Elephants Remove Tornado Wreckage.

As if the tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo. killing over 100 people couldn’t bring anymore tragedy, word has come that elephants in the Joplin area for a circus performance are being forced to help clean-up heavy storm debris.

Onlookers captured a video of an elephant being fitted with ropes and chains in order to pull heavy debris including wrecked cars. The elephants were in Joplin for a cancelled Piccadilly Circus performance so circus staff thought they would put the elephants to work pulling heavy debris rather than have a day off. A circus employee told CBS News, “It’s either take the day off or give a hand to people who need it.”

I’m all for circus staff getting out there and giving their own hands to the cause but making elephants who are already forced to perform unnatural tricks in the circus pull heavy cars and building debris just doesn’t sit right.

The Joplin, Mo. tornado has caused enough suffering, Piccadilly Circus doesn’t need to add to it just for some bizarre PR stunt.