Boingboing.com today referenced a year-long study by Mother Jones Magazine "that rips the big top off how Ringling Bros. circus treats its elephants."

I have no fondness for kneejerk animal-rights ideologues (did you know I'm keeping my dog in slavery?) and not much fondness for Ringling either, but whaddya think? "The Cruelest Show On Earth"

The article seems, to me, to be full of know-nothing assumptions and buzzwords.

Not a big fan of Ringlings either but they are fighting the fight that other shows may benefit from.
The use of "sleeper activists" as staff and set ups for video footage has already been uncovered elsewhere.
The 2 links below are relevant to the recent Ringling case. The first link relates to animals in showbusiness in general and the articles give a good insight into the general standard of care for circus animals.

http://circusthetruth.blogspot.com/2011/......for.html

http://www.ringlingbrostrialinfo.com/

Feld Entertainment, Inc. Wins Appeal in Case Brought by ASPCA and Other... -- VIENNA, Va., Oct. 28,.
http://www.prnewswire.com

I wonder why nobody has sued PETA for fraud (about their so-called "no kill" shelters), and racketeering and a bunch of other things?

Fear. i.e., "I better not cross PETA or their crazy !@#$% leader will will sick her celebri-cult-mob on me."

Ive commented every time this subject has come up. I worked for Ringling Brothers as a Pyrotechnician. The period of time I was with them I never once saw anything that could even remotely be viewed as neglect or cruelty. They go out of their way to cater to PETA, the animals have good shelter get veterinary care and are given time to run and play. Ive seen the video of the handler with the bull-hook, and to me it seems like that handler is at fault and not the organization. The time I was with them I was more concerned with being the guy that spooked the animals with explosives. As a side note, I make efforts to take my children to see the show every year when they are in town, mainly because I know the show will never be the same and unfortunately one day may not exist. Each year there are less and less animal acts, last year they paraded the animals before the show and at the end and that was pretty much it. Its sad to say but, in these changing times, live theater and circus will be completely replaced with multimedia.

Martin:

You are so right. In all the shows I have been around, I have never seen abuse or cruelty to animals. I remember my good friend Wayne Franzen, feeding his tigers after the tear down and show was put to bed.

I will never forget what he said to me. He said " FIRST THE ANIMALS EAT AND THEN I EAT" It was almost midnight by the time Wayne ate his evening meal. But first he made sure every animal was taken care of before he set down to eat. That folks is pure love and dedication to his animals.

I still miss Wayne alot. He had the finest little show around.

"Calliope" Rod Pringle

A friend of mine who was a clown for RBBB told me very bluntly, "I never once saw or heard of them abusing or hitting any of their animals, their kids... that's a different story!"

Unfortunately an emotive subject such as animals in circus plays big for lazy news media and the coffers of the animal rights movements.
The most difficult part of the circus pr machine is getting the public to see the difference between animal welfare and
animal rights. Most circus animal trainers put their animals welfare first and foremost. The animal rights people have many other hidden agendas which will no doubt come to light as their politics and real aims become more obvious. Obviously their strategy here is, if we throw enough mud at the "big one" the media will carry it, some of that mud may stick ( when has a journalist on this subject ever let the facts get in the way of a story?) and if by chance Ringlings take a hit, the fallout would be massive to the entire industry. with regard Rod Pringles comment, that is so true, with over 35 years of experience I have often wished I was a circus animal. The conditions are far better and the workload minimal compared with the human element.