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Elephants Feast On Thanksgiving Buffet

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By MIKE SALINERO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 22, 2007

Holiday Guide | Black Friday Shopping

TAMPA - Seven circus elephants gathered for Thanksgiving brunch today and what they lacked in table etiquette, they made up for with joyous voracity.

The Asian elephants, part of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, had a right to be hungry. They had just endured a 1,000-mile train trip from Auburn Hills, Mich., then a three-mile walk from the train tracks to the Florida State Fairgrounds, the circus' winter home.

After watering the elephants and giving them a "light bath," their trainers led the 10,000-pound pachyderms to a long table covered in orange paper and straining under the weight of nearly 2,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables. Fresh bread, baked in the shape of turkeys, was provided by Alessi Bakery and Deli.

The elephants seemed to favor the watermelons, knocking them off the table with their six-foot-long trunks, stamping them once with their melon-size feet, and then sucking out the juicy pulp. Apples and bananas were swallowed whole, but the elephants had to stomp on the faux turkeys and pull at the bread with their trunks.

"Just like all of us when we get up and go exercise, it's important for them to hydrate and eat their fresh vegetables," said Melinda Hartline, a circus spokeswoman.

The elephants, ages 6 to 48, drew hundreds of people to watch their march down Orient Road to the fairgrounds. Inside, Scott and Merri Krehl brought their 2-year-old son to watch the elephants.

"He watches Dumbo and he's been to circuses," said Merri Krehl. "He loves the elephants. He's been talking about them all morning."

Barbara Aponte and daughter Kalani of St. Augustine said they love coming to the horse show at the fairgrounds this time of year because they also get to see the elephants.

"I hope they don't crush the table," Aponte said. "I was really impressed with the way they walked calmly [to the fairgrounds] with no chains, just happily walking down the road."

But animal rights activist Janice Monaldi, of Fort Lauderdale, said the animals are not happy. Monaldi, who photographed the meal, said the elephants have been separated from their families and are made to perform unnatural actions, such as standing on their hind legs. She said videos, secretly filmed by members of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, show trainers whipping the animals when they are out of the public's eye.

Adam Murdoch, senior animal handler for the circus, said trainers care for the animals and wouldn't hurt them. He said some of the elephants in the circus are related and they have formed a strong social network over the years. He said the circus is committed to breeding a sustainable population of Asian elephants at its Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk County. Twenty elephants have been born at the center during the past 14 years.

Asian elephants are endangered in the wild. About 30,000 are estimated to live in the forests of South and Southeast Asia.

Murdoch said the sticks trainers carry with a metal hook on the end are meant to cue the animals to perform, not to hurt them.

"It's a 365-day-a-year job taking care of them," Murdoch said. "It's a very intensive job, but we love it because we love to work with the animals."

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

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