Circus Controversy: Elephant Falls During Stunt

It's unfortunate that we need to see disturbing images like these to understand that animals have 'feelings' too. Just because we can 'train' them, it doesn’t give us the legitimate right to do so, and if we do use animals for training, why not do it in a way that doesn’t endanger them? The poor elephant in the picture was forced to climb the rungs of this tiny ladder and stand on the narrow platform of the top rung. No wonder it failed the task, stumbled, and plunged straight to the ground?

Furthermore, this is not just about abusing a vulnerable creature; the situation could have ended differently and endangered the audience, who screamed in fear and scattered everywhere, afraid of getting hurt. 

Various animal rights organizations claim this is a severe violation of regulations, endangering the animals and causing them irreversible physical and 'mental' damage (not to mention the behind-the-scenes abuses that remain undocumented). Although media reports say the fall injured the elephant, it is likely to return to normal circus activities after receiving treatment. Sad.