UniverSoul Circus Whistleblower Report Will Make Your Jaw Drop

PETA
is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the federal
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to investigate new and
shocking allegations of animal abuse, neglect, and employee endangerment at UniverSoul Circus. 

According
to a sworn affidavit signed by a former employee who spent numerous years on
the road with the circus, “The treatment of animals—particularly elephants
and big cats—that I witnessed during the course of my employment for [Soul
Circus, Inc.] struck me as highly inappropriate, unnatural, and abusive.”

Elephants Chained 24 Hours a Day

The
whistleblower reports that three elephants—Makia, LouLou, and Lovie—whom UniverSoul pays Jorge Barreda to
include in its shows are chained at performance venues by one leg 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, unless they’re performing. The chains are so short that
the elephants are unable to lie down, turn around, or exercise.

According
to the whistleblower, the elephants are always kept chained with inadequate
protection from the sun and elements when traveling with UniverSoul. During one
storm, they were forced to stand outside in at least 18 inches of waste-filled
floodwater, exposing them to the danger of falling trees and power lines and
other harmful conditions. The storm was so strong that a canopy collapsed on
top of the elephants.

Like other elephants forced into
entertainment against their will, Makia, LouLou, and Lovie show
chronic signs of extreme stress, including repeatedly bobbing their heads and
swaying back and forth.

Big Cats Live in Travel Cages

The
tigers and cougar whom UniverSoul pays notorious big-cat
owner Mitchel Kalmanson to include in its shows are also suffering. Relegated to tiny cages, the big
cats are not provided with access to exercise pens at any of the performance venues.
The imprisoned animals frequently growl and exhibit extreme stress by pacing in
small cages. When they have been exposed to extreme heat, the whistleblower
describes seeing the big cats trying to soak their paws in their drinking water
in a desperate attempt to cool off.

One
of Kalmanson’s handlers informed the whistleblower that the tigers are declawed—a cruel and
painful procedure that the USDA prohibits.

During
UniverSoul Circus’ 2012 tour, two employees had parts of their fingers bitten
off by tigers, illustrating a disregard for employee safety and animal welfare.

PETA Demands Action

PETA
has filed two urgent complaints: One with OSHA in behalf of UniverSoul’s
employees, who have been placed in life-threatening situations, and another
with the USDA urging it to investigate the whistleblower’s testimony of animal
abuse and endangerment. The whistleblower’s testimony is consistent with other
evidence that PETA has recently obtained of animal abuse and neglect,
especially with regard to the treatment of the big cats used for UniverSoul.

What You Can Do

Don’t
buy tickets to circuses that include animals in their shows—and be sure to tell friends and family why.