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In the News May 2017: Read Los Angeles Times Op-ed written by LCA's President, Chris DeRose

LCA President & Founder Chris DeRose led a very special demonstration at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus' last show on Earth! The final performance marked the end of a cruel era of Ringling breeding animals or stealing them from the wild and forcing them to perform demeaning, unnatural tricks out of fear.

The end of Ringling Bros. was a hard-won victory that followed decades of investigations and protests by LCA and other animal advocacy groups. The demonstration at the final show commemorated the occasion as well as urged Ringling to send the animals to sanctuaries and not sell them to zoos or other exploitative facilities.

HELP END CIRCUS CRUELTY:

CLICK HERE to contact your congressperson and urge them to pass H.R. 1759, The Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (TEAPSPA). This bill would ban the use of all exotic animals in traveling shows in the U.S.

After 146 years, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, owned by Feld Entertainment, announced they are closing down.

For decades, LCA has been at the forefront of undercover investigations and nonstop protests that garnered international attention exposing the severe animal cruelty that Ringling so desperately tried to hide and deny.

Ringling's CEO, Kenneth Feld, sent one of his own investigators, Steve Kendall, to spy on LCA's President, Chris DeRose. That move backfired as the investigator ended up "flipping" and worked with LCA after realizing the cruelty involved in Ringling's training tactics.

Steve Kendall was hired by Feld and worked for him for 8 years gathering information about leaders of the animal rights movement, but ended up helping LCA by supplying intel against Ringling.

"Anyone that gets in Kenneth Feld's way, he investigated. Chris DeRose was a threat, one of the biggest. Kenneth singled out individuals that targeted the shows and looked for other ways to combat them, trying to shut down those people and organizations (LCA, PETA) economically," states Mr. Kendall.

LCA's undercover investigator exposed some of the most egregious acts by trainers of circus elephants in the 15 years he worked for LCA, at serious risk to his own life.

It has been widely documented that Feld Entertainment employed unscrupulous tactics to obtain and train its performing animals:

Stealing infants from their mothers. An estimated 50 percent of the Asian elephants owned by Ringling were captured and torn from their families in the wild

Using bullhooks, ropes, and electric prods to forcibly train animals to perform unnatural, ridiculous tricks out of fear and domination

Failing miserably to meet even minimal federal standards of care for the animals

Entrapping animals for up to 11 months on the road in cramped, filthy boxcars and trailers

Succumbing to the nonstop outcry against the use of elephants in the circus, Ringling finally ended its elephant act in May of 2016. LCA, along with dedicated supporters and activists, kept up the fight, demanding an end to the use of all the animals. Because of actions like LCA's, ticket sales dropped dramatically.

Chris DeRose leads the protest outside Ringling Bros. last elephant show

On behalf of the animals, we are ecstatic about this victory. Ringling fought to continue the circus despite the continuous exposure of animal cruelty and public outcry. It's been a long, grueling battle, but LCA always knew that we would prevail and make a difference.

LCA thanks all of you who protested, signed petitions and wrote letters as we fought for this hard-won victory. Together, real change has been made for Ringling's circus animals and it would not have happened without you!

Thank you for helping to end Ringling's brutal treatment of animals. LCA will keep up the fight until no more animals suffer in the name of entertainment!

Animal Cruelty at Circuses

Circus animals do not willingly stand on their heads, jump through rings of fire, or ride bicycles. They don't perform these tricks because they want to and they don't do any of these meaningless acts in their natural habitat. The ONLY reason circus animals perform is because they are scared of what will happen to them if they don't.

The circus would like you to think that these intelligent and sentient creatures perform because they are positively reinforced with food, praise etc. There is no such thing as positive reinforcement for animals in the circus - only varying levels of punishment, neglect, and deprivation. These animals have limited access to food and water as to will them to perform, as well as to prevent untimely defecation and urination while they are on stage or in public view.

An LCA investigator went undercover inside the Carson & Barnes Circus, where he documented extreme animal abuse, including elephants being beaten with baseball bats, pitchforks, and other objects; shocked with electric prods; and hit on the head and across the face. LCA worked with local media to expose this cruelty and filed a complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture.

CRUEL TRAINING
Training circus animals involves physically punishing them. These training practices generally will be hidden from public view to make the audiences believe these animals want to and are willing to perform. Because these animals have been conditioned through violent training sessions, they know that refusal to obey in the ring will result in severe punishment later. Moments before entering the ring, while just outside of public view, trainers may give the elephants painful whacks or blows to remind them who's in control and to ensure that the elephants perform the specified tricks on command.

Animals in the circus are routinely whipped, beaten with long metal rods, shocked with electric prods, and struck with clubs. Trainers often strike elephants with a bullhook or an ankus on the sensitive areas of their skin such as around their eyes, under their chin, inside their mouth, and behind their knees and ears. A bullhook is also sometimes used to hit animals across the face. Bears have their noses broken and their paws burned to teach them to walk on their hind legs. Carson & Barnes trainers have even been documented using blowtorches on elephants. Circuses easily get away with these cruel practices because no government agency monitors training sessions.

A number of animals are even drugged to make them more manageable. Others have their teeth removed; one group of chimpanzees had their teeth knocked out by a hammer. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus use some of the worst training practices with elephants ever documented. Elephants have a very similar life cycle to humans and they care for their young much like we do. These captive elephants are forced to breed as young as 8 years old, that's like breeding an 8-year-old child. After the mother gives birth, tied by 3 legs the entire time, the babies are taken away immediately which causes the mother severe duress. Ringling Bros. chains the mother by all 4 legs to take the baby away so that the mother elephant won't be able to hurt the trainers. Even before being weaned these baby elephants are put in a separate area from their mothers and are then chained for up to 23 hours a day. In the wild, elephants often nurse their babies until five years of age. Then the "correction process" for the baby elephants starts where they are tied up and beaten repeatedly to break their spirit. This training process is so brutal, that Ringling Bros. WILL NOT let their own PR department film the training of these baby elephants.

ONGOING CONFINEMENT

Ongoing travel means that circus animals are confined to boxcars, trailers, or trucks for days at a time in extremely hot and cold weather, often without access to basic necessities such as food, water, and veterinary care. Elephants, primates, big cats, and bears are confined to cramped, filthy cages in which they eat, drink, sleep, defecate, and urinate- all in the same place. The climates circus animals encounter during their exhaustive travels are often very different than that of their natural habitats. Bears are forced to endure extreme heat in the summer, and sometimes even walk across hot concrete on their way into the performing arena. Lions, on the other hand, find the cold very difficult to bear; some circus animals freeze to death.

The majority of circus elephants are captured in the wild. These wild elephants walk as much as 40 miles a day while in their natural habitat. Once captured, they are chained in one place for up to 23 hours a day. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus brags that it's three units travel more than 25,000 miles as the circus tours the country for 11 months each year. Ringling Bros. own documents state that on average, elephants are chained for more than 26 hours straight and are sometimes continually chained for as many as 60 to 100 hours. When the animals arrive at their next destination, instead of being let off the railway cars immediately after arriving at the arena, they are sometimes forced to remain inside for hours despite extreme temperatures.

Two large cats in cramped cage at Ringling Bros

Baby elephants chained at Ringling's elephant farm

ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

Elephants are very social creatures and they form tight bonds with their families and other elephants. They feel joy, compassion, sadness, and grief just like humans do. Many circus animals become dysfunctional, unhealthy, depressed, and aggressive as a result of unnatural and unrelenting confinement in which they are kept and treated. When these elephants have their babies taken away, that lifelong relationship is abruptly terminated and every moment, every natural instinct, and every natural behavior is subject to discipline.

Some signs of abnormal behavior found in captive elephants include rocking, swaying, head-bobbing, or other repetitive movement. These behaviors are signs of extreme psychological distress. Elephants who are breathing with their mouths open are usually in pain. Captive large cats and bears pace back and forth and some bears have been known to beat their heads against their cages. Bar biting and self-mutilation are also common among circus animals and is directly related to the stress caused by confinement.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION
Wild animals behave instinctively and unpredictably. Circus animals have run amok through streets, crashed into buildings, attacked members of the public, and killed and injured handlers.

Additionally, some circus elephants have been diagnosed with a human strain of Tuberculosis (TB) and have passed it on to their handlers. Elephants in circuses are predisposed to TB because of routine transport that often exposes them to other infected elephants and because of stress factors, including severe punishment, constant confinement, inconsistent water quality and food supply, and poor nutrition. TB is an airborne disease which spreads through tiny droplets in the air. If TB is diagnosed in an elephant there are clear public health implications as the disease can be spread by close contact with infected animals and people. Circuses often allow members of the public to feed, pet, and ride the elephants which puts them at a great risk.

Observing circus animals teaches the public and children nothing about the natural behaviors of the animals. A lot of people mistakenly believe that captive breeding will help elephants and other species from becoming extinct. However, elephants that are born in the breeding centers of circuses can never be returned to the wild. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus operate under the umbrella of conservation. Ringling Bros. built a property in Florida that is known as "The Center for Elephant Conservation". This "farm" is not open to the public. A former worker at Ringling's elephant farm became a whistleblower on their training methods and took pictures and videos detailing the abuse. Gary Jacobson, the general manager of Ringling's elephant farm, was filmed roping all four legs of baby elephants and then stretching their legs in every direction to force them to the ground and break their spirits.

LCA SPEAKING UP FOR CIRCUS ANIMALS

LCA and animal activists have protested Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circuses throughout the United States. LCA's campaign against animals in circuses is dedicated to educating the public about the abuse circus animals suffer and working to get current footage and information to put an end to traveling animal circuses.

LCA needs volunteers to attend protests and to help film and photograph the circus. To volunteer, click here.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

* Do not visit circuses that use animals.
* Write to circus sponsors and tell them you do not want to see wild animals in circuses, for the sake of the animals and the public.
* Write letters to editors of local newspapers asking sponsors to stop supporting the circus.
* Organize or attend a protest.
* Support legislation protecting circus animals.
* Report any possible violations of state and local animal protection laws to the police and animal control.

* Cirque du Soleil
* The New Pickle Family Circus CIRCUSES THAT DO NOT USE ANIMALS (partial list)
* Bindlestiff Family Circus
* Circus Millennia
* Circus Smirkus
* Cirque Eloize
* Circus Oz
* Mexican International Circus
* Cirque Ingenieux
* Earth Circus
* Fern Street Circus
* Little Russian Circus
* Neil Goldberg's Circus
* New Shanghai Circus
* Circus Vargas

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Last chance for Animals is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating animal exploitation through education, investigations, legislation, and media attention. The organization believes that animals are highly sentient creatures who exist for their own reasons independent of their service to humans; they should thus not be made to suffer for the latter.

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Scientific name: Gorilla gorilla gorilla

diet: Herbivore

habitat:Rainforests

Viewing Hints:

Western lowland gorillas may be seen year-round as long as the air temperatures are above 40 degrees. In cooler temperatures or in inclement weather, the gorillas may choose to spend time in their indoor areas.

The western lowland gorilla habitat consists of 1.8 acres and is broken up into five separate yards, one of which is not visible to guests. Double moats separate these habitats and groups. Habitats are numbered from right to left (1 to 5) if looking from the public viewing area. Habitat 4 is behind Habitat 3, and Habitat 5 is out of view.

General Information:

Physical Features and Characteristics:

Gorillas are the largest of all primates and reach physical maturity between 12 and 15 years of age. Males can between 350 and 450 pounds, almost twice as much as females, weighing in between 150 and 250 pounds. Males stand between 5.5 to 6 feet tall. Females are a bit smaller, standing between 4'7" to 4'11". The males' heads are large and pointed due to the sagittal crest that forms the back of the top of the head. This crest serves as the foundation for attachment of a great number of jaw muscle fibers, which allows for the chewing power needed to process tough vegetation.

The vision and perception of western lowland gorillas is similar to that of humans. Gorillas have a prominent brow ridge, small, flat ears, and hear about the same as humans. The nose is broad, flat and fleshy. The wrinkles on a gorilla's nose, known as a noseprint, are like human fingerprints, and every individual's noseprint is unique. Researchers use these noseprints as identification markers in their studies, both in zoological settings and in the wild.

Gorillas have 32 teeth, including sharp canines used for defense and breaking through vegetation. Their molars have complicated patterns of cups and ridges that facilitate chewing of tough plant fibers.

Gorillas' faces, hands, and feet are bare, but the rest of their bodies are covered with short, thin hair. Gorilla hands and feet are large, with leathery palms and soles, and broad, flat nails Their hands are very dexterous and can pick up small, delicate objects. Like their hands, their feet have opposable thumbs and toes. Like all apes, gorillas' arms are longer than their legs-a feature that allows them to walk on all fours. They are called "knuckle-walkers," meaning that they walk on the knuckles of their forelimbs and the soles of their hind limbs. This form of locomotion develops calluses on the knuckles, preserving the sensitivity of the fingertips necessary for manipulating smaller objects.

Lifestyle and Reproduction

Gorillas tend to be shy, peaceful creatures; they are not normally aggressive to other animals unless provoked. However, if they are provoked, they can be dangerous. They can demonstrate aggression by charging towards perceived intruders. Typically, they will not actually hit the intruder, but rush past, turn and then charge again.

Gorillas use a combination of vocalizations, visual signals and scents to communicate. They are considered relatively quiet compared to other primates, but do have at least 25 recognized vocalizations, including:
* Hooting: Can carry for a mile through the forest and is usually accompanied by display behavior such as chest beating, strutting, and vegetation slapping
* Screams: Sounds of alarm or warning
* Belches: Deep rumblings of contentment, comfort, or well-being
* Sharp Grunts: Used when discipline is required
* Whoop Barks: High-pitched barks denote curiosity
* Roars: Aggression
* Chuckles: Playfulness

Infants have three distinct vocalizations; these are similar to the cries of a human baby. They will typically cry when hurt or frightened, resulting in an immediate response from the mother.

Dominant males also have a distinctive smell that they use to communicate with other troops and to maintain contact with their own troop. Perhaps the most recognizable behavior performed by gorillas is chest-beating. It is primarily done by male gorillas at the end of a display meant to intimidate intruding males or predators. The sound can be heard for long distances. Females will chest-beat infrequently; they will typically beat their hands against the insides of their thighs. Chest-beating can also indicate playful behavior, however, especially in the young. Young gorillas play much like humans do, playing tag and doing somersaults.

Western lowland gorillas live in family groups known as troops. These troops can consist of 5 to 30 individuals, although the average size is 11. The group is led by a dominant silverback male and contains several adult females and their young. The females will typically bond with the silverback, but not necessarily with each other. The silverback will remain dominant for as long as he can defeat competing males.

There are several younger, blackback males that remain in the group until they are capable of challenging the silverback. These young males are often driven out of the troop to live a solitary life or to live in a smaller group with other bachelors until they establish their own troops. If a dominant silverback is displaced, the new dominant male will typically kill the infants in the troop, sending the females prematurely into reproductive cycling. This increases the male's chances of siring offspring, as his time as the dominant male is uncertain. As such, females consider a male's ability to fight paramount to their offspring's survival.

On maturing, females will also leave their natal group to join a lone male or another small group. This is vital to prevent inbreeding and to protect the gene pool.

Nesting typically occurs in the late afternoon, with the gorillas bedding down for the night at sundown. The females and their offspring will build nests of leaves and branches, while the dominant silverback will settle at the base of the tree, in order to protect his family. At Zoo Atlanta, while the gorillas are outside, their indoor areas are thoroughly cleaned; the walls and floors are scrubbed with disinfectant. The gorillas are offered hay in their indoor area at night and nest with this material, replicating natural behavior.

In a troop, the single silverback male will mate with the females, siring all the offspring of the troop. Females generally reach reproductive maturity between 7 and 8 years of age, with males reaching maturity later, around 10 years of age, due to competition. The potential breeding season is year-round and gestation typically takes 256 days, or about 8.5 months. Labor can last anywhere from one to 4 hours. Babies are usually born singly; twins are rare. Newborns weigh between 3 and 5 pounds and are weaned around 2 to 3 years of age, but can be dependent on their mothers for up to 4 years. The average interval between births for a female gorilla is four to six years.

Western lowland gorillas may be seen year-round as long as the air temperatures are above 40 degrees. In cooler temperatures or in inclement weather, the gorillas may choose to spend time in their indoor areas.

The western lowland gorilla habitat consists of 1.8 acres and is broken up into five separate yards, one of which is not visible to guests. Double moats separate these habitats and groups. Habitats are numbered from right to left (1 to 5) if looking from the public viewing area. Habitat 4 is behind Habitat 3, and Habitat 5 is out of view.

The rainforests of central and western Africa, including the nations of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Western lowland gorillas prefer the tall, lush tropical forest of west and central Africa. The herbs, shrubs and vines that make up its diet grow best where the open canopy allows plenty of light to reach the forest floor. These tropical forests also contain a much higher diversity of arboreal substrates and foods, in particular fruit, than mountainous habitats. Western lowland gorillas live primarily on the ground and build sleeping nests on the ground or in the trees for the night.

Western lowland gorillas are primarily herbivorous, feeding on plant parts including seeds, leaves, stems, shoots, roots and flowers; however, they prefer fruit whenever it's in season. Occasionally they will eat insects, such as termites or ants, as a supplement to their diet when they are readily available. Due to their dietary preferences, western lowland gorillas spend a lot of their time in and around trees, especially fruit trees. Even large males can sometimes be found up in the trees, but they are careful to stay near a main trunk or on larger branches that are able to support their weight. Younger, lighter gorillas may climb higher in trees, even swinging freely from branch to branch. Gorillas never completely strip vegetation from a single area; rather, the rapid regrowth of the vegetation they consume allows them to stay within a reasonable confined home range for extended periods of time.

Here at Zoo Atlanta, we provide a medley of fruits and vegetables to our western lowland gorillas. These include apples, oranges, bananas, raisins, sweet potatoes, cabbage, collards, and primate chow. In the morning, vegetables and fruit are chopped up and scattered around the habitat. From there, the gorillas come outside and forage for their food as they would in the wild. Browse foods including bamboo, banana leaves, mulberry, elm and willow are also scattered in their habitat.

Enrichment:

Gorillas always seem interest to explore new objects and sensations, so our team is constantly in creative mode to find new interesting and safe items for them to manipulate, explore, smell, and taste. Retired fire hoses are a great, almost indestructible material that we can form into hammocks, swings, and such. On a nice day during the fall season, keepers will rake up big piles of fallen leaves. When the gorillas discover these mounds of leaves, they derive obvious fun stimulation from diving and whirling in the leaves [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-wOQJuG13I]. In every season, however, and every day, various forms of enrichment items are provided to stimulate a diversity of natural behaviors.

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Scientific name: Gorilla gorilla gorilla diet: Herbivore habitat:Rainforests Viewing Hints: Western lowland gorillas may be seen year-round as long as the air temperatures are above 40 degrees. In cooler temperatures or in inclement weather, the gorillas may choose to spend time in their indoor areas.

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Mountain Gorillas, Mountain Gorilla Pictures, Mountain Gorilla Facts - National Geographic

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Mountain Gorillas, Mountain Gorilla Pictures, Mountain Gorilla Facts - National Geographic

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About the Mountain Gorilla

There are only several hundred mountain gorillas remaining on Earth, and about half live in the forests of the Virunga mountains in central Africa.

These gorillas live on the green, volcanic slopes of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo-areas that have seen much human violence from which the gorillas have not escaped unscathed.

Many conservation initiatives are meant to aid mountain gorillas, and it is believed that their numbers may be steady or slowly increasing. Still they continue to face major threats from habitat loss and poaching.

Alpha Males and Social Behavior

Mountain gorillas have longer hair and shorter arms than their lowland cousins. They also tend to be a bit larger than other gorillas.

Gorillas can climb trees, but are usually found on the ground in communities of up to 30 individuals. These troops are organized according to fascinating social structures. Troops are led by one dominant, older adult male, often called a silverback because of the swath of silver hair that adorns his otherwise dark fur. Troops also include several other young males, some females, and their offspring.

The leader organizes troop activities like eating, nesting in leaves, and moving about the group's 0.75-to-16-square-mile home range.

Those who challenge this alpha male are apt to be cowed by impressive shows of physical power. He may stand upright, throw things, make aggressive charges, and pound his huge chest while barking out powerful hoots or unleashing a frightening roar. Despite these displays and the animals' obvious physical power, gorillas are generally calm and nonaggressive unless they are disturbed.

In the thick forests of central and west Africa, troops find plentiful food for their vegetarian diet. They eat roots, shoots, fruit, wild celery, and tree bark and pulp.

Female gorillas give birth to one infant after a pregnancy of nearly nine months. Unlike their powerful parents, newborns are tiny-weighing four pounds-and able only to cling to their mothers' fur. These infants ride on their mothers' backs from the age of four months through the first two or three years of their lives.

Young gorillas, from three to six years old, remind human observers of children. Much of their day is spent in play, climbing trees, chasing one another, and swinging from branches.

In captivity, gorillas have displayed significant intelligence and have even learned simple human sign language.

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About the Mountain Gorilla There are only several hundred mountain gorillas remaining on Earth, and about half live in the forests of the Virunga mountains in central Africa. These gorillas live on the green, volcanic slopes of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo-areas that have seen much human violence from which the gorillas have not escaped unscathed.

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Learning & Fun - Learning about Gorillas - The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

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Learning & Fun - Learning about Gorillas - The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

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We invite you to learn more here about the mighty, charismatic, and whimsical animal that Dian Fossey introduced to the world and risked her life to save: the magnificent gorilla.