Shrine Circuses

Shrine circuses don’t possess their own

animal exhibitor licenses from the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA), so

they’re not subject to citations under the

name “Shrine Circus.” Local Shrine

chapters hire an outside company—such

as Tarzan Zerbini Circus,

Carden

International Circus, Jordan World

Circus, Royal Hanneford Circus, Circus

Hollywood, Circus United, Hamid Circus,

or Cindy Migley Productions—to

produce the circus. The producers may

hire animal acts from exhibitors such as

Franzen Bros. Circus,

Carson & Barnes

Circus, Circus Pages, Jennifer Caudill,

and others.

Because

Shrine temples hire their own

producers, animal exhibits may vary

from temple to temple and from year to

year. Circus producers and animal

exhibitors at Shrine circuses have failed

to meet minimum standards for the care

of animals used in exhibition as

established in the federal Animal Welfare

Act (AWA). The USDA has cited Shrine

circus exhibitors for failing to provide

adequate veterinary care, adequate

shelter from the elements, nutritious

food, and clean water. Exhibitors have

also been cited for failing to handle

animals in a manner that prevents

trauma and harm to the animals and

ensures public safety. Animals used by

Shrine circuses have killed and injured

humans. Some elephants used for

Shrine circuses have tested positive for

tuberculosis or been exposed to other

elephants with the disease.

Som

e well-intentioned people may think

that attending a Shrine circus benefits

children, but the truth is that ticket sales

aren't charitable donations. In a 2003

interview with the Edmonton Sun, a local

Shriner admitted that statements made

by club members may have misled the

public into believing that circus profits

would help sick kids and fund hospital

operations when, in fact, the funds were

used to cover administrative costs. A

2007 New York Times examination of

Shrine records found that more than 57%

of the $32 million raised in 2005 through

circuses and other fundraising events

went to Shriner activities and temple

expenses, including parties, liquor, and

travel. Only 2% of the Shrine hospitals’

operating income came from money

raised by Shrine temples.

Cont

act PETA for documentation.

April 7, 2023: Several ponies escaped from

the Yelduz Shrine Circus, produced by

Cindy Migley Productions, at the Aberdeen

Civic Center in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Local police were dispatched to help

recapture the ponies.

November 26, 2021: A 2-year-old child was

bitten by a pony after riding the animal at

the Hadi Shrine Circus in Evansville,

Indiana. The handler gave the child

permission to pet the pony, and the animal

bit the child in the face and knocked him

over. The child sustained a facial wound.

Novem

ber 25, 2021: Adam Burck illegally

exhibited tigers at the Hadi Shrine Circus in

Evansville, Indiana, after the USDA

canceled his exhibitor’s license. Burck’s

tiger act was removed from subsequent

performances.

May 15

, 2019: The Maine Department of

Inland Fisheries & Wildlife fined Carson &

Barnes Circus $500 for failing to comply

with the state’s permit conditions. The

approved permit was for elephants Bunny

and Libby, but Carson & Barnes actually

brought elephants Becky, Lisa, and Traci

into the state for performances with the

Kora Shrine Circus.

Shrine Circuses

September 16, 2018: Six children and one

adult were injured after a camel provided by

Circus Pages was startled and began

bucking during rides at the Syria Shrine

Circus in Pittsburgh. One child fractured an

arm, and the other five sustained minor

injuries.

April 27, 2017: The USDA cited big-cat

exhibitor Hawthorn Corporation for repeat,

critical noncompliance for failing to provide

a tiger named Munia with timely veterinary

care. Munia died while on the road on April

25. A trainer notified the attending

veterinarian of the death, and the

veterinarian indicated the need for a

necropsy to determine the cause, but the

owner refused. Hawthorn had supplied

tigers for the Aleppo Shrine Circus in

Wilmington, Massachusetts, which ran until

April 23, 2017.

April 25, 2017: The USDA cited Hawthorn

Corporation for direct noncompliance for

failing to provide a tiger named King with

adequate veterinary care. At the time of the

inspection, King exhibited an emaciated

body condition, with his vertebrae and rib

cage visible. His hips protruded, with a

sunken appearance on both sides of the

abdomen, and he walked with a hunched

posture. He attempted to lift his tail to

urinate but was unable to do so. He had

been on the road but was brought home the

week prior because he wasn’t eating. He

hadn’t been evaluated by a veterinarian.

Hawthorn Corporation was also cited for

critical noncompliance for failing to provide

a tiger named Prince with timely veterinary

care. While on the road, Prince was

presented to a veterinarian in a “moribund,

hypothermic condition.” He was in lateral

recumbency and dehydrated, and his

breathing was labored. He had to be

euthanized.

April 12, 2017: A Hawthorn Corporation

truck transporting tigers from the Hejaz

Shrine Circus in South Carolina to Illinois

got a flat tire, and the driver left it in a strip-

mall parking lot before reportedly checking

into a motel. The tigers were left unattended

inside the truck for hours and ran out of

water. Authorities from the Kentucky

Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources

cited the driver for not having the proper

permit to transport the tigers through the

state. The Kentucky State Police also

issued a vehicle-related citation.

April 4, 2017: The USDA cited Hawthorn

Corporation, performing with the Hejaz

Shrine Circus in Spartanburg, South

Carolina, for failing to have enclosures that

properly contained tigers at all times and

failing to provide 12 tigers with enclosures

that allowed for “full postural and social

adjustments.” The animals were kept in

pairs inside enclosures that measured 4 feet

high. They also weren’t allowed into the

exercise area on a daily basis.

February 24, 2017: The USDA cited

Hawthorn Corporation, performing with the

Jamil Shrine Circus in Columbia, South

Carolina, for failing to store food properly.

Much of the rendered red meat, which was

stored in a freezer room of the transport

trailer, had been opened or had spilled, and

some of it contained frost.

November 30, 2016: Royal Hanneford

Circus was assessed a civil penalty of

$7,000 and ordered to cease and desist

from violating the AWA after three elephants

escaped from the Moolah Shrine Circus in

St. Charles, Missouri, which Royal

Hanneford produced. (See the March 22,

2014, entry.)

May 25, 2016: Carson & Barnes was

ordered to pay a civil penalty of $16,000 for

mishandling elephants on two occasions in

2014 while performing at Shrine circuses.

(See the April 14, 2014, and March 22,

2014, entries.)

April 22, 2016: The USDA cited Jennifer

Caudill while traveling with the Aleppo

Shrine Circuses

Shrine Circus in Wilmington,

Massachusetts, for failing to submit a travel

itinerary for two camels and a zebra. The

USDA requires these itineraries to ensure

that exhibitors traveling with animals are in

compliance with welfare regulations.

April 22, 2016: The USDA cited Rosaire’s

Bears while traveling with the Aleppo Shrine

Circus in Wilmington, Massachusetts, for

failing to provide two bears with a

wholesome, nutritive diet. The main food

source that had been supplied was bread,

supplemented with carrots and lettuce.

April 21, 2016: The U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Service (FWS) suspended Tarzan Zerbini

Circus’ permits to export two elephants to

Canada for the 2016 Royal Canadian Circus

season. The move followed PETA’s lawsuit

against the FWS challenging its unlawful

“pay-to-play” scheme, which allows

exhibitors such as Tarzan Zerbini, which

produces Shrine circuses in Canada, to

pledge money to conservation groups in

exchange for an endangered species

permit. While PETA’s lawsuit was pending,

the agency noticed that Tarzan Zerbini had

failed to make good on its financial pledge

and suspended the permits.

April 13, 2016: Michael Hackenberger,

owner of the now-defunct Bowmanville Zoo

in Ontario, Canada—who had in previous

years supplied big cats and elephants to

Canadian Shrine circuses—was charged

with five counts of cruelty to animals after

PETA eyewitness footage showed him

whipping a tiger during a circus-style

training session.

April 27, 2015: The USDA filed an

administrative lawsuit under the AWA

against Carson & Barnes Circus and Royal

Hanneford Circus for mishandling elephants

during performances with Shrine circuses,

resulting in injuries to the elephants. While

Royal Hanneford was performing with the

Moolah Shrine Circus in St. Charles,

Missouri, in March 2014, three elephants—

Kelly, Viola, and Isa—were being escorted

to an enclosure when the handlers lost

control of Kelly. Employees of Royal

Hanneford had encouraged audience

members to make loud noises, causing

Kelly to become stressed and escape from

the handlers, resulting in abrasions and

lacerations to her right side. Viola also

sustained lacerations to her left and right

sides. (See the March 22, 2014, entry.) In

addition, while performing with Zembo

Shrine Circus in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in

April 2014, Carson & Barnes was cited for

mishandling the same three elephants. The

circus didn’t have a barrier behind them as

they were led toward the housing area. A

small boy and a man were able to approach

the animals and take photos. (See the April

14, 2014, entry.)

April 10, 2015: The USDA cited big-cat

exhibitor Mitchel Kalmanson, performing

with the Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Circus in

Springfield, Missouri, for failing to have

sufficient barriers between tigers and the

public, leaving the area holding the tigers

unattended, failing to provide the tigers with

adequate space and exercise, failing to

store meat for the tigers properly, and

transporting animals in a vehicle with

exposed insulation material, a “foul odor,”

numerous flies and maggots, and a buildup

of debris that appeared to be hair, food

waste, and excreta.

April 14, 2014: The USDA cited Carson &

Barnes Circus, performing as the Zembo

Shrine Circus in Altoona, Pennsylvania, for

failing to have a handler or an attendant

present behind three elephants—Kelly,

Viola, and Isa—as they were led toward the

housing area. A small boy and a man were

able to approach them and take photos.

March 22, 2014: While the Moolah Shrine

Circus was performing at The Family Arena

in St. Charles, Missouri, three elephants—

Kelly, Viola, and Isa—escaped from their

handlers. They were loose for about 45

minutes and damaged multiple cars before

Shrine Circuses

the handlers were able to regain control of

them.

February 23, 2014: According to multiple

eyewitnesses, dogs exhibited by Star

Plunkett of the James Cristy Cole Circus

were punched and kicked in the face during

the Arab Shrine Circus, which was

produced by Hamid Circus, at the Kansas

Expocentre in Topeka. Horrified circusgoers

shared what they had seen on Hamid

Circus’ Facebook page.

December 28, 2013: According to the Black

Hills Pioneer, the Northern Hills Shrine

Circus in Deadwood, South Dakota, wasn’t

going to have its annual parade that

preceded the performances. Circus officials

told the Shrine circus committee that its

animal handler insurance wouldn’t cover the

liability of having elephants possibly

become startled while walking down the

street.

April 20, 2013: Leah, a tiger exhibited by

Doug Terranova with the Isis Shrine Circus

at the Bicentennial Center in Salina,

Kansas, escaped after a performance. A

woman came face to face with the animal

when she entered the women’s bathroom

and found the tiger there. She was able to

back out of the room, and Leah was

recaptured. In 2016, the USDA fined

Terranova $21,550 for multiple violations of

the AWA related to this incident, including

failing to have sufficiently knowledgeable

and experienced staff and failing to have

sufficient barriers to protect the public. His

license was suspended.

April 19, 2013: An elephant Hamid Circus

was planning to use at the Kora Shrine

Circus in Maine was denied entry into the

state. Hamid Circus didn’t have the proper

documentation to prove that Nosey, an

African elephant owned by Hugo Liebel,

didn’t have tuberculosis, which can be

spread to humans.

October 2012: PETA documented that

Lancelot Kollman (aka “Lance Ramos”)

exhibited tigers owned by Hawthorn

Corporation at a Shrine circus in Fort Worth,

Texas, from October 12 to 20, even though

the USDA had permanently revoked his

license in 2009.

March 16, 2011: The USDA cited exhibitor

George Carden Circus, performing with the

Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Circus in

Springfield, Missouri, for failing to have

direct control and supervision of elephants

during rides. Two elephants were being

used for rides while the handlers were

distracted and didn’t have direct control.

During an intermission, the handlers left one

of the elephants unattended. The elephants

present were Betty, Cindy, Vicky, and

Jenny.

February 12, 2011: The USDA cited

exhibitor Hanneford Family Circus,

performing with the Shrine circus at the

Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New

Mexico, for failing to establish and maintain

an adequate program of veterinary care.

Liz, a 36-year-old Asian elephant, appeared

to be thin and underweight. She also had an

angular limb deformity of the front left leg

and a congenital deformity of her right hind

leg. Both conditions affected her gait, which

needed more frequent veterinary

evaluations as she was aging. Hanneford

was also cited for failing to provide an

adequate barrier between the public and an

elephant giving rides—children were able to

get inside the rope barrier—and not properly

maintaining the trailer used to transport

three elephants named Carol, Liz, and

Patty. The metal lining of numerous areas

had sharp, jagged edges, which could injure

an elephant.

April 9, 2010: An animal handler with

Hamid Circus died after being kicked and

thrown approximately 20 feet by an African

elephant named Dumbo after the electrical

fencing of the enclosure fell on the animal’s

Shrine Circuses

back, shocking and injuring her. The

incident occurred between performances at

the Irem Shrine Circus in Wilkes-Barre,

Pennsylvania. Dumbo had been leased

from Joe Frisco’s Wonderful World of

Animals. Frisco was later issued a $1,600

penalty by the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration for not furnishing the

employee with a safe workplace. He was

also issued an official warning from the

USDA for violating the AWA by failing to

provide the elephant with a suitable

temporary enclosure and failing to provide

the USDA with an itinerary. During the

investigation into the employee’s death, the

agency discovered that Frisco hadn’t

notified the regional director of animal care

about the planned exhibit at this event.

June 7, 2009: The USDA cited exhibitor

Will Davenport, doing business as Maximus

Tons of Fun and performing at the Shrine

circus in Loves Park, Illinois, for repeat

direct noncompliance for failing to provide

elephants with adequate veterinary care. An

elephant named Jewel appeared grossly

underweight. In less than a year, she had

lost 740 pounds, and another elephant,

named Tina, had lost 640 pounds. On

August 15, 2009, Jewel was in such poor

physical condition and was suffering to such

an extent that the USDA confiscated her the

following day. Davenport voluntarily

relinquished Tina that same day to settle a

pending FWS proceeding against him.

April 4, 2009: The USDA cited exhibitor Will

Davenport, doing business as Maximus

Tons of Fun and performing at the Hejaz

Shrine Circus in Greenville, South Carolina,

for direct noncompliance for failing to

provide adequate veterinary care when all

three elephants—Tina, Jewel, and Boo—

were found to be in poor physical condition.

They had lost more than 500 pounds each

since the last time they were weighed, and

Jewel was so thin that her vertebrae were

prominent and her face was sunken.

April 4, 2009: The USDA cited Hawthorn

Corporation, performing at the Shrine circus

in Greenville, South Carolina, for thawing

meat for tigers in direct sunlight for several

hours, exposing it to flies. This method can

contaminate the food and render it

unsuitable for consumption.

March 7, 2009: At least 15 children and one

adult were injured when an elephant who

was being used to give rides at the Murat

Shrine Circus in Indianapolis became

startled, stumbling and knocking over the

scaffolding stairway leading to the elephant

ride. People standing on, under, and around

the scaffolding were injured and treated at

the scene.

November 8, 2008: The USDA confiscated

a severely emaciated elephant named Ned

from trainer Lancelot Kollman (aka “Lance

Ramos”) and transferred him to The

Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Ned was

nearly 2,000 pounds underweight and

suffered from a general loss of muscle mass

throughout his body, with a sunken head,

protruding hip bones, visible ribs, and loose

skin. Leading up to the confiscation, the

USDA had repeatedly cited Kollman for

failing to provide Ned with adequate

veterinary care or treatment for his chronic

weight loss. Kollman was also cited for

failing to provide the elephant with an

adequate diet to meet his nutritional needs.

Kollman had exhibited Ned at Shrine circus

shows during this time, including the Anah

Shrine Circus in Bangor, Maine.

May 16, 2008: The USDA cited animal

exhibitor Brett Carden, performing at the Al

Kaly Shrine Circus in Colorado Springs,

Colorado, for failing to maintain an elephant

transport enclosure properly. It had a bent

metal panel with sharp edges that protruded

into the area containing the elephant.

Carden was also cited for failing to provide

sufficient employee supervision during

periods of public contact with llamas, goats,

and sheep.

Shrine Circuses

May 6, 2008: The USDA cited Ari and Lana

Steeples, doing business as Steeple’s

Bears and performing at the Kosair Shrine

Circus in Barbourville, Kentucky, for three

instances of noncompliance pertaining to

their failure to provide adequate barriers

between two adult male black bears and the

public.

March 28, 2008: The USDA cited Rosaire’s

Bears, performing at the Zembo Shrine

Circus in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for

failing to have a handler in control of two

bears during a performance and failing to

have barriers protecting the public from

direct contact with the bears.

November 24, 2006: Animal trainer Wade

Burck was clawed by a tiger during a

performance by the Hadi Shrine Circus in

Evansville, Indiana. He received hospital

treatment, including stitches, for wounds to

his left forearm and leg.

October 19, 2006: The USDA cited animal

exhibitor Brett Carden, performing at the Al

Menah Shrine Circus in Nashville,

Tennessee, for failing to keep two elephants

under the direct control and supervision of a

handler. They were being used to give rides

to members of the public. The inspector

wrote, “The handler walked away from the

elephants and turned away from the

elephants to assist in another matter

unrelated to the elephants.” The elephants

used for this circus were Dutchess, Janice,

and Tory. The USDA also cited Carden for

failing to store food supplies in a manner

adequate to protect them from deterioration,

mold, or contamination.

April 29, 2006: The USDA cited George

Carden Circus, performing at the El Jebel

Shrine Circus in Denver, for failing to have

dangerous animals under the direct control

and supervision of a knowledgeable and

experienced animal handler. The inspector

wrote, “Only one animal handler was

available to manage two elephants

providing rides to the public. There were

times when both elephants were loaded

with [members of the] public and the

handler was not in the ring with the animals

and could not have been in control of either

elephant. No other knowledgeable and

experienced elephant handler was available

to assist this handler during public

exhibition.” Elephants used for this circus

were named Vicky, Jenny, and Bimbo.

March 16, 2006: The USDA cited Hawthorn

Corporation, performing at a Shrine circus in

Springfield, Missouri, for failing to provide a

male lion who had three lesions—including

a 3-inch scrape on his right hip and

scabbed-over lesions at the base of his tail

and on his left hip—with veterinary care.

March 16, 2006: The USDA cited George

Carden Circus, producing a Shrine circus in

Springfield, Missouri, for failing to provide

an elephant named Judy, who had three

open wounds on her forehead and one on

her left front leg, with veterinary care.

February 24, 2006: The USDA cited

Hawthorn Corporation, an exhibitor

producing the Arab Shrine Circus in

Topeka, Kansas, for failing to provide three

tigers—Massey, Obi, and Rook—with

adequate veterinary care. They had sores

and spots of missing hair on top of their

heads and near their eyes. Hawthorn was

also cited for failing to have “any weapons

that could immobilize, tranquilize, or

[euthanize] any of the [eight] tigers if escape

occurred.”

February 24, 2006: The USDA cited Jorge

Barreda, an exhibitor performing for the

Arab Shrine Circus in Topeka, Kansas, for

failing to maintain the sanitation of a trailer

used to transport elephants Makia, Lou,

Dolly, and Lovie, in which the inspector

found “dried & caked elephant waste on the

walls.”

January 31, 2005: An elephant handler with

Tarzan Zerbini Circus was trampled to

death by one of the elephants as they were

Shrine Circuses

being loaded onto a trailer following

performances at the Mizpah Shrine Circus

in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

November 26, 2004: An ambulance was

called to the Hadi Shrine Circus at Roberts

Municipal Stadium in Evansville, Indiana,

after a circusgoer was bitten on the cheek

by a chimpanzee exhibited by Rosaire-

Zoppe Chimpanzees while posing for

pictures. The patron was treated at the

hospital for a puncture wound.

August 29, 2004: An elephant with the

George Carden Circus attacked a worker at

the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas

following a performance by the El Maida

Shrine Circus. The elephant knocked the

man down, threw him into a wall, and

pinned him against a fence. The worker

sustained a dislocated shoulder, a torn

rotator cuff, and a nerve injury, which

required surgery for repair and

reconstruction and resulted in more than

$15,000 in medical bills.

November 2003: The USDA seized an

elephant named Delhi from Hawthorn

Corporation and transferred her to The

Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee after

determining that her health and well-being

were at serious risk from lack of veterinary

treatment and care. Her feet had chemical

burns and severe infections. Hawthorn later

settled with the USDA in 2004 by agreeing

to transfer the entire herd of 16 elephants to

facilities approved by the agency.

April 9, 2003: The USDA filed an

administrative lawsuit under the AWA

against Hawthorn Corporation. The

complaint alleged 47 violations of the

minimum standards of care established in

the AWA. Alleged violations included using

physical abuse to train, handle, and work an

elephant; failing to handle elephants in a

manner that didn’t cause unnecessary

discomfort or physical harm; failing to have

an attendant present during public contact;

and failing to provide the following animals

with adequate veterinary care: an elephant

who was excessively thin with a protruding

spine and hip bones, an elephant suffering

from severe chemical burns and a bacterial

infection, and four elephants with overgrown

toenails and footpads.

March 24, 2003: The Associated Press

reported that a Shetland pony at a Shrine

circus held at the Pershing Center in

Lincoln, Nebraska, had been chased by

police officers and had stopped traffic in the

downtown area after bolting through a back

door during a performance.

March 2, 2003: A 9,000-pound African

elephant performing with Jordan World

Circus at a Shrine circus in Muskegon,

Michigan, escaped from a tent shortly

before a performance and was recaptured

15 minutes later in a busy downtown area.

February 28, 2003: Sheba, a 9,000-pound

African elephant performing with Jordan

World Circus at a Shrine circus in

Muskegon, Michigan, escaped from a tent

shortly before a performance and was

recaptured 15 minutes later in a busy

downtown area.

August 2, 2002: According to The Halifax

Herald Limited, three elephants traveling

with Tarzan Zerbini Circus—touring with

Shrine circuses in Canada—and giving

rides to children were quarantined in

Ontario and removed from Canada on July

13 after Canadian authorities were alerted

by the USDA that the elephants had been in

prolonged contact with a tuberculosis-

positive elephant.

June 17, 2002: Two elephants, named Tory

and Mary, performing with Mehara Shrine

Circus in Menomonie, Wisconsin, left a

circus tent during a show, scattering

crowds. Mary walked 2 miles through town

before being recaptured at the University of

Wisconsin–Stout campus. One child was

injured, and the elephants damaged a door

at the park and caused $600 in damage to a

Shrine Circuses

city truck. The Shriners had contracted with

George Carden Circus for the event.

April 26, 2002: Kay Rosaire-Mowrey,

exhibiting with the Shrine circus in Marietta,

Georgia, was cited by the USDA for

improper storage of vitamins for tigers.

April 13, 2001: A letter to the editor

published in the Chicago Sun-Times, written

by a local woman from Irving Park, stated, “I

escorted a group of schoolchildren,

including my 8-year-old daughter, to this

year’s Medinah Shrine circus. … When the

elephants were brought behind the curtain,

the trainer began verbally abusing and

hitting the elephant. We watched in horror

as he swung a stick with all his force and

struck the elephant in the back of the leg.

This must have hurt because the elephant

let out a scream that could be heard

throughout the UIC Pavilion. The kids were

frightened and asked me why the man was

hurting the elephant.”

April 4, 2001: The USDA cited George

Carden Circus International, performing for

a Shrine circus in Jamestown, North

Dakota, for failing to store food properly,

failing to have an exercise plan for dogs,

failing to have records of dogs on hand, and

failing to provide a llama with adequate

space. The animal wasn’t able to stand with

his head in an upright position.

April 2001: Animal handler Brian Franzen

required stitches after he was clawed by a

tiger during a performance at the Tangier

Shrine Circus in Omaha, Nebraska.

March 29, 2001: The USDA cited Hawthorn

Corporation, exhibiting at the Shrine circus

in Hamburg, New York, for failing to provide

an elephant named Delhi, who had an open

and bleeding wound on her left front foot,

with adequate veterinary care.

February 23, 2001: The USDA cited

Hawthorn Corporation, exhibiting at the

Tripoli Shrine Circus in Milwaukee,

Wisconsin, for failing to correct a previously

identified noncompliance for not repairing

damage to a trailer used to transport tigers.

May 4, 1999: The USDA cited Tarzan

Zerbini Circus, exhibiting at the Shrine

circus in Marietta, Georgia, for failing to

provide an elephant named Roxy, who had

a swollen left front foot, with veterinary care.

The circus was also cited for failing to

provide the elephants—Roxy, Jan, and

Bunny—with shade. Tarzan Zerbini was

also cited for the second time for an

improperly maintained transport trailer that

could injure the elephants’ feet and for

failing to store food properly.

April 29, 1999: In Duluth, Minnesota, at a

performance of the Aad Shrine Circus, a

circus worker was hospitalized in serious

condition after sustaining injuries from an

elephant to his leg, pelvis, and face. The

elephant was owned by Tarzan Zerbini

Circus.

November 13, 1998: Jupiter, the same tiger

used in Shrine circuses who had killed a

trainer on October 8, 1998, attacked and

killed his owner in Newberry, Florida. The

tiger was shot dead.

October 8, 1998: A tiger named Jupiter

attacked and killed a trainer in Newberry,

Florida. The animal, who had been featured

in numerous Shrine circuses, grabbed the

trainer by the throat.

April 22, 1998: The USDA cited George

Carden Circus International, exhibiting at

the Shrine circus in Sioux Falls, South

Dakota, for failing to have a plan of

veterinary care, records of the animals, and

records of acquisition, disposition, and

transport available for review.

Shrine Circuses

April 13, 1997: Jan, an elephant with

Tarzan Zerbini Circus performing at the Al

Azhar Shrine Circus in Calgary, Canada, bit

a circus groom on the head and back,

causing injuries serious enough to require

hospitalization.

March 18, 1997: A bear with a Shrine circus

in Grand Rapids, Michigan, bit off the tip of

a 2-year-old child’s finger during a school

field trip. According to witnesses, no safety

barriers had been placed around the bear

cages and other children had been petting

the animal.

October 16, 1996: The USDA cited George

Carden Circus International, exhibiting at

the Shrine circus in San Antonio, Texas, for

failing to provide animals with adequate

veterinary care. No veterinary records were

present that documented whether an

elephant named Cindy, who had a history of

weight loss, had received treatment, and a

pygmy goat who had a large swelling on her

lower neck and needed to be examined

hadn’t received veterinary care. The circus

was also cited for failing to keep the tiger

enclosures in good repair.

June 14, 1996: Sue, an elephant leased

from Hawthorn Corporation, knocked down

and repeatedly kicked her trainer during a

Jordan World Circus performance