foundation” in Oklahoma.

The Endangered Ark Foundation has a long history of elephant abuse and poor animal welfare. On March 14, 2026, Dr. Chris Draper, an elephant expert with over 25 years of experience in animal welfare science, visited the facility. There, he observed a trainer openly and forcefully using a bullhook on an elderly elephant named Traci who was trying to stand up during a “bathing” encounter. As the trainer approached her, it became abundantly clear why she had been so desperate to stand: She defecated very loose stool. Dr. Draper opined that the looseness may have been a result of trying to hold her Despite the crowd observing this incident and it being clear she’d been trying to stand in order to defecate, the trainer continued to insist that Traci needed to lie down for the bathing encounters, even if it meant lying in her own loose feces.

Dr. Draper also observed Viola at a 2026 Jordan World Circus performance. There, he saw her and another elderly elephant, Isa, being used for rides and a performance. During rides, Dr. Draper noted Viola was exhibiting signs of serious leg stiffness and chronic veterinary issues. According to his report, “[Viola] appeared reluctant or unable to bend the right front wrist, shuffling the leg forward without visible flexion.”

Viola’s abnormal gait is plainly visible, making it difficult to believe that Carson & Barnes is unaware of her condition, but they are still forcing her to carry as many as nine humans at once on a near-daily basis. This burden will only exacerbate her foot and joint issues.

Annual event where elephants smash half-ton pumpkins in Oregon Zoo : 8 months old elephant Tula-Tu prefers to play football with pumpkin ( gorgeous video)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A baby elephant at the Oregon Zoo had more tricks than treats to show when handlers gave it a small pumpkin to play with during an annual fall event where giant elephants smash half-ton pumpkins.

Weighing just 775 pounds (351.5 kilograms), eight-month-old Asian elephant Tula-Tu is about the heft of one of the giant pumpkins so is too small to smash them. Instead, zoo handlers gave her a small pumpkin to practice with. The little elephant dribbled the gourd around like a soccer ball, a video from the zoo shows.

Her elephant family at the Oregon Zoo enjoyed the large pumpkins on Oct. 16 at the annual “Squishing of the Squash,” a tradition that goes back to 1999 when a farmer donated a pumpkin weighing 828 pounds (376 kilograms). The donated pumpkins have gotten bigger, around 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) this year, thanks to competitive hobbyists at the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers Club.

To break open the gargantuan gourds, zookeepers present them to Tula-Tu’s adult relatives like her brother and father who weigh slightly over 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilograms). In a video from the zoo, they appear to delicately place one foot at the top, and gently press down. The pumpkins crack with a loud pop, sending rind and seeds flying.

Argentina is the first country in the world to voluntary relocate captive elephants to a sanctuary in Brazil: The story of elephant Kenya the last elephant to leave

 

Today marks a monumental step in the journey of Kenya, a 44-year-old female African elephant, as Global Sanctuary for Elephants (GSE) begins transporting her from Ecoparque Mendoza in Argentina to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil (ESB).

 Kenya’s departure closes a chapter spanning 136 years of elephant captivity in Argentina, which began in 1889 when the first elephants arrived in Buenos Aires. With this relocation, Argentina becomes the first country in the world to voluntarily and ethically relocate all its captive elephants to sanctuary. 

This momentous move is the culmination of years of careful preparation, training and respect for Kenya’s pace, and she is now en route to a life of healing, autonomy and potential companionship in the vast, wild sanctuary habitat.

Arriving at Global Sanctuary for Ellephants in Brazil she enjoys a sand bath

For four decades, Kenya has lived in the confined, sterile environment of Ecoparque Mendoza, a small, hard-packed yard surrounded by concrete with little to engage her mind or her senses. Despite her imposing size and striking beauty, Kenya’s life has been marked by loneliness, boredom and frustration. But now, all of that begins to change as she embarks on a new chapter of her life, one where her needs will be met with the respect and care she deserves. Kenya has shown remarkable progress in her training, and today, she willingly entered her transport crate, ready for the next phase of her journey. Her GSE caregivers and ecoparque staff have ensured that her comfort and well-being are prioritized at every step of her move.

“This is not just about relocating Kenya. It’s about restoring her dignity, her autonomy and her sense of self as an elephant,” said Scott Blais, co-founder and CEO of GSE. “We owe Kenya a future where healing is possible, where her voice is heard and where she’s free to just be an elephant — on her own terms.”

This move reflects a significant shift in how the world is beginning to view elephants in captivity. Across the globe, more and more facilities like Ecoparque Mendoza are voluntarily relocating their elephants to sanctuaries, recognizing that the needs of these intelligent and emotionally complex individuals cannot be fully met within the confines of traditional captive environments. 

Kenya's journey to ESB is part of a growing movement that prioritizes the emotional, physical and social well-being of elephants, offering them the opportunity to live as close to their natural lives as possible. This trend is a clear signal that the world is starting to understand and respect elephants not just as attractions, but as beings deserving of dignity and autonomy.

The relocation journey is underway, and Kenya is being transported under the watchful care of experienced elephant caregivers, veterinary professionals and a security team to ensure her comfort and safety throughout the process. Over the course of the five-day journey, every aspect of Kenya’s physical and emotional welfare will be carefully attended to.

Once she arrives at ESB, Kenya will be given access to a vast natural habitat where she can roam, forage and interact with the life that thrives in her space. For the first time in nearly 40 years, she will have the opportunity for companionship with another elephant, Pupy, a female African elephant who was welcomed to ESB in April 2025. At ESB, Kenya will be able to reconnect with her natural behaviors, build new bonds if she chooses and begin healing from the years of isolation and captivity she has endured.

“This is a turning point in Kenya’s life,” said Blais. “We’re grateful for the support of Ecoparque Mendoza and the many individuals who have helped make this moment possible.”

Kenya’s journey is a reminder of the incredible resilience of elephants and the transformative power of sanctuary. For updates on her relocation and to learn more about how you can support Kenya’s transition, visit:

globalelephants.org/a-promise-for-kenya

About Global Sanctuary for Elephants:

Global Sanctuary for Elephants is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to protecting, rescuing and providing sanctuary for captive elephants worldwide. At their accredited, wild-habitat sanctuary, Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, they deliver unmatched care to elephants rescued from zoos, circuses and other detrimental environments. Their approach is characterized by an integrative view of elephant welfare, a dedication to recognizing the individuality of each elephant and a commitment to providing them with the highest level of autonomy possible.

Global Sanctuary for Elephants is the recipient of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries’ 2022 Outstanding International Sanctuary Award and Candid’s 2025 Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Kara Edwards
Global Sanctuary for Elephants
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Truly heartbreaking: In Memory of Tamy the Asian elephant after years of torture in a circus, unable to trust humans was learning to enjoy life but it was not meant to be

Dear Readers, I know and I see that the zoo where Tamy lived is not what we want a zoo to be.  I want to be fair. The zoo has had many problems and many bad reviews. Nevertheless Tamy was saved from a far worse situation in a very cruel circus  Animal welfare organisations are helping zoos to improve animal life and most are doing their best. The staff loved him and that is a comforting thought. 

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we must announce that Tamy, the male Asian elephant that lived at Ecoparque Mendoza, passed away last night. Tamy was over 50 years old and had been dealing with some of the physical difficulties that come with age and extreme confinement. His body had been slowly facing more and more challenges, so though this is a shocking development, it’s also a sad representation of what captivity can do to an individual, especially over the course of decades. We don’t yet know the cause of death, but a necropsy will be performed soon that will hopefully provide more details.

Tamy was a former circus elephant who had lived at the ecoparque for over 30 years. His past in the circus meant that most, if not all, of his training was dominance based, so he had a deep distrust of humans. Over the past three months, our team of caregivers had been working to build a relationship with him, and he was beginning to respond positively to the time they were spending with him. While his path to sanctuary would not have been a simple one, we were committed to making sure he had the chance at a life of autonomy that it provides. We know that all of you were invested in Tamy’s journey and that you gave generously toward the preparations needed for his relocation. We thank you for your commitment to Tamy and to the other captive elephants around the world. Tamy will be remembered for the sweet disposition that would sometimes shine through the rougher exterior in moments he felt safe enough to let his guard down. While his passing speaks to the legacy of captivity, his life was more than his situation and surroundings. He was a sweet boy who was trying to trust in himself and those around him and start his emotional journey to freedom before taking the steps in his physical one. We will cherish the little glimpses he shared of the version of him that he hid deep inside decades ago, but that we all knew was the beautiful true him.

Global Sanctuary for Elephants

Video Circus Confessions: Washington is the 12th U.S. state to ban wildlife animals in ciruses together with more than 50 countries worldwide

Washington bans wild animals in circuses, joins global animal welfare movement

In a major win for animal welfare, Washington has passed a new law banning the use of wild animals in traveling circuses. The law covers elephants, big cats, bears, and non-human primates, and will take effect in 90 days.

What dit they do to this elephant to make him stand on one leg ( see graphic video)

With this decision, Washington becomes the 12th U.S. state to adopt such legislation, aligning with more than 50 countries worldwide that have already restricted or banned wild animal acts in circuses — including France, India, Mexico, and over 20 African nations.

As more regions act, some circuses are embracing innovation over exploitation. In Germany, Circus Roncalli now uses holograms to bring animals to life in the ring. This is a cruelty-free, futuristic alternative that wows audiences without harming animals.

Text Animal Reader

Photo: Representative Image (HelloRF Zcool

The story of 'begging elephant' Zara rescued by Wildlife SOS India in 7 photos: From a Hel to heaven

 

Begging for money in chains

An emaciated female elephant, that dragged herself through the day, with the overbearing weight of a carrier, will no longer suffer after being rescued by Wildlife SOS. Her frail structure held testimony to the life that she lived as a begging elephant moving from pillar-to-post.

Saved by WildlifeSOS just in time. Mentally and physically broken. A blanket to keep her warm

Wildlife SOS named her “Zara” which means princess – something that she rightly would have been, in her herd in the wild, but the evil clutches of illegal wildlife poaching snatched that joy from her and pushed her into a lifetime of captivity.

On the way to a good life. Thank you Wildlife SOS I have been following you for 20 years and I am so proud of you !!

Due to Zara’s rapidly deteriorating health, primarily affecting her joints, her owner was unable to meet her urgent medical needs. The nationwide lockdown that was imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was the primary cause for Zara’s owner not being able to begin her medical treatment. As soon as relaxations were levied, he was determined that his elephant would live a better life under the care of Wildlife SOS at the Elephant Hospital situated in Mathura. The Elephant Hospital opened its gates for Zara’s arrival and to provide her with the necessary medical treatment that would give her the relief she rightfully deserves.

When Zara arrived at the Elephant Hospital, the fresh air and the unfamiliar whiff of her lush green surroundings made her cautious, as well as anxious.

At just the tender age of 21, Zara has developed a serious case of osteoarthritis that has seriously affected her forelimbs and compromised her posture and gait. Her right forelimb, in particular, is damaged, along with an inflamed elbow joint that is the main reason of the slight limp that she has as she walks.

It is heartbreaking to imagine that with such a seriously compromised leg, that she was able to survive all these years of abuse. It is clear that Zara has an unfathomable amount of strength and willpower. Zara also has a wound on her left elbow and shoulder, which will be regularly cleaned and dressed with antiseptic ointment for quick recovery.

Her joints, however, are of serious concern and the Wildlife SOS veterinarians will be conducting X-Rays, as well as a complete blood report to assess the exact condition and seriousness of her limbs. Zara will be administered joint supplements and anti-inflammatory ointment for relief.

Zara’s right fore limb is the primary cause of concern for the veterinarians. Zara presently weighs 1970kgs, which is visible in the distinct, protruding shape of her spine that is due to her malnourishment. To everyone’s relief, her vision is proper and she is slightly anxious about her new surroundings, which is why the elephant care staff and veterinarians are giving her the time that she needs.

Her first ever shower!! What a joy, 

Even in her pain and discomfort, Zara appears to have a zeal for life as she was quick to take a liking to her bucket of watermelons and splash her trunk around! Her enclosure is equipped with mud beds for her support, to take the weight off of her legs, and for her to rest. Although Zara just wishes to look around her enclosure and watch her neighbors, the resident pachyderms instead.

While Zara has been on a tiring journey, emerging from her past life and taking small steps into her new home, Wildlife SOS requests everyone to keep her in your prayers while their team of veterinarians, elephant care staff, and hospital staff work to make her comfortable.

She will no longer be paraded around on hot tarmac roads, or have just a few stalks of dry grass and bananas while tethered to a confined, concrete space, pushing to break free.

As this fragile and battered creature finds comfort in her new home, Wildlife SOS requests that you show her your support and love by making a donation HERE!

www.worldanimalnews.com