Beloved by kids, circus arriving with trunk full of critics

As her 2-year-old son dropped down on all fours to crawl around like a circus animal, Corina Johnson stood in line at World Arena Thursday to purchase tickets for next weekend's Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

At her feet, in a hooded car seat, reclined her youngest child, a 7-month-old boy who will experience his first circus from his mother's lap.

"We loved the circus when we were little," said the mother of three boys, "so I figured my kids would love it, too. That's why we bring them."

But as the circus chugs into town on its mile-long train, a federal lawsuit casts a shadow over the Greatest Show on Earth. Feld Entertainment Inc., the company that owns Ringling Bros., brushes the gray aside.

"We don't expect the lawsuit to have an impact," said Amy McWethy, a spokeswoman for Feld Entertainment. "Whether you're 5 years old or 50 years old, you come to the circus to see an elephant up close."

After almost nine years of claims and counterclaims, a ruling is expected in a lawsuit pitting animal welfare groups against the circus giant. The suit accuses Ringling Bros. of routinely abusing endangered Asian elephants.

During closing arguments in March, Ringling Bros. denied the allegations, asserting it was a world leader in the humane treatment of elephants. The circus argued that its methods of handling the domesticated animals - including the use of chains and sharp "bull hooks" - are allowed under federal regulations.

Animal welfare groups disagree.

They accuse Ringling Bros. of violating the Endangered Species Act. The groups point their fingers at the bull hook, a steel rod ending in a curved hook with a sharp point. The purpose of the instrument is not to cause pain, Ringling Bros. states, but rather to apply strong pressure.

"For years," McWethy said, "people have seen for themselves that our animals are healthy, alert and well taken care of by full-time veterinarians."

Four national organizations and a former Ringling Bros. employee first brought the suit in 2000. The case was dismissed in 2002, and then reinstated in 2003 after an appeal.

"Elephants are mobile animals," said Nicole Paquette, senior vice president and general counsel for Born Free USA, a plaintiff in the trial. "They want to walk around and roam for food and water. In the circus, they're chained, one foot in the front and one in the back."

Born Free USA claims Ringling Bros. elephants are chained for the better part of their lives, sometimes up to 100 hours in cramped railroad cars. The nonprofit said every one of Ringling Bros.' adult elephants suffer from some ailment or another relating to prolonged chaining on hard surfaces.

Ringling Bros. countered all accusations.

"It's horrible," said Paquette, who was also a witness in the trial. "We shouldn't support that type of treatment. As the consumer, we make decisions with our pocketbooks, and we can take a stand to not go to the circus and not support systematic cruelty."

Johnson, tickets shoved in her purse, picked up her youngest and called to her two other boys. The family was excited to see the circus, the 4- and 2-year-olds tugging at their mother's patience with persistent questioning of when they can go.

Their mother shrugged off allegations against Ringling Bros.

"I don't think that will ever stop us from coming," she said. "The circus is good, family fun."