News and Alerts » January 1, 2009

Bo, The All American Elephant

Bo is a young Asian bull elephant who is a half brother to Ned, the circus elephant who was confiscated by USDA and died last year at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Bo, like Ned, Benny, Luke and Mickey, was captive-born, sired by Vance, a breeding bull from the circus. All of these young bulls were taken from their mothers before they were a year old, and each began performing when they should still have been nursing.

The Shriner’s Circus bills Bo as, “The All American Elephant.” It goes on to say, “One of the most entertaining acts in the Circus world today is the enthusiastic antics of Bo. He is a 15-year-old elephant with a personality all his own. Bo will perform with distinct style only to discretely pull a fast joke on his trainer, Mr. George Carden. He can perform more than 60 maneuvers and he is always learning. Bo is constantly being trained and taught new tricks for his act. He will walk a plank with the style and ease of the ballet and prance around the ring with the grace of a very large dancer. Watch as he skips to the beat of the music only to decide to display his vast musical talent with three different musical instruments.”

A circus producer is quoted as saying, “Bo is one of a kind. His performing sense is as great as any human's. He’s a magnificent ambassador for his species.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. Write to the Shriners — ask them to stop exploiting live animals in their circus fundraisers.

Local chapter of Zelzah Shriners:
2222 W. Mesquite Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89106
www.zelzahshrine.com

Shriners International Headquarters
2900 Rocky Point Drive
Tampa, FL 33607

2. Write to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce — protest the use of live animals as entertainment. http://www.lvchamber.com/contact

3. Write the Las Vegas Tourist Bureau — ask them to stop the exploitation of animals. http://www.lasvegastouristbureau