Betty and Bo are two beautiful elephants forced to travel and perform stupid circus tricks by the Carden family.

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Betty was taken from her home in Thailand when she was just three years old and was ultimately sold to the Carden family in 1986. Since that time, she has been used for circus performances and rides by the Cardens despite the fact that Betty is chronically lame. She does not bend her left front ankle, which is evident when she walks or gives rides. Betty also continually drags her trunk along the ground as she walks. It appears that she is using her trunk as a crutch to remain balanced or to hold her upright. Her impairment could pose a serious public health hazard should her lameness result in a fall while she was performing or giving rides.

 

Betty frequently travels with a male elephant named Bo. Bo was born in captivity at Busch Gardens

in Tampa, Florida on January 22, 1987 and transferred to the Cardens in 1992. Over the last several

years, Bo is often brought out onto the road, but then does not perform. In the video below, Bo was 

kept in a tent near to both a busy road and train tracks and was never brought into the circus tent after 

the first night of performance. An employee at the venue informed an activist that Bo had been 

"misbehaving" and therefore was not trusted to be a part of the show. Bo is often found exhibiting

stereotypical behavior, including repeated swaying of his head and/or body. This behavior is an

indication of emotional or psychological distress.

 

We encourage everyone who cares about ending circus cruelty to peacefully protest every animal-abusing circus performance that appears in your region and to work to create local law prohibiting the exhibition and performance of traveling exotic animals. We are available to help and support your efforts. 

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Please sign our petition asking the USDA to take action for Betty and to send her to a reputable sanctuary. Learn more about previous violations and dangerous incidents involving animals owned by the Carden family. 

 

For up-to-date information on protests, please visit our Protest Dates page. To let us know of any updates to the information on this page or to report a circus set to perform in your area, please email us at info@cwint.org.