Remembering Tyke

Disclaimer: This post is disturbing and upsetting; depicts horrific circus elephants deaths. For those that are sensitive to animal abuse postings, please do not read mine.

On today's date, August 20, 1994 (28 years ago), not that long ago, Tyke the African elephant was killed in a brutal and shocking way in Honolulu Hawaii. She killed her trainer and escaped the circus arena. She was then shot 86 times and killed on the streets of Honolulu.  Tyke was only 20 years old and wanted her freedom. You can see the terror in her eyes if you read the article linked below. It's haunting.

TYKE THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT

There was a documentary done about Tyke was well.
Tyke Elephant Outlaw

Have we evolved from using elephants and animals in circuses and fairs, roadside attractions, and rides? NO. We are year 2022 not 1952 but for every step forward we still are more steps behind.

The Commerford zoo continues to abuse Minnie the Elephant. Shriners Circus still exists. People ride elephants in Asia without realizing and/or caring about how they are enslaved, in pain, chained and abused.

The Perahera Festival in Sri-Lanka to honor Buddha uses chained up elephants; decorated in heavy costumes to hide their scars. These poor Elephants are often starved, beaten, and abused and live a hellish life.

Elephant Blessings in India by enslaved elephants forced to "give blessings" for exchange of money to their owners.

Temple elephants chained on concrete slabs so "Buddhist" MONKS can make MONEY from the elephants standing there.

Elephants in Thailand forced into the logging industry that have brutal, physically painful, exhausting and abused lives of excruciatingly hard labor.

Elephants in Thailand, China, Nepal and Bali that are forced to perform degrading tricks, dance/bob their heads to music, go into the ocean to look "playful" for tourist dollars, get bathed by tourists, street beg, or paint.

For such a prideful, sentient, highly intelligent majestic gentle giant it's humiliating and embarrassing.

The exploitation and abuse of elephants needs to end.