Butte, Mont. — Escape that, Carson & Barnes! After PETA notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture that an elderly elephant named Viola escaped from Jordan World Circus while in town for a performance last month, the feds cited her exhibitor, the notorious Carson & Barnes Circus, for not properly securing her and failing to protect her from potential injury.
Viola next to a handler carrying a sharp weapon at an earlier Jordan World Circus performance. Credit: PETA
“This abused elephant’s bid for freedom is the latest sign that animals must be removed from circuses—for their own safety andthe public’s protection,” says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Welfare Debbie Metzler. “PETA is calling on everyone to leave Carson & Barnes and Jordan World Circus with empty arenas until they go animal-free and send all the exploited animals in their clutches to reputable sanctuaries.”
PETA notes that Viola has escaped at least twice before—in 2010 and 2014—and in 2021, a PETA investigation revealed that she was being forced to perform daily despite having chronically swollen feet and showing signs of other ailments that impacted her rear legs. Carson & Barnes has been cited for more than 100 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someoneand offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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