CWI Investigations
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Uncovering the Shocking Realities for Animals
Behind the Entertainment Industry
Bo the Elephant
April 2019
What happens when an elephant doesn't "behave" in circus performances? Bo spent three days being chained by one leg and standing on asphalt in a parking lot in Connecticut, just feet from train tracks and a busy intersection.
Betty the Elephant
March 2019
The Carden family continues to force Betty to perform despite the fact that she is chronically lame. She does not bend her left front ankle, which is evident when she walks or give 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.
Indu at Phoenix Zoo
February 2019
On a welfare check that CWI conducted at Phoenix Zoo, we witnessed 53 year old Asian elephant Indu exhibiting zoochosis while alone in her exhibit. The temperatures that day began in only in the 30s and did not exceed 45 degrees by the time we left two hours later. During that period, we observed a docent instructing a school group. Upon an inquiry from a student about Indu's incessant swaying, the docent lied to the students telling them "we don't know for sure why elephants do that." In actual fact, just three days after our visit, the Phoenix Zoo announced that Indu was suffering from an infection. Not only did the Phoenix Zoo leave an Asian elephant out in the cold for the amusement of tourists, despite her showing obvious signs of distress, but she was also sickly. And they lied to children about it.
Tracy and Lisa: "Pain With Every Step",
July 2018
Circus World is a place that not only glamorizes an industry rife with animal abuse and celebrates its history, it continues the shameful practice of capitalizing off of suffering animals. Watch Tracy and Lisa painfully giving rides on their property.
Circus World: A History of Circus Abuse, July 2018
We were horrified by what we found at Circus World. Read the full story at the CWI blog, and click through to see our investigation video that revealed leaf blowers being used on elephants!
Frisco + Garden Bros = Elephant Abuse, June 2018
Anthony Frisco and Garden Bros Circus have a lot to answer for. They continue to use and abuse elephants across the country repeatedly hooking the elephants in order to force them to perform stupid tricks as a part of their second-rate circus.
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Elephant Abuse in Phuket Spring 2018
In the Spring of 2018, CWI traveled to Thailand and Singapore to examine animal captivity issues. What we saw horrified us.
We will keep an ongoing series of videos at this link that you can use to help spread the word that animal tourism can result in extreme animal cruelty.
Colorado Renaissance Festival. July 2017
Exotic animals have no place in a congested, loud festival setting, yet that is exactly the position that the Colorado Renaissance Festival put elephants, a tiger, camels, and other exotic cats in. We were especially disturbed to see 33 year old Paige the elephant being paraded through the festival and forced to give rides in an endless loop throughout the day. Click here to watch the video. And never attend a Renaissance festival that uses animals!
Shrine Circus. February 2017
In an investigation conducted at the Medieval Faire in Ohio, CWI was shocked to discover that not only was long-ailing elephant Nosey still forced to give rides and perform in the circus, but she was also being hidden....and shackled, behind a tarp without supervision of any kind. Click here to watch the video. And be sure to share it with family and friends to help get the word out that circuses are cruel not kind.
Nosey the Elephant. July 2016
In an investigation conducted at the Medieval Faire in Ohio, CWI was shocked to discover that not only was long-ailing elephant Nosey still forced to give rides and perform in the circus, but she was also being hidden....and shackled, behind a tarp without supervision of any kind. Click here to watch the video. And be sure to share it with family and friends to help get the word out that circuses are cruel not kind.
Tundra the Polar Bear. July 2016
Tundra the polar bear paces back and forth all day long at the Bronx Zoo, which has made the list of one of the worst zoos in the country. While the zoo asserts that they "stand for wildlife", we wonder how that applies to poor Tundra. In the wild, polar bears walk and swim great distances in extremely cold conditions. In the Bronx, Tundra languishes in confinement, unable to engage in any behavior normal and natural to him. Click here to take action!
Nosey the Elephant. May 2016
On May 21, a CWI investigator was on the scene in Iowa to provide information on the current situation with Nosey. Yet again, we found Nosey forced to give rides with numerous individuals on her back, provoked to do silly tricks including crawling across the circus ring, and idling alone with a small water bucket on a paved parking lot in the back of the venue. To help illustrate the cruelty of this, we created "Wild v Circus. Please share.
Nosey the Elephant. July 2015
CWI once again finds long-suffering Nosey on the road with the Liebel family. Unfortunately, not only is she doing tricks, but giving performances that have her standing on her hind legs, having Liebel children swinging from her body, and--most shockingly given her lameness--crawling. Based on evidence we have uncovered in this video as well as video obtained two weeks earlier at another event, CWI has filed a third letter of complaint with the USDA on behalf of Nosey claiming numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Learn More.
Carden Elephants. June 2015
In March 2015 at the University of New Orleans, elephants owned by the Carden family were utilized for a performance of the Jerusalem Shrine Circus. When they were not performing, they were found chained by their legs unable to make any meaningful movement or have contact with others. All three elephants began to exhibit stereotypic behaviors, which include rocking, swaying, and head movements. As a result of this investigation, CWI has filed a complaint with the USDA for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Learn More.
Ramos Bros Circus. May 2015
"Jailed Without A Crime" is a day-by-day account of the frustration, confinement, and boredom suffered by animals confined to circus life. The camels, zebras, llamas, and other animals performing with Ramos Bros Circus spend weeks on end trapped within tiny stalls without the opportunity for exercise outside of their circus performances. Subjected to constant road noise and interaction from the public, the animals never have peace or the opportunity to live any semblance of a normal, natural life. Learn more.
Nosey the Elephant. April 2015
On Saturday, March 14th, CompassionWorks International recorded undercover footage of a long-enslaved elephant named Nosey after a tip that she was performing in the city of Gun Barrel City, Texas, located 80 miles outside of Dallas.
As a result of CWI's investigation, a complaint has been filed with the USDA for several violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including instances of improper handling and danger to the public safety. Learn more.
