Elephants Take to the Streets of Charleston
Elephants Take to the Streets of Charleston Save Email Print
Posted: 9:12 AM Apr 15, 2008
Last Updated: 10:05 PM Apr 15, 2008
Reporter: Anna Baxter
Email Address: anna.baxter@wsaz.com

A | A | A

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Greatest Show on Earth is coming back to Charleston.

The annual elephant walk through downtown happened around 9:30am Tuesday.

Just like last year, kids of all ages lined the streets to welcome the animal superstars.

The elephant walk started at the Farmers Market and continued to the Civic Center via Court Street to Washington Street.

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus starts Wednesday at the Charleston Civic Center.

If you have pictures from the elephant walk you would like to share, email them to us at pix@wsaz.com.

if you missed the walk, don't worry there's another chance to catch the elephants before they hit the ring.

Several local chefs, including mayor Danny Jones and our very own Jessica Ralston will whip up a salad bar for all the elephants on Wednesday.

The salad is expected to be the Charleston Town Center Mall's largest with more than 20 heads of lettuce, 50 pounds of carrots, and much more.

The event kicks off at 11:30am Wednesday on the Clendenin Street side of the mall.

This replaces the annual elephant bath.

The first circus performance is set for Wednesday night.

e-reporter: Mary C. Dillon
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Posted by: tonya on Apr 16, 2008 at 11:34 PM
I watched the evening news tonight (thankfully wasnt SAZ)--and it seems as though the circus is trying VERY HARD to make people think they treat these animals with love and respect. Unfortunately, a lot of people will fall for their propaganda and continue going to the circus and contributing this horrible thing.

Posted by: Peg on Apr 16, 2008 at 08:22 PM
Shame on people who find it "fun" to see elephants who are being herded by humans with sharp weapons that tear at their sensitive skin. Then they are forced to perform for other humans who choose to be ignorant about the abuse of these family-oriented gentle creatures. Saddest show on earth.

Posted by: Sheila on Apr 16, 2008 at 04:07 PM
I am from Louisa, KY

Posted by: TO SHEILA on Apr 16, 2008 at 09:14 AM
HEY SHEILA, FROM WHAT AREA DID YOU WIN THE CIRCUS TICKETS? PLS RESPOND ASAP

Posted by: Ari on Apr 16, 2008 at 08:52 AM
just like that poor tiger that they shoot for hurting and killing those boys. Anyone else find it crazy that the same boys who were hurt were the same boys who were tauntng the tigers?? And the tiger hunted them to a totally different area of the zoo? Eveyone should go and look at PETA's website. now I am not as intense as some of those people but I get where there coming from.

Posted by: t on Apr 16, 2008 at 12:09 AM
How would you like to be taken out of your home, mistreated, forced to perform for the enjoyment of others, and forced to live in a box when not being humiliated in arenas all over the nation? Not nice huh? These poor elephants feel this shame every single day. They are not "stupid animals" they are ver intelligent family oriented creatures that deserve to be left alone. I never took my children to the circus, and as adults, they fully understand why. They didnt miss a thing.

Posted by: NICE on Apr 15, 2008 at 10:50 PM
Isnt it nice that 60% of the ticket winners arent even from the kanawha valley.

Posted by: Not Alone on Apr 15, 2008 at 10:30 PM
I am glad to see that I'm no the only person that can't stand circuses and the abuse put forth on these animals. To Twilight, yes I like to believe I can tell from a picture that the elephants are having fun but the fact is they don't have expressions like us. www.circuses.com will give you an education on this subject watch the videos and learn, first hand accounts of how they are treated. What you see in these photos is the only thing they want you to see. To Anonymous you are very right but I wanted to add that most inside pets are very domesticated and were domesticated LONG ago. The fact is people care more about entertaining themselves, they don't care about the abuse, or what goes on behind the scenes. As long as they enjoy it its fine.

Posted by: Sheila on Apr 15, 2008 at 07:04 PM
I won one set of the tickets. :)

Posted by: Buck on Apr 15, 2008 at 01:31 PM
I thought it was going to be another article detailing obesity in WV. Thanks WSAZ for a story that promotes family togetherness.

Posted by: Twilight on Apr 15, 2008 at 01:23 PM
To Craig: go to the MyZ link and you will know who won. As far as these "poor" animals being forced to walk the streets... looking at the pictures, I would say that they are enjoying themselves.

Posted by: Anonymous on Apr 15, 2008 at 01:01 PM
I agree with Ari. I also dont think that they should be taken out of their natural habitat. I know people have inside pets and that is not natural, but at least they don't get tasered when they do something wrong. I just don't agree with it. You want to bring something to Charleston for the kids to enjoy, but the kids dont really understand what those animals go through, all they see is the tricks they do. Not what is done to them to make them do the tricks.

Posted by: Cole on Apr 15, 2008 at 12:24 PM
THIS is a front page headline while the missing girl only got a 20 second news snippet with just a grainy photo? Seriously? Somebody's priorities are shot.

Posted by: Anxious on Apr 15, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Many of us would like to know who won the tickets to Ringling Brothers

Posted by: craig on Apr 15, 2008 at 09:39 AM
would like to know who won the tickets to Ringling Brothers

Posted by: Ari on Apr 15, 2008 at 09:17 AM
just great lets take the animals out of thier natural habitat and walk them down the streets of WV. I am for putting animals in well kept, nice,secure, habitats instead of them all being hunted. But the Circus is taking it to far, they are animals, maybe they will take things into their own hands and attack someone-oh but wait when they act on natural instinct we kill them

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