"Elephants Among Us" - Review of book about 2 performing elephants

 

When I knew I would be writing a review of this book for the People for Animal Rights Newsletter, I saw it as an opportunity to learn more about elephants and how they are affected by being kept in captivity. I was unprepared for the feelings of awe for these majestic creatures and the feelings of horror about the way that they are treated. Elephants are unique, grand and intelligent animals. They have powerful memories and experience the highs and lows of emotion. Their very nature, trainability and human curiosity have made them victims of exploitation and cruelty for human profit. I think everyone should read this book to be educated and maybe even be motivated to work on behalf of wild animals in captivity.

 

Elephants Among Us – Two Performing Elephants in 20^th Century America by M. Jaynes published by Earthbooks in 2013.

Elephants Among Us is a well-written and heart-breaking story about the lives and cruel and senseless deaths of Stoney and Mary - two performing elephants. The book begins with Stoney. He was born in captivity in 1973 and was purchased by a couple that made their living by training elephants and booking them for county fairs and circuses.  Training methods included food deprivation, isolation and the use of a bull hook. The elephant Stoney learned all his tricks and began performing in 1977.  However, his owner’s lack of attention to his needs resulted in USDA violations regarding Stoney’s environment and physical and emotional condition. Then on September 23, 1994 while performing at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Stoney cried out and dropped to his knees having torn a tendon and leaving him unable to perform. After that, he lived in almost total isolation behind the Luxor Hotel and suffered a lot of pain and loneliness despite some efforts to restore him to health. Animal welfare advocates eventually got involved but Stoney died in August 1995 before he could be moved to a sanctuary. 

The next story about Mary is shorter since there were fewer records available. Mary was about 30 years old in 1916 when she arrived in Kingsport, Tennessee and became an attraction in a local circus act. The circus owners hired an inexperienced and unfamiliar man to be the elephant trainer. Despite the fact that this man feared Mary, the trainer rode on her in a procession to the watering hole where the elephants could drink and play. On the path, Mary spotted a piece of fruit on the ground. Even though she was whacked with a poker, Mary was determined to eat the fruit. Then, as the book states,  “Mary wrapped her trunk around him, plucked him off her back, and slammed him into a wooden drink stand.” The trainer was crushed to death and the locals cried out for Mary to be put down. On September 13, 1916, Mary was hung from a railroad crane in front of a large crowd.