Circus elephant injured in Miss. drive-by shooting

Emily Le Coz, The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger | USATODAY

TUPELO, Miss. — An elephant with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was injured in an early morning drive-by shooting Tuesday but is expected to make a full recovery.

The elephant, one of several performing with the traveling circus, was in an enclosure outside the BancorpSouth Arena when it was hit by a bullet in the shoulder, said the arena's marketing director, Kevan Kirkpatrick.

"We have had the circus once a year since 1995," Kirkpatrick said. "Absolutely this is the first elephant shooting we had."

A security guard on the scene was able to provide some information to the Tupelo Police Department, which is investigating, but "leads are pretty slim," said Tupelo Police Capt. Rusty Haynes. "We're dealing with a victim that can't talk."

The department has been in touch with state and federal wildlife authorities and, because the Asian elephant is an endangered species, the crime will be pursued as a federal offense under the Endangered Species Act, Haynes said.

In addition, he said, federal government might provide reward money for information leading to the conviction of the responsible person or persons. PETA also is offering a reward of $5,000 to help nab the shooter, said PETA spokesman David Perle, who criticized the circus's handling of elephants.

Circus staff and a local large-animal veterinarian immediately calmed the large pachyderm after it was shot and provided it medicine. Within 20 minutes, the animal was walking around the pen and eating carrots, Kirkpatrick said.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus flew in its own veterinarian to follow-up on the 39-year-old female elephant's health. Company spokeswoman Melinda Hartline said "Carol" will be taken to Springfield, Mo., where she'll remain under veterinarian care for several weeks.

She is expected to make a full recovery, Hartline said. And the circus will go on as scheduled, with shows set to start Thursday and run through the weekend.

In the meantime, city officials have placed an "elephant-sized card" in the lobby of the Convention & Visitors Bureau for Carol that the public is invited to sign. It also will collect donated items for the local animal shelter in Carol's honor.

"Tupelo is widely known for being an extremely safe community for its citizens and visitors," said Mayor Jack Reed Jr. in a statement. "We are shocked and infuriated at this senseless crime against an innocent animal."