Chelsea Now photos by Shoshanna Bettencourt
Not happy when the circus comes to town
Left: Animal advocates and former circus employees, led by the NYC League of Humane Voters, greeted the Ringing Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus outside Madison Square Garden on Tuesday with signs decrying the mistreatment of circus animals. They also rallied to urge the passage of the City Council’s Wildlife/Exotic Animal Protection Act, Intro. 389, which would protect elephants and other wild, endangered and threatened animals from circuses, rodeos and carnivals by prohibiting the use of wild or exotic animals for public amusement. Councilmember Rosie Mendez introduced the bill, which already has 21 co-sponsors on the 51-member Council, said John Phillips, executive director of LHVNYC. Right: Later that night, the circus took to the street for its annual Elephant Walk, featuring a parade of pachyderms along 34th St. leading up to Madison Square Garden.
