Why Did Tyke the Elephant Have to Die?
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- čas přidán 19. 04. 2023
- The story of the African circus elephant that changed my life- and the lives of hundreds of other wild animals in performance captivity.
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PRODUCTION CREDITS
Mortician and Writer: Caitlin Doughty
Producer and Writer: Louise Hung (@LouiseHung1)
Editor & Graphics: Timothy Meier
Production Coordinator: Lauren Ronaghan
Thumbnail: Landis Blair (@LandisBlair)
SELECTED SOURCES/FURTHER READING
Fear of the Animal Planet: The Hidden History of Animal Resistance
Hribal, Jason. Counterpunch. Petrolia, CA. 2011.
Tyke Elephant Outlaw (documentary)- Stray Dog Pictures. Jumping Dog Productions.
tykeelephantoutlaw.com
"COLUMN ONE : Elephants Pose Giant Dangers : Pachyderm attacks are on the rise, creating king-size problems for zoos and circuses. Some believe the intelligent mammals are rebelling against inhumane treatment."
www.latimes.com/archives/la-x...
"Settlement Over Elephants' TB Deaths Costs Cuneo"
www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...
"Activists Fault Cuneo for Elephant"
www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...
"USDA Seizes Circus Elephants"
www.washingtonpost.com/archiv...
"Shots killing elephant echo across a decade"
archives.starbulletin.com/200...
"‘When They Fight Back’: A cinematic archive of animal resistance and world wars"
www.cambridge.org/core/servic...
"Elephants and the Circus"
www.counterpunch.org/2008/02/...
"Elephant Deaths Draw Spotlights' Glare"
www.latimes.com/archives/la-x...
"Circus Incidents
Attacks, Abuse and Property Damage
The Humane Society of the United States"
www.humanesociety.org/sites/d...
"The Infected Elephant in the Room"
slate.com/technology/2015/03/...
"Tuberculosis infects herd of circus elephants"
www.tampabay.com/archive/1997...
She didn’t go “crazy”.
She went “rational”
She realized she was bigger and stronger and that she deserved to not be abused.
Given their treatment, it is a wonder that the elephants didn't all do what Tyke did. I can't muster even a drop of sympathy for the trainer. He got what he deserved. Is saddens my greatly that Tyke had to be killed, though I don't think there was any other way to handle the situation at that point.
@@avuhwee Nor would the police have proper training to use a tranqulizer dart. If not done right, it could have not been effective and stressed poor Tyke more, causing more mayhem and suffering. I just wish someone would have been there who knew how/where to shoot to instruct the officers to do it in the quickest way possible, and of course that she wasn't pushed to this point to begin with. I remember talking to a vet on a talk about transporting horses, and someone asked in the unfortunate event of an accident with a trailer and a large number of greviously injured animals what would be the vets vourse of action among methods to euthanize multiple animals quickly. They replied that they would prefer to instruct the police on how to properly use their firearm to euthanise (a method acceptable by AVMA standards), rather than carry a captive bolt gun or attempt to use euthanasia solution. Granted, elephants are much bigger than horses, but perhaps it would have helped the end of suffering come quicker for Tyke than the tragedy that happened. 87 bullets is not how anything deserves to die.
@@avuhwee Yes. A shot on the correct place on the forehead will put a horse out of its misery instantly. Broken legs are a huge gamble with horses because in the lower leg, the majority of the blood supply tricked through the bone itself. Also horses cannot lay down for long.
In 1990 when Alydar, an exceptional thoroughbred sire, broke his leg in “suspicious” circumstances, they repaired the break the following morning. The next day, when trying to get up, he fell and shattered his femur. He was euthanized within minutes.
Nureyev, another famous racehorse, broke his leg in his paddock. He was so smart that they built him his own small recovery barn with 24/7 care. When he wanted to lay down while in his sling, he would stare at his caretaker and drop his head. That meant “I’m tired of standing; can I lay down for a while?” He went on to live another 10 plus years!
So it happens both ways…….
@@russlehman2070 Sedate the animal and bring it to a sanctuary.
No animal “has” to be killed.
This, don't mess with an elephant. Anyone with a bit of sense should know this.
I hate that they described her as having a "bad attitude". She didn't have a "bad attitude". She was a victim of abuse, standing up for herself the way that wild animals do. The only humans I feel bad for in this situation are the children who had to witness this.
Sadly we are always doing this to animals. Saying they are “bad” or did something “wrong”. Animals are neither good nor bad. They do no right and no wrong. Animals simply are. They react to the world around them and rely on their instincts to survive. Trainers will insist an animal is “difficult” if they won’t learn or obey the exact way we want them to, but really they are not being difficult. They’re simply not wanting to do those things if they see no reason to.
This is why positive reinforcement works so well on even wild animals. Because the animal is getting something pleasant or tasty for a behavior, they will want to do that behavior more because they know something good follows. Most animals, even betta fish or sea monkies, can be trained to do things when rewarded.
@@byuftbl I'm glad we're living in a time where animal intelligence is finally starting to be understood and respected. It only makes sense that their minds are going to work differently from ours. Only once we make an effort to understand them can we start to work with them.
We need to recognize when we do this to our own kind as well…
That's why I'm suspicious of people who say that an animal or person they see as inferior to them as having a bad attitude. It's a phrases abusers and bad bosses love to use.
@@byuftbl I personally believe that most of the time when a person is, for example, bit by a dog, that the bite did not “come out of nowhere” as some would claim. The dog is almost always signaling for the human to back off with body language, and the human is almost always cornering or scaring the dog in some way (even if they don’t mean to). I don’t say this to blame anyone who has been hurt by an animal, but as beings with self awareness it’s our duty to learn how to respect animals instead of expecting them to understand our whims.
PS: in grade school I trained my betta fish Fred to swim through a hoop for a science project by giving him food after he swam through it :) just mentioning since you said even betta fish can be trained.
Tyke looking into the camera, blood dripping down her face, I can see her grief. It’s genuinely harrowing footage seeing her there, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it.
Me either. I felt exactly the same emotions.
I don't put human emotions on other animals ( we are animals to of course ) but I respect that other species are well able to convey emotion.
I'm ashamed to be human sometimes
Yeah, her eyes made me cry. I wouldn't even call it grief. There was some closure in there, some sense of it's finally over or maybe a cry for help and comfort. Apes might be the closest related to humans by genetics, but I bet elephants are the closest in emotion.
@sarahsander785 Yeah that part made me cry too. 😞 My heart hurts for Tyke.
😢
Yeah, I almost cried. It’s heartbreaking..
I admire the kindness of the people of Hawaii to memorialize Tyke instead of demonizing her. It's amazing that people could see she was a fellow victim...
Many used her as a motivation to ban this type of show and it did in hawaii
I remember when my dad heard about this poor elephant's story. His reaction was "You have got to be out of your mind to abuse an animal that large and intelligent. Elephants never forget. Poor elephant had enough." Dad was a big animal lover. Rest in freedom Tyke.
sounds just like my dad, he loves elephants
Sounds like a great Dad.
Yes, our abuse of animals to control them, especially that large, shows just how arrogant humans can be.
@@moniqueduval6441 he was a great Dad, and an animal lover. My mom loved elephants and refused to go to circuses afterwards.
Elephants, whales... LET THEM GO!! (Go somewhere where they can live in as natural as life as possible for the remainder of their lives in peace.)
People who commit animal abuse are some of the worst people in the world. Thank you for this documentary.
and people that support animal abuse. going to Seaworld or going to Zoos for example.
Thanks for being vegan.
@@csp.9203 You don't need to go full vegan. I NEED some animal proteine due to 30 years of an eating disorder. So maybe 1 chicken breast every 3 - 6 months and lean beef maybe 2 times a year ( only in a soup my mom makes, from no one else , no 5 star restaurant ever )
And an egg every 2 months if I sum it up.
And no I never ate a burger in my life.
Nor chicken nuggets or whatever crushed up mashed together. yikes.
If everyone wouldn't be so gluttenous , there would be no need for huge farms.
pretty much any serial killer started out that way.
@@MrBibi86seaworld is fucking gross !!!!
The poor baby 😭 seeing that footage of poor Tyke as she collapsed, bleeding and in pain against a parked car brought me to tears. Rest peacefully, sweet Tyke - nobody can hurt you anymore ❤
Yeah. At least she has the Rainbow Bridge/Animal Heaven to chill out in. Maybe some family members will be with her, along with all the other poached elephants in history.
What happened to Tyke is horrible. I remember an elephant in India that killed it's torturer and not being satisfied crashed the funeral and continued it's revenge against it's torturer by attacking the corpse in the casket. Thank God this abuse is no longer allowed and these majestic animals are no longer made to perform. They are so much more intelligent and caring than we try to convince ourselves. Animals are people too. They have social structures and are very family oriented. All animals deserve our protection and respect.
@DonnyGossett-nz8rp They still torture animals - there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild. Look at what they did to Tillicum! I agree with you, "All animals deserve our protection and respect" - but we're a long, long, way - people still get away with torturing people - look how many sex offenders are let go to repeat their crimes - Polly Klass is a good example of our 'justice' system. ("Boys will be boys" is what I've heard all my 68 years). As long as people are allowed to 'harm' it will continue.
So basically, Tyke was captured as a baby, tortured until she rebelled, killed the person who was absolutely horrible to her, and yet news media made the elephant villan of the story. Exactly what is wrong with our society is shown here
Yup. Talk about epic victim blaming.
Only 8 US states have banned animal performers, it's horrifying to me. In my country (the UK), all devolved nations have banned circus performers except Northern Ireland, and that's because their equivalent of congress/senate has refused to pass any laws for 4 of the last 6 years.
Well said.
Well the truth was being told by one guy who had said she did this before out of abuse but much like now, facts are hidden beneath spin stories. I think once the SPCA got wind of it, they let more of the truth be known.
it's kind of like America. it literally makes its own worst enemies.
When you hit us with “she died as she’s lived, bleeding alone and afraid.” That’s when the water works hit me
Yeah I’m 100% sobbing
Yeah,, elephants are extremely intelligent and Caitlin is right that we shouldn't anthromorphise them,, however they don't have to have a name to be respected as fellow beings .. it just hit me watching the absolutely surreal scene of an elephant with a show star on her forehead,, tossing her abusers aside and even kneeling on them just to make sure they don't get up,, that the elephant was actually showing more common sense and intelligence than any of the people who were stupid enough to think that they could control a four and a half ton elephant... Like trying to stop a runaway Caterpillar D9 bulldozer... We are now learning, although most people don't realize it how the capitalist culture of dog eat dog is creating serial killers and other assorted maniacs at an ever-increasing rate,, and even people who should know better will blame ONLY the antisocial Maniacs in society without realizing how they are being bred by the very system that claims to be orchestrating society...
Me too honestly
The elephant should have been beaten and tortured MORE honestly. That was the funnies part AND she deserved it. Horrible elephant. 0/10
😢 seen pictures of those elephants tied up and rocking back and forth. Oh my god- so terrible!
The fact that her trainer intervening only caused her to attack more certainly lends credence to Tyke standing up for herself against abusers, because her trainer would be probably the primary one. Elephants are very intelligent creatures and I think it's fair to apply human-esque emotions to Tyke. Tyke refused to be broken and it cost her her life. And I'm gonna add, the part where Caitlin said the trainer was killed, I knee-jerk said out loud, "Good". I don't wish to celebrate a man's death, but with all the warnings he was given and Tyke's previous incidents, this was the trainer's fault and for the sake of animals, I'm okay that he died
As a South African, who grew up and lives with the Kruger National Park at my doorstep, this was incredibly heartbreaking to watch.
Protected natural parks are the only places these animals belong. There are still 15k-20k elephants held in captivity, the vast majority of them in disgusting terrible conditions. 😞
Tyke did not “attack her trainer,” she killed her abuser. 😪💔
How many of us would have done the same, given the opportunity. Apparently, a lot of "elder abuse" is perpetrated by their grown up children out of revenge for the abuse they suffered. (OK, I'm anthropomorphizing the behavior of an intelligent animal after a lifetime of abuse).
good riddance.
Amen!!
Yeah, I absolutely hate the comments in the news (or from the owner etc) about how this is out of the blue, and for no reason, and unprovoked. Like, this animal is fighting back, she's not attacking, she's defending herself. Rightfully so.
Rest in peace Topsy, Mary, Black Diamond, Tyke and all of the other animals that humans have subjected to cruelty.
Animals deserve so much more than what they so often get.🖤🖤🖤
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
...and the billions of animals, who end up on our plates & as clothes on the daily 😭💔
@@biancat.1873 so go vegan basically?
@@nathandei1674 Yes, please - for the animals :D
After the three incidents she was not 'allowed' to perform SHE WAS FORCED TO PERFORM. Tyke I'm so sorry.
Thank you for covering this.
Yeah, the phrasing would be more accurate as she was still made to perform, rather than she was allowed to, as if she auditioned or something. It's a minor detail, but useful to stress how horrid her treatment was.
The abuse animals face is truly heartbreaking, Tyke, Topsy, Mary, and Black Diamond all deserved a better life
Telecum as well. The orca the documentary Black Fish used as a subject. It's the exact same story of being torn from his family, being abused, then finally snapping. The only difference is that the trainer who was killed was innocent in this case. Dawn hadn't been working with him for long and many Sea World trainers/entertainers were severely undertrained and ill-prepared
Highly recommend the documentary if you're interested in a similar story to Tyke's
Jumbo 😢 so many animals
@@enbeast8350fyi it’s Tillikum
Tyke: Shot.
Topsy: Electrocuted.
Mary: Hanged.
Black Diamond: Also shot.
Elephants also remember their friends. A keeper who cared for the only elephant at a small zoo for decades, when it was decided to send her to a sanctuary. He got emotional when relating how he got to take the chains off her leg. When he visited the sanctuary, the elephant ran to him joyously to greet him.
💕🥰💕 Thank you for this, since this story is so sad. It took me a few days to be up to this
I think I saw the documentary piece that you are referring to here. It was very moving. There are so many stories like this, about elephants. Humans are doing so much harm to this species that they are expected to be extinct in a very short time. Absolutely, incomprehensibly tragic and avoidable. 😠
@@livingitup9647 There was a more recent story about the death of a man who cared for elephants in the wild. If I recall, as he lay dying in his room, a herd of known elephants came out of the jungle, gathering close to the house. They hadn't been there in years, but somehow knew their friend was breathing his last, and seemed to want to say goodbye. They later turned around, heading back into the jungle.
My local zoo had 2 elephants for a long time, and they decided to send them to a place where they would be part of a larger colony, and they also didn't have to go indoors in the winter like they did here. Some people protested, but c'mon, put them where they belong if they can't live in the wild.
The elephant in the Monroe, LA zoo was retired to an animal sanctuary. When she got there, she recognized another elephant she was raised with and hadn’t seen in years. Elephants never forget is a true saying.
I'm from India and was used to seeing huge elephants casually walking on the streets where I grew up. Of course, now after the city has grown, they no longer wander around. I used to feed them bananas, apples, corn, watermelons and other fruits. They used to love it and play with me and other children. We used to get their blessings. They had a unique way of touching the head or rubbing their trunks against our arms to show gratitude. Feeding them was one of my favourite things to do. She must have been fed up. That ankush is used to poke them behind the ears till they bleed into submission. It is horrific to see. They use it in circuses usually. They make animals do pointless, stupid things. Elephants are very intelligent beings, capable of compassion and kindness. I feel so bad for her. I've adopted an orphan elephant in Kenya and help to sponsor his milk supply for 1 year. His name is Roho and he was just 4 months old when he was rescued after his mom was killed by poachers. I visited the place in Nairobi where they keep such orphan babies. Why can't humans be kinder to animals who do nothing to us.... there was no need to snatch her away from her mother. What a ruthless thing to do!
It goes to show that she almost certainly would have never done that if she wasn't being abused. If she and the other elephants were being treated well and given good food they probably would have never hurt anyone...
What a beautiful post. Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts and memories 🙏💓
That was very informative and beautifully written. Thank You
Thank you for sharing. I also adopted an orphan elephant. Her name is Mzinga and she is beautiful and spirited. I hope one day to go visit the sanctuary.
Thank you. ❤
The swaying of elephants at time stamp 2:15 is a sign of profound emotional stress!
When my youngest daughter’s preschool went to the circus that was in town they could all ride an elephant. When I went to pick her up they said she didn’t ride the elephant and became visibly upset when it was her turn. I asked her to tell me about it. She said that the elephant looked very sad and it didn’t want to be there. I told her she did the right thing. To this day she gets tears in her eyes when she talks about it. This wasn’t the same elephant but when she saw this had happened she looked at me and said “I told you that they were unhappy”. Out of the mouth of babes.
As a child in the 90's I asked my dad to ride the elephant at the local fair and my dad said absolutely not. Sat me down and explained you should NEVER ride something with a mind of its own because you don't know what it's been through. He always mentioned this was why but I didn't know the full details until today... While I honestly never questioned it before I am glad this was instilled early.
I understand why he’d do that. That’s a legitimate concern/point of view. Then, I think of the time before motorized vehicles, horses were a main mode of transportation, whether ridden on or pulling some sort of conveyance. Having said that, a person or family using horses for transportation isn’t the same as using animals in some sort of circus performance aren’t the same.
@@davenport7321 And also the horses are often raised alongside the family, so you know how its being treated etc
Your dad sounds like an awesome guy!
Most of us horse people don’t get to raise the animal. But if you respect them and are constantly observing behavior they have some extremely easy to spot tells for anxiety/aggression/depression etc. and just like dogs you commonly find some that you can tell have clearly been abused and will have some very specific triggers that cause bad behaviors.
Horses are amazing animals but the fact is they are not as intelligent as an elephant. They should be cared for as a family member, but the more intelligent the animal, the more dangerous. Just like with my students…the smartest ones cause the absolute most chaos when bored. Not only are these elephants bored and experiencing abuse, they are intelligent enough and intiluitive enough to make some advanced connections. So of course when they snap, they will SNAP.
I truly don’t believe it’s wrong to keep and raise wild animals for conservation purposes in adequate facilities with the most realistic habitat possible, but I do believe that circuses are wrong. And I grew up loving them as a kid. But these animals aren’t meant for captivity and should not be held there unless they cannot be re-released or are there to conserve the species.
@@Monicaerikarita The main difference being that horses are domesticated. They're still able to kill a human, sure, but they have been genetically modified to be docile around humans (yes that's what domestication do) while elephants are just tortured into submission, which works, but a lot less than domestication ^^'
I remember once as a kid, I was bothering the family dog (you know, testing boundaries, normal kid stuff) and the dog bit me. I ran crying to my mother and the first thing she said was "Well, what did you do to her?". That day I learned that 1) animals deserve respect 2) they aren't an object for our entertainment and 3) if an animal in captivity tries to harm you, domesticated or otherwise, you probably deserve it.
Good on your mom for being responsible!
Good Mom.
They take them out of their matriarchal system and it's surprising this didn't happen more.
yup the exact some thing happened to me when I was a kid, I was pestering the family dog on a hot day and she finally bit me, 100% had it coming, she was otherwise a very gentle dog.
The same thing happened to me too. As a kid I kept provoking the cat on purpose, and when she finally slashed me in the face I ran crying to my mum who gave me no sympathy at all and said "Serves you right". I learned an important lesson that day.
The human record of animal abuse is beyond belief. My heart breaks for Tyke and every other victim of such abuse.
I just love the part where Tyke runs. It’s sweet because it’s probably the first time she experienced it. I’m literally in tears right now
what pains me the most, aside from the abuse Tyke suffered, is thinking about how scared she must’ve been before she died. she probably anticipated a serious beating or worse, and because she couldn’t move anymore, she couldn’t do anything to save herself from it.
my heart breaks for her. i hope she’s at peace
She looks absolutely terrified 💔
My thoughts too, I cried and cried
i agree. part of the reason she “didn’t go down” was probably because of fight-or-flight adrenaline.
they shot her so many times over such a long period, she must have been in horrible pain. this was heartbreaking to see.
This moved me so much that I had to play my flute and compose a song for Tyke and all ill l treated animals. (I'm native american)
As a fellow funeral director, the fact that her stating the date of Cunio’s death followed by the casual look at her nails is DAMNING. No ‘sadly passed away’, no information about his interment, no statement about ‘resting in peace’ or ‘remembered by his loved ones’ or information about where he passed away.
Just ‘he died’.
Damn, Caitlin, I felt that. Bravo.
Thanks for pointing this out. It slid right past me in the horror of everything else but yes, from Caitlyn, it's pretty damning. ✌️🍍
This is the only time I've felt her lose her cool, or have no respect for the dead. Such a powerful moment coming from her. I've been a subscriber for years now and, for me, that look down spoke a million words.
I fucking loved that moment. I saw that and just went OPE
25:25 that’s the timestamp for anyone interested
As a fully aware person, I didn’t need the soft “sadly passed away”. I was able to understand “died” and did not need to go screaming to my “cry room”.
Can't believe my country, usually portrayed by US media as "lesser" or somehow "stupider", banned animal acts in circuses before the US did, it really makes me think about what exactly they see as "better"
I don't know what country you're from, but culturally, the US is generally two things: extremely individualist and consumerist.
People here often value their enjoyment and freedom above all else, and view any sort of restriction as an attack on this.
That footage was absolutely heartbreaking, oh my god I can’t imagine her pain. How scared she must have been…
The second you showed and mentioned the two specific people whom Tyke flung around and crushed I immediately knew those two were her abusers. Elephants are highly self aware, have similar emotions to ours and have quite the memory; she never forgot those two and gave as good as she got. Rest in power, Tyke.
I’ve watched enough Casual Geographic to know that elephants do not forgive disrespect or those that disrespected them.
Are you vegan ?
@@peggedyourdad9560 Yes. An elephant will co-sign your obituary.
For context, people in the Boomer generation were taught by "experts", ie, academia through colleges and universities, that animals were automatons. Animals were not self-aware, did not possess a soul and did not have feelings. That goes a long way to explaining why these circus folks treated the animals in this way.
I'm not excusing their abusive behavior one bit. The prevailing "science" at the time firmly and with authority that animals were things, not separate, unique individuals as we see them today. I'm adding blame to this "authority" as well.
Today there is very little doubt in anyone that animals have feelings, are self aware and are unique souls having an experience.
@@oddvegan9797 find a personality
I worked with Tia, the elephant from "Water for Elephants" and "Operation Dumbo Drop" let me tell you they DO have a very high sense of self awareness. She actually acted. We spoke to her like any other performer and she really seemed to understand. The was a scene where she was just suppose to run up to the actress and the human actress was suppose to cry and hug Tia. Tia understood the scene and ran up to the human, hugged her together and then wiped the tears from the actresses' eyes and did it 4 times. No one told her to do that, that was her. She would also prank us on set, take our bottles out of our bags and hide it behind her ear, tap our shoulders with her trunk then move to the other side so you couldn't "see" her. She would put her trunk around my neck, like a buddy putting their arm around your shoulder etc. She did what she wanted, when she wanted. She let herself in and out of her trailer, went to craft services and got an apple when she felt like it, etc. She did have a trainer but he basically was just there to make sure she didn't walk too far from set or freak out the neighbors. He didn't have a bull hook or anything, just a pointing stick to point where her "mark" was, basically where to stand. She was not frightened of it either, and often took the stick to scratch her head or behind her ears. There was 1 time I remember she tapped my shoulder like a human and pointed to the sunscreen, she picked up the bottle and handed it to me. My neck was getting sunburned and she saw that and was looking out for me.
Thank you for sharing this, I really needed to read something about a happy well treated elephant
EDIT: Tai the elephant actress (mentioned in original comment), and her herd, has been controlled with a bullhook for her entire life, which is the reason she was moved out of California a decade ago when bullhooks were made illegal in the state. There is video of the owners ABUSING Tai, and even some video of other herd members covered in injuries from the bullhooks and electric shocks. Tai and another elephant died suddenly and mysteriously without much explanation. I do hope more people look into their story.
Yes, it was very touching to interact with them all whether through a movie set or elephant rides but they are NOT in a safe environment.
original: I remember riding Tai or Rosie at the fair as a kid, and seeing the 4 elephants together. She was very gentle and I always wondered what happened to her later. When did you work with her?
Working with animals can be so rewarding!
Wow. I'm so glad that you have a good story to share.
I'm glad to read of an elephant that was treated so kindly.
I have a degree in zoo science, which had an extensive focus on animal welfare, and I’m working towards becoming a zookeeper. This entire video was heartbreaking, and it’s awful that animals are still being used like this.
However, I also want to point out that good, conservation-focused, accredited zoos are not the problem. Those facilities give their animals the best possible care, as well as helping their wild counterparts. They’re nothing like circuses, and should be supported!
It's a grey area. If the money that went into zoos and those conservation breeding programs was actually invested into protecting the natural habitat of the endangered species there could be much more done. Personally I would prefer these animals thriving in the wild instead of in zoos. I'm saying that living in Vienna, with the Zoo Schönbrunn being awarded Best European Zoo multiple times, and having successfully bred even multiple pandas in captivity. So I know what a great zoo looks like. It's just still not good enough.
Good conservation zoos are not the main problem, but they can be inadequate.
Elephant husbandry is challenging-- they are large tropical animals that need to be in herds and need a LOT of space. I saw how the National Zoo evolved over the years and their modern elephant facility with trails and room to move to me just starkly pointed out how limited their space used to be, even with a large yard. And frankly, I cheered when Maggie the elephant was moved from the Alaskan zoo to a sanctuary. That's no climate for an elephant.
I really, really want to end circuses having elephants. One small one visited a rural town I was in. Camel trainer was very good, positive reinforcement that I could see. I saw no overt signs of abuse. But they had a half-grown female elephant, no other elephants to be with, which was inherently cruel to it, never mind the cold climate!
I've seen working elephants in India and they generally have more companions at rest paddocks and much more room to move than in most zoos, even if they're just fed and kept waiting at platforms for tourist rides. Cruelty to animals occurs there, too.
Had Tyke rampaged in Tamil Nadu, India, just maybe she'd have met a much kinder fate. phys.org/news/2021-11-india-born-again-elephants-repel-four-legged.html
Nearly 5 times more people die in people-elephant encounters in India than elephants, wild or tame, do.
Black diamond is a real one. He saw his old trainer and said it was on sight.
Knowing how these animals were trained it's no surprise. She was abused and took revenge. I can't say I blame her.
100% Agreed. Stolen, beaten, maybe starved, often alone, in a tiny space. Elephants are extremely social and empathetic animals . They recognise bones of a dead family member years after their death .
Elephants have a good memory!!
Elephants are very emotional and do not forget, the good and bad. 💓
She should have taken out more of her abusers tbh.
Elephants are like crows lol
poor sweet Tyke was why i refused to go to ANY place with wild animal acts. i thought they had been banned in all states. to all the elephants out there in pain and suffering. my prayers that someday you will all be free!!!
It's actually a blessing that she died, she's now free and is no longer suffering. Rip angel
"We want to conquer animals to conquer our fear that we ourselves are animals"
Very powerful statement, Caitlin. Great video. May Tyke rest in peace
Animals have no potential for evil intentions, only humans have that. The disposition to exploitation for the sake of power and self aggrandizement is not an animal trait, and exists only in the human species.
It's a fear that explains so much! At times I wonder why people develop superiority complexes around animals, I remember that Manifest Destiny mindsets used to be a thing, and realize that people gravitated towards that bs because most people probably had some old insecurities on being considered animals themselves centuries ago.
Poor girl was abused her whole life and then painted as the villain when she fought back. Rest in peace Tyke 💜
I know, Joe Francis and Nash Entertainment (Creators of "Banned from TV" and "World's Most Amazing Videos" respectively) did paint her as a out of control animal when they showed footage of that on their shows/videos
Victims usually are especially when they can't speak for themselves or aren't allowed to.
Oh my heart breaks for her, her life, her death. This is the most saddening story I’ve ever heard. May she Rest In Peace
I feel like instead of just saying "stay in your seats" they would have also asked to stop screaming. Obviously hard not to, but that cacophony must have added to Tyke's panic and that of the crowd running to get away
Honestly I just thought that Tyke was probably - like so many humans dying in terror and panic - for example soldiers dying on the battlefield - crying for her mother as she collapsed against that car. This is devastating.
😐😥😥😥🤧
As a South African, this made me weep out loud! Tyke was a good girl and didn't deserve to be exploited and abused. No animal does. That poor, poor girl. Rest in hell, Allen Campbell. Sorry, not sorry.
And don't forget her "owner", Cuneo! 😡
I am straight on ugly crying. Its just not fair. I am so mad and frustrated. Poor girl died alone on the streets without any form of love or compassion. I wish I could delete this information from my brain, or just delete the whole situation from he world when we are at it. Just place the poor baby back with her mum in Africa 😣
Yes! “Rest in Hell, Allen Campbell” I agree
rest in piss he wont be missed
I don't think it matters where we're from, mistreated of animals and their habitat is fundamentally a terrible trait mankind must take out of our equation.
This poor creature being pushed to its ultimate limit, its so heartbreaking :(
3 of my cousins were at the circus that day & they're still pretty traumatized by what they saw.
When I was young, I was taken to Baraboo, WI, to Circus World. There was an elephant there with a manacle around her foreleg, and she seemed cowed. When I approached, she was very friendly and kind, and I was gentle with her, which made her not want to let go of me with her trunk. The "trainer" had a riding crop at his side, and acted like he wanted to use it on her, but I was only too happy to be hugging an elephant's trunk and have it reciprocate the affection. These days, when I think back, I realize she was mistreated and most likely abused by that "trainer", and that makes me sick. I honestly believe she was so desperate for positive attention that she took it wherever she could, including from a 9-year-old boy who had no idea how bad her life truly was.
My goodness... Your story brought tears to my eyes...
Just curious, has this experience changed your opinion of animals, including the animals, that we call livestock ?
@@SpringNotes Hi Karen, ~9000 animals are killed for every acre of your fru fru special awesome wholly 'vegan' produce. But, you know, you don't care about field mice and crickets and worms and such, because they're not cute. Don't even start.
Your story reminds me of a time when I went to a circus and lined up to ride an elephant, before hand I just wanted to look at them and I had gotten some peanuts. I held them up and wanted to give her some. As she reached out her trunk the trainer standing next to her must have had a bull hook, which I was not aware of; he was looking at me and shaking his head no and said, "don't do that" but did I listen? No I wanted to give her some peanuts! What's wrong with that? In my stupidity I caused her to be punished for reaching her trunk out. I never did step near her or give them to her but she reached out and we made eye contact, and the trainer didn't like that. I'm so sorry Suzy. The circus was called Carson & Barnes and it was in Soccoro, New Mexico. Since then I have learned the horrible fate that awaits captured baby elephants who are tortured in the US, and in other countries to train them to serve humans. Despicable.
@@jeanier7185 I just found out a Carson and Barnes trainer was caught abusing an elephant in 2011 in MA, and two weeks later the circus was fined for using a bullhook at a show in CT. Some Carson and Barnes elephants ended up at Circus World, where one escaped and wandered a residential neighborhood after another elephant unlocked cages.
Also, the elephant I made that connection with in 1983 is named Viola, and she's being "retired" this year, along with Isa, the other elephant Circus World has had for a long time.
Spring notes stfu redditor stop trying to use other people's story's to push your narrative
Seeing Tyke's face during her last moment absolutely shattered me omg. The look in her eyes. I don't think I've cried so violently in a long time.
All these poor animals. They deserved to be cared for & appreciated at a distance, not gawked at while forced to preform against their will.
Me too :( That poor, beautiful creature deserved so much better.
Same
I cried too
Oh my goodness, same. That poor, poor baby.
I cried too.
My parents were married in the '40s in Erwin, TN, where Mary the Elephant was hanged. So, that's kind of part of our family history. It's horrifying at how often this sort of thing occurs, with very little consideration of shutting down that kind of exploitive entertainment. Thanks for this, Caitlin.
man i cried and cried and cried when tyke went down, that was heartbreaking
One of the worst things humanity has ever done is assume we're the only ones who feel or think or have emotions.
Not just that, also thinking we're superior and have full control over others.
yes we have a human supremacy complex. our relationship with animals and the ecosystems is completely broken. when did we all stop placing values on other sentient living breathing beings?
We are related by evolution and coming from the same planet. It's rather astounding how easily peeps can fall into the fallacy of thinking we are apart from nature.
I'm not sure I remember the title of the book, it was something like "Animal Minds", and had chapters on ants, archerfish, an African Grey Parrot (Alex), elephants, and other animals. Even without using language the same way we humans do, there is a helluva lot that goes on in an animal's head.
Ironically tho the people who assume that display that they themselves are stunted in those same qualities... They are the ones who are not feeling/thinking/having emotions...
@@sarasteege2265 I will have to try and find that! Thanks for the suggestion. "How to speak whale" is also another amazing book that goes into communication and minds of cetaceans and other animals as well.
Poor Tyke… hope the next world was kinder to her than this one. She lived a tortured life and I honestly can’t pity the trainers that got injured or killed, they contributed to her suffering and I just don’t understand how anyone looks at an elephant and thinks “oh wow, a huge animal 10x my size with great intelligence… yeah Imma hit it with a metal hook. That’s a great plan.”
Poor elephants in general. Most are living in captivity, chained.
Totally. I do feel bad for the inexperienced trainer that the boss threw under the bus, though. I hope he was able to transition to a career of performing with other humans or in veterinary care where he could help animals without making them perform or something.
@@laurenconrad1799there's a documentary about it called 'Tyke: Elephant Outlaw' and while it's been a long time since I watched it I am pretty sure it showed at least one, maybe a couple of ex trainers who were SO guilty about what techniques they had been taught to use and have since moved on to sanctuary work! It's a bit like some of the training methods we used to use on dogs - I've heard a few force-free trainers now talk about being a kid and being taught by trainers then to slap or choke their dogs and how awful they feel about it now. Some people do try to do better once they know better.
@@laurenconrad1799 Good response gurl !!! Or comeback …❤❤❤❤
The look on Tyke's face when she was shot and couldn't get up and move "Can someone please save me?". One of the most painful things to watch. Tyke, Mary, and all those animals deserved a better life. The trainer got what he deserved for all the abuse he put that animal through. Just imagine the extent of human cruelty towards these gentle beasts. Also most captive elephants keep rocking and swaying, a clear sign of distress, fear, and anxiety. Not a single human can live like this even for just one day
We miss you terribly! Hoping that everything is going well for you ❤
During my animal control officer training twenty years ago I had to watch undercover footage of a case that the Marin County Humane Society brought against Ringling Brothers in the early 90s. It was the most awful abuse I'd ever seen or considered. I had to turn my eyes away a few times from the live footage in this documentary but I am so grateful that you made it. People need to know.
☹️😭😣 It's only right we know
DUDE I THINK I KNOW ONE OF THOSE UNDERCOVER GUYS. I'll message him and ask if this was the group he was with.
So sad.
One of the most informative/educational videos I’ve ever watched on UTube thank you 💔
@@clarewhite3004if he was one of them, thank him for his service for me.
People need to stop forgetting how smart animals are. They're not just mindless creatures, they have feelings, they have intelligence. I feel for Tyke. Did not deserve the treatment she had gotten. RIP Tyke.
Are you vegan?
@@oddvegan9797 no, and one can eat meat and still care about how animals are treated.
@@monkeygirl1894 Yes, of course. One can also consciously rape a woman and care about their rights.
Elephants in particular are SUPER smart. They practically have culture. They hold FUNERALS for their loved ones when they pass. They MOURN. they recognize people. They remember people. Their memory is impecable. I love elephants so much. Tyke knew what she was doing, but it was something she felt she had to do. Which, from her perspective, I can’t blame her. It’s not like she can communicate and ask for help. The only way to get freedom is to fight and escape. :(
Not just "smart", but social. They require and enjoy company of fellow pachaderms, and other self aware mammals, including sympathetic and animal friendly humans.
I work at a fair that used to have working elephants before it was outlawed in my state. My favorite elephant is Paige, she would walk the parade. On her path, there was a booth that was semi-permanent and built into a tree, she liked the leaves of this tree, but the shop keep was a dick and eventually grabbed a branch and swung it at her. There was a lot of tension between paiges handlers and the shop keep, but Paige had the last laugh when she tore down that woman's booth. ❤
How much of an idiot do you have to be to swing a branch at an elephant? Friendly or not, those things can end you in a second if they wanted
I don't do Patreon because I'm a poor old man on a limited income, but one of the many things I love about your content is how you handel them in as humane and non-graphic way as possible.
I'd be fascinated to see you do something on the self immolation of the Bhuddist monks, famously captured in those photographs. I don't know how YT would handed it, if they allowed it at all, but if anyone could do so, I'd feel it would be you.
This episode was heartbreaking because Elephants are so majestic to me, something I find to be so beautiful and amazing. Thank you for handling it as you did, even with the very difficult to watch termination of Tyke's life and video showing her being shot.
The most horrifying part of this story is that so many non-domesticated animals are STILL being forced to perform... you'd think it'd be illegal by now. 😢
Sadly, people, especially people in power, are slow to act unless it's in their own living room.
And that the us just banned that kind of acts just in 5 out of 50 states
Dont give them our dollars and it will stop. Its like tourists that go to spain for the bull fights disgusting. The bull can never win it will die either way.
If there are people that want to see this kind of entertainment to this day.
It's illegal where I live, since the early '90s
There are only humans in our circuses
(Canberra, Australia)
Looking at that poor girl's eyes is the hardest, if you really look you can clearly see the confusion underneath the obvious pain and fear. This is an animal that was intelligent enough to ask itself, "Why is this happening to me? Why did you do this to me?"
That was devastating. You can see and feel her pain and fear.
when you look into the eyes of farm animals such cows, pig, chicken, ducks, turkey, goats, sheeps, etc., you will see the same fear and distress. definitely wanting to know why this is happening and why humans are doing this to them. what would you say if livestock can ask you that question - how do we justify killing 80 billion land animals annually worldwide (mainly for food products)
@@ito_tofu5324 Look dude I'm gonna admit there is merit to the point you present. I was raised on and around farms so I am used to animals being killed for meat, you're absolutely not wrong that cows and pigs will show the same fear in their eyes when it is time for them to be slaughtered. It is not a pleasant process. But the key difference is at least the meat IS eaten. This poor elephant was just dumped in a dang landfill like trash when they probably didn't even have to kill her to begin with, they basically killed her out of revenge for the guy she killed, but when it took 80+ dang bullets to kill her, I can't help but wonder if a few tranquilizers would have been better... Anyways tho, I just don't believe it's wrong to kill an animal if you intend to eat it. That's just nature. But if you kill an animal just to enjoy it's suffering, or out of revenge for something it did as a wild animal, esp when the animal is endangered (bc obvs killing an animal for meat is still wrong if the animal's species can't easily replenish itself) then you're being a d-bag. So if I was asked by an animal to justify it, here it is: Because we actually used it, we didn't just wastefully throw it away. Just saying too, my weenie dogs enjoy their bacon just as much as I do, and I even if I wanted to go vegan, as a responsible dog owner I'd still have to provide my dogs with meat. So... It just kinda seems like a "There's no way to really win" situation. You just gotta do your best to do the least damage, bc just by existing something else will suffer one way or another.
Stop that image haunts me 😢😢😢 poor tyke
Yeah, the camera shot into her eye was devastating. I had to pause. 😢
Caitlin, its been 3 months since you produced one of your great, entertaining videos.
I hope you are well.
I'm glad you posted this comment. I'm watching this video several times because I haven't seen a new video since. I love her channel so I hope she lets us know she's okay...
Same here, I came to see if I just had missed something but nope. Hope she’s doing good at least 😢
She's taking a sabbatical year. No content 😢 but I support her either way
Gypsy, Jumbo and on and on. I’ve been obsessed and horrified. Since I can remember I have loved elephants. No one could understand why I’d scream and cry and refuse to go to the circus. Just as… Sea World. Refused to go there as well. You mentioned “Black Fish”. Oh my heart broke. Getting fined for looking into his eyes? I cried such ugly tears when I watched that. As an adult. With 3 children.
Now, I love NIN, which is where I first saw Topsy’s electrocution.
Even here, in Michigan, I live by where “Little Jennie” died (supposedly of dehydration” in 1972) and have heard my own family speak of the larger elephant, Babe, being made push her into a hole. I wasn’t born, yet, only heard the story as an adult. I replied, “AND YOU WONDERED WHY I DID NOT WANT TO GO TO A CIRCUS?!”
Thank you for making this video. Seems the world has gone completely backward with censorship. I enjoy your videos. They help. A lot.
25:28 that was the most silent burn in history. The way that she was so indifferent about his death and checking her nails. I too won't lose tears over that waste of space's death.
I literally giggled at that. Most of the rest of this video made me want to cry, but that brief moment was epic.
but he was such an attractive man....inner beauty does shine through doesn't it?
She voiced her disdain in keeping to this saying;
"Speak none but good of the dead."
In other words; John Cuneo jr. is dead, and that is good.
I totally missed that. Thanks for pointing it out.
My local zoo was given a former circus elephant in 1977 after an altercation with another elephant left her with broken bones. Shirley was the only elephant at the zoo for 22 years before they gave her up to an Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee with much better facilities to care for her. When she got to the sanctuary Shirley was reunited with another elephant Jenny who she had preformed with in the circus nearly 24 years before. Shirley and Jenny were inseparable at the sanctuary, having a relationship likened to one between mother and calf. Shirley lived to be 72 years old and died in 2021. I'm glad her final years were happy and peaceful. They did a documentary about her called "The Urban Elephant: Shirley's Story"
Happy endings are few and far between. Thank you for sharing, I'm off to find The Urban Elephant now. :D
@@nephicus339 It's on youtube. Just search for everything in quotation marks.
We are just animals too. I believe that it's totally fair to compare the emotions of at least some animals to the emimotions of humans. This was essentially a prison breakout by an abused prisoner who shouldn't have been there in the first place. Dog owners know that their dog misses you when your gone for the day. When my roommates pet female cat died while pregnant. For the next two months there was what i can only think was her lover because another cat was in out bacyard every night meowing loudly for 3 months after. Clearly he felt love for her. She got hit by a car, but it's not like he knew that. He just knew he wanted to see the cat he loved and was starting a family with. I felt terrible for him.
Also, a long time ago walers ships were attacked randomly by wales when the would see the ship, even when the ship wasn't attacking them. They learned that these ships were hurting their loved ones and they took a preemptive approach and attacked the ships without currently being provoked. Animas are much smarter that we realize and scientists are still constantly being amazed by the intelligence, emotions, and self-awareness that animals and insects have. If ants were the size of elephants, we would all be slaves or extinct.
Are you alright Caitlin? It’s been months. I hope you’re doing fine and just busy with life and work. 💕
She's ok. Just taking some time off. I wish more CZcamsrs would do this instead of being forced to constantly ignore and neglect their health to produce content and get a paycheck
Tyke driving her weight onto the trainer looked different to her attacking the other handlers. It is hard for me not to believe Tyke decided to take the chance to kill her tormenter/abuser after knocking him down.
Yeah, she was just giving the new groom the whatfor. Maybe, he had been good to her, she just messed around with him, she could have stomped his brains out.
It reminds me of a discussion I once had with a retired welsh coal miner. he told me point blank that the miners did whatever they could to make the pit ponies lives as comfortable as possible, even going so far as to give the horses time off during the summer holidays. because those horses could hold grudges. more than once a cruel miner would hurt a horse only for the horse to engineer a trap for its abuser, and none of the miners would help the man, because they knew he had harmed the horse.
I bet you are right. The story about Black Diamond seeing his abuser in an audience and attacking him is so striking because it drives home the fact that elephants remember and recognise humans who have hurt them, and will take their revenge. You would think trainers would behave better knowing this, and from watching the Tyke documentary it seems clear that they genuinely do know this, but as Caitlin said its all about having complete domination over a creature so much stronger than you. I bet she is right, too, that Tyke realised she was heading for the mother of all beatings if she didn't run.
Yeh it was definitely personal against him - you could see a difference in how she was going for them. You can’t blame her - everyone has a breaking point where they can’t take it anymore. I have no sympathy for that “person”.
Hate to say this about anyone dying but he deserved it. Can't help but him feel like he relished the power he had over such a large and powerful animal, and I really can't blame her for unleashing all the pain and fear he put her through back on to him
Everyone says Harambe was tragic, but nobody talks about Tyke. This was heartbreaking.
Different time period. I didn't know about Tyke at all because I was a baby when it happened. I knew about Harambe because of the internet and being old enough to be aware.
Harambe was at least kinda understandable, Tyke is just pure tragedy. The poor baby deserved better
Harambe was lucky enough to have people who knew how to euthanise him properly, as unfortunate as it was that it became necessary. Tyke didn't even get that.
@@gremlinfriend6956 Tyke had killed somebody, though, no matter how deserved that death was. Harambe hadn't killed anyone
@@misscoati697 yeah she got shot multiple times and died painfully but at least she was free
Having worked with elephants a fair bit (wild reserve health monitoring) and learning as much as I can about them independently, I cannot get through this video without constantly pausing to get the tears out of my eyes. Their intelligence and sociality is well-known, but I still can't get across just how "smart" they actually are (I have some issues with the way we use words like "smart", "clever", "intelligence" etc. with animals, but it's borderline impossible to avoid them). There is absolutely no doubt in my opinion that elephants have theory of mind, and that makes all the news footage in this brutally difficult to watch. Thank you for covering this so compassionately.
I don't know how the videigrapher held it together while zooming in on her face while she slid down that car.
That was a hard watch. But you approached it as you do with other taboo subjects: with empathy and compassion. Still, watching this poor, mistreated and misunderstood animal endure her abuse broke my heart. It needed to be shown. Thank you.
As soon as it was mentioned that Tyke realized she was going to be punished and ran away, I knew this was an abuse story. Poor girl. No living being should be treated the way she was. Thanks for another great video, Caitlin.
As soon as I saw "circus elephant" in the thumbnail, I knew it was going to be an animal abuse story and the elephant was going to get shot.
I can't avoid to compare her with my dog. He also misbehaves sometimes and when I call him about it, he tends to stop, walk back and look around knowing he did something wrong. The huge difference is that he never runaway because he never felt that fear. I legitimate cried at that part.
The trainer had to have done something to trigger her. She was heading out to get him. He wasn't a hero and it is sad that she had to lose her life due to ignorance. Thank you for letting us know about this story.
From the history involved, I would say his presence alone was enough to trigger her.
I agree...that looked personal.
I've heard tales from a retired carny that you do NOT fuck with the elephants. They WILL remember you.
@@mommachupacabra they don't say "an elephant never forgets" for no reason.
A herd of elephants marched 12 hours to the house of Lawrence Anthony after he died - the man who saved them. They stayed there silent for two days. Exactly one year after his death, to the day, the herd marched to his house again.
so it makes sense that they would also remember those that were cruel to them too...
Bless you for posting this.
I never knew poor Elephants are still being used to perform.
Has our world not learnt anything?
hope you and your loved ones have not been affected by the horrible fires, much love to anyone who has.
Such a sad story. I wonder if people really understood at the time that Tyke absolutely could have done way more damage if she'd wanted to, even when she lashed out in anger. She could have crushed those men to the point where they were barely recognizably human before anyone could even try to stop her, but she didn't. She wasn't vicious, she was just afraid and desperate and wanted to make them stop hurting her.
And, elephants are social animals...they need to be in a herd with their families...NOT in a zoo or the circus, but in an elephant sanctuary.
You’ve made a good point
This really made me burst into tears. Such a beautiful creature, forced to perform, beaten, abused… to be shot over 80 times after she simply just had enough. My heart goes out to her. Elephants are so intelligent, they are amazing. When I saw her running and she honestly had no where to go, no where to hide, it’s heart breaking. She was just looking for a place to escape and you could feel the fear coming off her. She should’ve never been forced to perform and taken from her family, just as none of them should. This was a great documentary, really made us all aware of how bad this is. Even still.
Yes, the fact that she had absolutely nowhere to run to really bothered me.
I agree with you 100%. Seeing her run for her life felt like how I would feel if I was kidnapped as a child and forced into being a bonded labour for life. I, too, would hurt my kidnappers and tourturers and make a run for it. Anywhere. Just run. I could feel her nervousness to get away as fast as possible. Maybe she was searching for a forest to escape into.... such a sad life. Being snatched from her loving mom, taken to an alien world, tortured, starved and forced to perform for people. And for what? To throw a stupid ball and stand on hind legs? I'm so ashamed of the human race sometimes. Humans are capable of the lowest of lows. You've put my feelings exactly in words.
The heart of mankind is very dark. 😡
Me too 😢
Mannn, same I rarely get this emotional but the video of them shooting her really bothered me
Your fans miss you! More please!
I hope this poor girl rests peacefully, she did not deserve what happened to her. She was hurt, and abused, for her entire life, until she tried to flee to secure her own safety. For that, she was met with brutality and violence. She deserves to know peace.
I'm sad for Tyke and weirdly proud of her... she tried to stand up to the cruelty in the only way she understood. But it's heartbreaking to see an animal known for its loyalty and community being left to run alone in a confused attempt to escape. Poor thing.
She was trying to leave. They should’ve let her.
@@offbranddorito9668... About the only way to do that would have been for someone to throw a chain around her neck, and then attach it to a tank... Then if she wanted to take off,, the tank could just trundle along behind her and make sure she went the right way... Unfortunately there wasn't one available and the maneuver has undoubtedly never been tried,, however anything would have been better than that spectacle of just gunning down the poor girl right in the street... I was surprised at Caitlin saying that she still suffers from the horror of the situation,, and I'm glad she felt that her audience would understand why she wanted to deal with it with some company...
@@micnorton9487idk if a tank works tbh, as in acting as a lead lol
I read more about the case, this wasn’t in the video:) but in the past, when Tyke had made escape attempts, trainers that she had a good relationship with were able to calm her down and take her back “home” willingly.
She REALLY hated the trainer she killed 😬 that was almost certainly a factor for her.
It somewhat reminds me of the Doctor Who episode with the T-Rex. The Doctor crying out that she was frightened and alone.
Caitlin, thank you, THANK YOU on behalf of our Arte for Elephants community for highlighting the cruel and unethical treatment elephants throughout the world endure in captivity. Too often the worst abuse comes from our desire to be close to elephants, and our professed "love" for the animals in question. Education is 99% of the solution and as an elephant rescuer, we are extremely grateful for your shining the spotlight of your platform on a situation that continues to this day.
How does someone go about becoming an elephant rescuer? I would love to spend all day with an elephant
@@ghin780 Hi Ghin, our business Arte for Elephants and AFE Adventures partners with ethical sanctuaries around the world to raise funds to get elephants moved from exploitative conditions (circuses, riding camps, logging camps and substandard zoos) to accredited sanctuaries around the world. There are many wonderful, ethical places that desperately need support, recognition and to help spread awareness. Many people don't realize that elephant riding is really painful and unethical (elephants need to be broken and beaten to allow people to sit on their backs, because they are not designed to be weight bearing). My suggestion is to check out ethical sanctuaries around the world. Some don't allow visits, but some do (also, beware of "fake" sanctuaries, that pretend to be good for elephants but still force performances and use bull hooks). Some amazing, ethical sanctuaries include: Elephant Nature Park (Thailand) Wildlife SOS (India) Performing Animals Welfare Society (USA) Elephant Haven (France). Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (Nairobi) Global Sanctuary for Elephants (Brazil) Some don"t allow visitors except for special events. You'd need to do research. We host volunteer retreats several times a year .I won't post a link here because this post is too important to plug our business specifically- but you can search and find AFE Adventures.
thanks for what you do.
These stories are so heartbreaking, I dont understand how people are shocked when these animals rebel.
Where did you go? I miss your videos.
Outstanding. Thank you so much. My daughter as a small child trapped her knee in a vertical fence watching some elephants just walking and feeding. The elephant calmly walked over and used trunk to gently ease my girls trapped knee out. True story. Many witnesses. Stunning and beautiful creatures.
How sweet!
Some animals seem to understand that young creatures sometimes get themselves into situations where they need some help.
@@linabasilisk1955 to be fair, elephant babies do get themselves stuck in situations like that quite often 😅
In their home territory, behavioral scientists have been watching wild elephants, and have come to some conclusion that they tend to think humans are actually cute, similar to the way we think puppies and kittens are cute... There are certain groups of people with particular patterns and designs and color motifs, that avoid harassing the elephants and even help, leaving signs for food and water (that elephants CAN decipher), among other things, and the elephants DO remember them... Wearing similar clothes and hats, and singing their particular songs can disengage an elephant in the territory from aggressive posturing, with near stunning reliability just "by association".
In fact... Years after a civil war in Africa (Can't recall the country specifically, sorry) there was a shocking increase in rampages and elephants "acting violent and crazy"... Turns out that during the war, poaching for ivory was part of the war-funding operations (on both sides) and it had practically wiped out the Adult Male population. Dubiously, the violent and crazy activities of the elephants overwhelmingly involved young males coming to maturity, meaning they'd been born during the war or were VERY young at the time. With the introduction of imported Adult Males, the rampages diminished over months and were nearly non-existent in the following year or two.
Like probably 99% of animals on the planet, including ourselves, elephants are piss poorly understood... AND for the "anthropomorphosizing" warning... How do you suppose animals have instincts and behavioral patterns? It's biochemistry that we HAVE been mapping and cataloguing, from pheromones to testosterone and estrogen determining sexual maturity, aggression, and the estrus cycle (or menses, depending on species)... Most of our own emotional bases are biochemical markers and "neurotransmitters"...
The dubious "difference" between us (humans) and other animals, regardless of their general processing powers or "intelligence" perceived, is our "metacognition". We're the only animal that we know of that ever looked around at what we were doing and asked "What the f*ck is the point of all this sh*t???"
AND we've sunk ever after into an ever deepening hole of questions, half-truths, and larger misunderstandings EVER SINCE. ;o)
@@gnarthdarkanen7464 I came here to say all this, but you said it way better. ❤
This made me cry. Tyke was stolen from her mother and family, taken from the only home she knew for such a short time. Then she was horribly abused, or better put tortured, for the amusement of humans. And to make a few humans extremely rich. And people wonder why she snapped, I probably would have too. This was a heartbreaking, yet great video. I live in Kingsport, where Mary the elephant was killed. You would think, after all this time, and so many lives, humans would understand that elephants belong in the wild, not as abused entertainers.
That's not even the worst part. Not only did those poor last 16 elephants prob compromise a good chunk of the entire population, but that TB outbreak probably further endangered the already endangered population. I also wouldn't be surprised if this is where a LOT of Siberian tiger inbreeding originated.
Elites = Humans, Humans = Elephants... It is luck of the draw as to which trainers are in charge...
Oof same dude... I can't...
Stopping by to say 'Hi'. I also miss your videos.
I'm missing your latest, please come back soon! It's been 3 long months..
I feel so much rage for Tyke and her story. I will NEVER feel bad for Allen. He got what he deserved, and I hope he felt every bone snap and shatter inside his body.
Amen. This story has me ugly crying for all the pain and suffering Tyke and every animal in similar circumstances has and is going through.
I wish people would just stop exploiting the lives of others - animal or human.
Animal abuse is awful and never okay, but it’s also not okay to hope that another human being suffers…
the pain in her eyes... the utter fear in her eyes as she fell... may he suffer for an eternity and into the next
@@AngelineProductions Cry about it!
@@AngelineProductions tbh if you have a reputation for abusing animals it’s fair game
They're not killed for being wild animals, they're killed for being intelligent animals that won't be enslaved. They've done the same thing to humans who were viewed as wild animals. Kudos to the elephants for fighting back, I wish they never had had to suffer like that 😔💔
You go Tyke!
If she was still alive, Tyke would be 49 years old in 2023. African Elephants can live 60-70 years.
Rest in peace Tyke.
I was a kid when this happened, and my family used to go to circuses, we did the 'ride the elephant' thing. My mom told me one day that she looked at the poor elephant's eyes and said she could never participate in that again, that she was ashamed that we'd done it at all, but when you know better, you do better/
Thank you for all of the work you do and all of the stories you share. You have touched and helped so many people understand some of the most difficult, emotionally challenging subjects with compassion and a good touch of humour.
We have an elephant in our zoo here. Over my thirry-something years I watched her environment adapt as they got better at understanding her needs. Sad that it took so long, but as she's near the end of her life expectancy, specialists say it's way too risky to move her to a sanctuary and that she almost assuredly wouldn't survive the trip.
So now she gets to do what she wants, when she wants. She may or may not show up for talks about her. She's attended to carefully and can sometimes be seen walking around the back areas of the zoo with a gaggle of humans in tow because she wanted to go for a walk. I wish she could go to a sanctuary, but it's comforting to know that they're doing the best they can for her and are constantly updating what that is.
I looked into a gorilla’s eyes once - and I no longer go to zoos. It was the cherry on the cake of a long, tearful day. Polar bears neurotically swimming in circles. Baboons raping a cage-mate. A gorilla clearly depressed. I was done.
@@dddilworth12 The moment I KNEW animals are the same as us with thoughts, feelings and a soul was when I locked eyes with a gorilla at the zoo. These are just beings like us having a physical experience. Who are we to change that wild, free experience they should be having?
@@manaash4316 Is this elephant named Lucy, by chance?
I have no doubt she could have been moved to sanctuary years ago when she was healthier but officials didn't want to lose out on the money she generated. Now that she is elderly and in poor health, she cannot be safely moved.
I'm still not in any way impressed with her care. An elephant has absolutely no business being that far north.
@@dddilworth12 What kind of roadside zoo did you go to? That is in no way the norm for accredited, legitimate zoos.
Makes me think of how everyone reacted to Dumbo's mom going after that kid when he mocked Dumbo. Her getting locked up is one of the saddest parts of the movie for me.
That's true. I cried. So sad to learn about circus animals that way.
It's why I can't _watch_ that movie.
Dumbo was made in 1941 but people never cared enough to stop the mistreatment 😢
I just went and rewatched that scene. Both Dumbo and his mom do that rocking motion shown in this documentary when they are seperated. I think real research went into Dumbo, but everyone just thought it was a fictional abusive circus, not realizing it’s based on the majority of circus treatment
When I was a kid Dumbo made me cry. I haven't watched it since.
I love and am totally wowed by elephants. Their size just amazes me.
This story makes me so sad.
That poor girl just had enough of people treating her badly. The only saving grace is that even though she did not have a good death, she is at peace.
Ugh please never stop creating! This was so needed.
Her patreon page sort of explains her absence. I posted the link here but it was taken down. I don't know why she wouldn't give her CZcams followers an update, we've been a pretty faithful bunch.
What is the reason for her absence then?? (I don't have the money for patreon so I'm simply just curious since I always look forwards to an upload!!)
You don't need an account to see it, you need one to view her vids tho. It pretty much said she was on a sabbatical. I think it was a well needed rest from the COVID-19 pandemic.
I was 12 when this happened and after this I protested school field trip to a circus and I remember my mom having to come get me for causing a commotion- my school never attended another animal or circus performance. This story really hit me and I’ll never forget it thank u. I lived in NJ by the way so Tykes story traveled far. Thank u again ❤
Wow good job!
You're so damn cool for that 💖
@@madeofamethysts oh thanks- young disrupter since elementary school that’s me
I remember that it too.....we were going to take some of our disabled clients to the circus and people were protesting. I saw the signs and that was the last time I have ever gone to an animal show. The protestors made me think to myself "why would a lion jump through a ring of fire?" cause that's what they were having the lions and tigers do.
Thankfully, today there are lots of circuses that don't use animals 🌝
I remembered when this came out. I was a kid too. I remembered thinking how horrible her screaming was. I asked my father why didn't they just let her calm down and he said because people are BLEEPS to animals. Thank you for doing this .
😭😭😭
It sounds like you recognized right away (*as a child*) that she wasn’t a monster, but that she was just hurt and scared.
@@megapiglatin2574 there are so many comments of peeps were children and knew and felt how inherently wrong it was for precious animal beings to be “ enslaved”……
Exactly, there was no reason to shoot her at all. Cops with their guns… How did they think their little pistols would have any effect?? They should have just let her run and kept tabs on her until she stopped. But even then, there wouldn’t have been any happy ending for this poor creature
@@heatherduke7703 seriously, she was literally trapped. they could have waited for someone with the resources to sedate her so she could be taken to a sanctuary, or at the very least put her down humanely. instead they tortured her to death.
Your dad is correct. Remember when the child got into the gorilla enclosure, and they killed the silverback? This kind of thing as happened before. The silverback normally looks the kid over and then walks away, realizing there is no threat.
Your content is so good, it’s a shame the CZcams algorithm is hiding it. I’ve been a subscriber for a few years now and randomly one of the videos you posted a while back was suggested only for me to realize that I haven’t seen your work pop up in a long time. Hopefully this engagement will push CZcams to suggest more in the future. For now I’ll have to keep an eye out!❤
Always keep an eye out regardless of how CZcams is doing! And if your content creators have other socials I would suggest following them on there as they often post when they produce new videos
I remember crying while watching on tv and I cried just now watching your video… it still breaks my heart that she died without ever being able to live. Thank you for your frank and honest telling.
Tyke's sacrifice is a large reason why a local elephant in the 90s got to live out the rest of her life in a sanctuary with a companion instead of chained in a small barn, she and elephants like her helped people realize how cruel keeping these beautiful creatures in captivity is ❤
I needed to read this.😢❤
I have lived is Asia (two countries) for over 30 years, In that time I have attempted to rescue many animals, two in particular come to mind one being an elephant and the other an orangutan both were far too young to have been separated from their mothers (mothers shot by illegal loggers in both cases) as they were still reliant on their mothers milk both were raised to adulthood Remember this is in two different countries, when I tried to fight against the logging, these animals were taken from me by government officials, I was told they were going to a sanctuary
Approx 18 months later I and my young son visited a zoo about 50k from our home and guess who we met there caged? That was 'Lady' the orangutan, sadly I was never able to find out the fate of the kindest most gentle giant you could ever hope to meet, we called him 'future', how naive of us
We as humans have a lot to answer for, if not for committing this shit, then for knowing it is happening and doing sweet fuck all to prevent it Sorry for the language but it must be said, Governments and some animal rights organizations simply cannot be trusted to do what is asked of them and a lot of humanity appears to have lost all traces of empathy for our extended family
The saddest part is Tyke never saw her family again. I can’t begin to imagine the agony it would’ve been like for Tyke, let alone for her herd. While animals shouldn’t be anthromophosized, their feelings and self-awareness should be taken into consideration when taking care of them. If you give animals, especially wild animals, hell, you shouldn’t be too surprised when you get hell in return.
the argument against anthropomorphizing animals is because it doesn’t sound scientific to assume/deduce that animals are feeling and intelligent beings and also to excuse humans behaving superior to the animals they abuse or experiment on
I feel like elephants are emotionally intelligent enough for us to empathise with them. Our social structures and life cycles are similar.
I never knew about most of these poor beings' deaths....it sickens and breaks my soul. I honestly pray they are at peace now.
It’s August 21st… we want another video ❤
Watching Tyke's death absolutely gutted me. You could see the pain and fear in her eyes.
Still crying.
😪😪😪😪😪😪