Ringling Bros. Mourns Passing of Beloved Animal Star
VIENNA, Va., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- King Tusk, a 57-year-old male Asian
elephant living in retirement with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey(R), was
humanely euthanized yesterday (Saturday, December 21). A magnificent and
beautiful Asian elephant with 6-foot-long tusks, King Tusk was a star
performer with Ringling Bros. in the 1980s and early 1990s. He passed away
quietly at Ringling Bros. elephant retirement facility in northern Florida in
the company of his pachyderm companions and human caretakers.
Also known as Tommy, King Tusk weighed more than 11,000 pounds, measured
10 feet at the tallest point of his back and 16 feet from tail to tusk tip and
was thought to be the Largest Land Mammal Traveling the Face of the Earth
while he was performing. In his later years, he developed osteoarthritis, a
disease common in aging mammals from alpacas to humans to zebras. King Tusk
reached a point where everyday movement was painful, and he had become
unresponsive to treatment. The world's best veterinarians and elephant
experts were consulted in King Tusk's care, and a number of treatment regimes
were used to alleviate his discomfort. The veterinarians used a variety of
anti-inflammatory medications, nutriceuticals, homeopathic remedies and
acupuncture and designed customized exercise routines and living areas for
him. Once King Tusk's quality of life declined, the veterinary team made the
difficult but humane decision to euthanize him. A team of top veterinary and
elephant experts conducted the post mortem exam Saturday.
"King Tusk delighted children of all ages from Topeka to Tokyo," said
Kenneth Feld, chairman and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment, the
producer of Ringling Bros. King Tusk traveled with Ringling Bros. from 1987 to
1995 and was so hugely popular with audiences that he was the headliner for a
special tour of Japan in 1990. Feld said, "King Tusk was an important part of
our performing family, and we will all miss him terribly."
"An outstanding veterinary team looked after King Tusk and did everything
possible to ensure his comfort," said John Kirtland, Ringling Bros. Executive
Director of Animal Stewardship. "Throughout his life, he was an ambassador for
the Asian elephant species. Now, we will take what we learned from his
treatment and share it with veterinarians and conservationists around the
world." A necropsy will be performed on the body with final reports being
available in approximately 30 days.
Born in India and brought to the United States in 1945, it is unlikely
that King Tusk would have lived beyond young adulthood in his native country
since poachers would have killed him long ago for his 6-foot-long tusks that
weighed more than 100 pounds each. Experts estimate that there are fewer than
40,000 Asian elephants remaining in the world, and the two main threats to the
survival of the species are habitat destruction and ivory poaching. King Tusk
came out of retirement in 1998 to conduct a nation-wide tour to raise
awareness of the plight of Asian elephants as a species.
Ringling Bros. is produced and owned by Feld Entertainment, Inc., the
world's largest producer of live family entertainment and the caretaker of the
largest and most diverse gene pool of Asian elephants outside of Southeast
Asia. More than 60 elephants live with Ringling Bros., and about one third
tour the United States with the shows. The others are in retirement or at the
Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida.
SOURCE Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
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Related links:
http://www.ringling.com
CONTACT:
Ringling Bros. Media Center, +1-703-448-4120,
or in Florida, Larry Kellogg, +1-727-804-8932 - cell
NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos and broadcast-quality video of King Tusk
are available on request. Information about Ringling Bros., the
animals and the Center for Elephant Conservation is available at
http://www.Ringling.com/amazinganimals.
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