The Circus World LLC

Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th) didn’t get what she wanted tonight when she half heartedly agreed to an elephant protection bill that was no where near what she wanted to see in Chicago. Her original request would have eliminated the use of an elephant management tool called an ankus that is used by every elephant Professional throughout the world including Zoos and the Circuses that visit Chicago.

Former Elephant trainer David Blasko stated the bull hook or ankus is a tool to guide and direct elephants, not to harm them with. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Vice-President of Operations, Tom Albert said “We take proper care of our elephants. We use the tool properly.”

“The animal can feel a bull hook just like a dog can feel a leash. Otherwise, it would serve no purpose. But, it’s not cruel if it’s used properly,” Blasko said.

Ald. Smith, whose bill was passed by a City Council committee Thursday, admitted she had to settle for a lesser Bill as she didn’t have the votes to pass the measure as she introduced it following her 2005 campaign to stop the use of elephants in Chicago.

November 7th, 2008 | Tags: Circus, Circus elephant, Elephants, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & bailey Circus | Category: Circus News | Leave a comment

The Circus Historical Society, Inc.

Many of you may not know that a terrific organization exists that loves the History of the Circus. The Circus Historical Society is an International organization with about 750 members. Each member receives a copy of the journal, Bandwagon, six times a year. Each Bandwagon is full of articles about the old wagon shows, the railroad shows, the trucks shows, performers, the animals, and the Bandwagon is the ONLY journal that provides a full coverage of all shows that were on the road the previous year.

Members receive a beautiful certificate and membership card when they join. Our annual convention offers two days of Circus Presentations by some of the leading Historians in this country. We have a benefit auction of Circus memorabilia, and terrific banquet with a keynote speaker and a circus related event. The 2009 convention will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in conjunction with the Great Circus Parade on July 12th. Enjoy the Circus Historical Society website at http://circushistory.org which is updated daily. There you’ll find a wide array of Circus Routes from years gone by, Rosters, a synopsis of Bandwagon articles some of which can be viewed on-line and an application to join the Circus Historical Society,Inc. Don’t be left out of the greatest collection of Circus History ever captured by joining us today.

November 4th, 2008 | Tags: Circus, Circus History, Polar Bear | Category: Circus News | Leave a comment

    Zero, the 1,100 pound polar bear at the Milwaukee Zoo took a nap on Thursday October 30th, as the Zoo personnel anethesized him and then lifted him out of the moat he accidentally fell in two weeks ago. While playing with a toy on October 13th, he got carried away and slipped off the edge of his display into a safety net covering the moat. Zoo Officials then cut the net lowering him into the moat where there are stairs for him to climb out of.

    Unfortunately for the Zoo, Zero was most satisfied staying there. While the Zookeepers only fed him half of his normal meals hoping he would get hungry enough to come up by himself, the Zookeepers also felt like two weeks was long enough. After being sedated, he was fitted with the necessary equipment and raised out of the moat with a crane. Veterinarians examined him and said he appears to be in fine health and has suffered nothing from the fall or two weeks in the moat.

    The Zoo has said they will examine the entire situation from one end to the other again and consider some recommendations for changes in Zero’s display such as possibly making the stairway out of the moat easier to use.

November 3rd, 2008 | Tags: Polar Bear, Zoo | Category: Circus News | Leave a comment

( Printed with permission from the Circus City Festival Inc. )

Remember when Circus City Festival started out on the vacant lot. Remember
when we were able to move to a tent on Canal Street. Remember when in 1968
we performed in the circus building without a roof. In 1969 the building had
a roof, and we didn’t have to worry about the weather. Many changes have
occurred since the tent days. Many wonderful people have been a part of our
program. We are looking for those wonderful people.Circus City Festival will be doing a lot of remembering as we look forward
to our 50th anniversary. July 11 through July 18, 2009 will be our
anniversary celebration, and we would like to have as many former performers
as possible attend the celebration. We are also looking for former board
members and volunteers to add to our data base.

If you have worked with the circus in years past, please contact us with
your current information. If you know of someone who should be included,
please have them contact the circus office. We would like to see many
familiar faces in 2009.

To make contact with the circus office:

E-mail

perucirc@perucircus.com
Phone 765-472-3918
Fax 765-472-2826
154 N. Broadway
Peru, IN 46970

October 31st, 2008 | Tags: Circu, Circus, Circus performers | Category: Circus News | Leave a comment

Three of Circus Renz performing tigers escaped a certain death when their trainer convinced them by giving them their command to jump to literally escpae from the confines of their travel truck after the truck caught fire.

Circus owner Daniel Renz said “They are used to jumping through hoops of Fire” so this became very familiar. The tigers were able to safely get out of the truck where circus workers were able to shuttle them to the safety of another vehicle. Three other tigers in the same truck were rescued but did not leave the truck. Of these six tigers, one suffered some smoke inhalaion but will be fine shortly.

These six Siberian tigers,  Queeni, Aschima, Lena, Sonja, Sibi and Goldi,  will all take a break for a while while their seven other fellow performering tigers carry on without them. The suspension system on the truck is suspected to have overheated causing the 15 minute fire.

October 28th, 2008 | Tags: Circus, Circus Animals | Category: Circus News | Leave a comment

    The International Circus Hall of Fame located just outside Peru, Indiana in the former American Circus Corporation winter quarters is slowly bringing their 2008 season to a close. The International Circus Hall of Fame which is located beside the Wabash River was the home of Ben Wallace the originator of the Great Wallace Circus and eventually the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus. “This was their 16th year in Peru and it was the best we ever had” stated Executive Director, Tom Dunwoody.

    The Hall of Fame is involved in many different events throughout the year and the 5th annual Gala and Art Auction at the Eagles Club in downtown Peru, was once again a real winner. All the art work is created by local area artists and then donated with the proceeds going to help the Hall of Fame.

    The Hall of Fame once again sponsored a work week that allows any and all who want to come help, the opportunity to clean up the grounds, repaint wagons, restore, and visit with a huge group of Circus Fans, Model Builders, and Historians all enjoying the opportunity to participate on a volunteer basis. The old Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey cage # 74 is next on the list of wagons to be restored to its former glory.

    West Baden, Indiana was the home of Ed Ballard, one of the owners that bought the greatly enlarged Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus from Ben Wallace in 1913. His original home and the two show owned hotels downtown still survive even though the entire winter quarters no longer exists. With Bill Cook buying the two hotels and restoring them at the tune of $450 Million dollars, the West Baden area is re-developing their circus heritage. The International Hall of Fame was able to present a huge show there doing 15 performances in one week. The show included Brian Franzen with his tigers and elephants, his wife Irene Franzen and her Lady in the moon aerial act, the Alvarez family with their teeterboard act, single Trapeze act, and a hula hoop routine, Pat Kelly was the resident clown again this year and they added David Zoppe’s dogs and Monkeys, The Juggling Kim Bros. and the Zachinni family’s aerial acts.

    Their summer peformance season gave three fun filled weeks of live performances featuring the Franzens, the Alvarez family and Pat Kelly. The Circus City Festival also occurs during the July activities and the Hall of Fame provided many of their wagons and performers in the grand parade on Saturday Morning where they had 40 units in the parade. The Hall of Fame was also honored to return to the Indiana State fair again this year for the 5th time giving 30 minute “Free Attraction” shows through out the duration of the Fair.

   This years inductees to the International Circus Fall of Fame were Circus performer and show owner, Tommy Hanneford and the legendary one finger stand artist “Unus”. Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Circus City festival. The Circus Model Builders will be having their National Convention in Peru next year along with the many other fine events going on. You can visit the International Circus Hall of Fame at http://www.circushof.com/ or call them at 1-800-771-0241.

October 22nd, 2008 | Tags: Circus, Circus Animals, Circus History, Circus performers | Category: Circus News | Leave a comment

This mornings edition of the Baraboo News Republic carried this small article from 25 years ago.

 Circus World Museum’s governing office, Historic Sites Foundation, Inc., filed a complaint seeking $387,000 from the city of Chicago in Sauk County Circuit Court. In the lawsuit, the Foundation stated that the circus parade contract with Chicago, signed in January by former Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne and Foundation President Clark Wilkinson, provided that Circus World Museum would be entitled to all the parade fee if Chicago prevented the Foundation from conducting the parade. It noted that Chicago was to pay $150,000 of the total $387,000 parade fee within 15 days of the contract signing on Jan. 19, a like amount on March 1, and a final payment of $87,000 due June 7. The complaint said Chicago did not make any of the payments, and refused to discuss the parade route and assembly place. The complaint sought the full $387,000 in a first claim, and $221,007.40 in a second, alternative claim to recover cost of preparing the parade, subcontracting parade participants, and liability “arising from the termination of subcontracts.” It stated that the Foundation demanded the $221,007.40 from Chicago but the city refused to pay.

October 21st, 2008 | Tags: Circus wagons, Circus World Museum, Parade | Category: Circus News | Leave a comment

     The Daily News out of Los Angeles is reporting tonight that City Councilman Tony Cardenas wants to stop construction at the LA Zoo on a 39 Million dollar elephant exhibit and re-channel the monies to acres just burned in the California wildfires outside of Los Angeles for a huge Zoo operated sanctuary for elephants.

     The LA Zoo currently only houses one elephant, Billy, but the new exhibit already under construction was designed to house as many as ten elephants comfortably. The current exhibit area is about one half an acre where as the new exhibit being built will be almost 3 1/2 acres in size.

     Councilman Cardenas’ wants to build a Zoo operated Sanctuary for elephants outside of Los Angeles in the Porter Ranch and Sunland areas where as much as 60 acres of brushy area are available to the city. In the form of two motions, Cardenas asked that the current elephant, Billy be placed in another sanctuary and secondly that a Zoo operated sanctuary be proposed with an advisory board and a feasability study.

     Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose district contains the LA Zoo, defended the Zoo and completely upheld the feelings of many that the residents of Los Angeles deserved a first class Zoo and that the finest exhibit for elephants was now under construction that would provide grasslands, waterfalls, and cool ponds for the elephants. Over 10 million dollars has already been spent on the construction of the new elephant exhibit that Councilman Cardenas is proposing to bring to a halt.

October 20th, 2008 | Tags: Elephant, Zoo | Category: "America's Elephants" | Leave a comment

While natural efforts are really a perfect solution, the advances in technology for artifical insemination have given a much safer environment for concieving by an elephant and are much less costly by not having to transport an elephant to a destination and later returning that elephant back to its original home. The announcement yesterday of a An Asian elephant that has become the first of its species in the UK to become pregnant by artificial insemination, is wonderful news.

Keepers of Noorjahan at Twycross Zoo, in Leicestershire, said the procedure had been ‘incredibly successful’ and the baby is expected in August next year.

The zoo chose artificial insemination because it had no male elephants in its

Zoo deputy director John Ray said: ‘Any artificial insemination can be a tricky procedure, but we were particularly happy when Noorjahan became pregnant after the first attempt.

‘We would always prefer natural breeding for our animals, but in this case our herd of elephants includes only females.’

Without the procedure, the zoo would have to have moved its entire herd to the other zoo because breaking it up can unsettle the creatures.

Artificial insemination has been used at Colchester Zoo in the past, where an African elephant was born as a result. Other attempts on elephants in different zoos in the UK have until now, proved unsuccessful, Twycross Zoo said.

October 18th, 2008 | Tags: Elephants, Zoos | Category: Circus News | Leave a comment