These are some of the last pictures of Joyce and Hatty, two of the five circus elephants
who performed together in the small traveling Circus Vargas. Both died last week. It is
the belief that tuberculosis was the cause. Joyce died at forty-seven years old. Hatty
was twenty-seven; way short of the seventy year average lifespan for elephants. Over
a period of ten months, Joyce shrunk from eight-thousand pounds to an emaciated seven-thousand
pounds. Reports say both elephants were forced to perform almost until the day of their death.
This photo of forty-eight year old elephant Joyce was taken May 6th when Circus Vargas
put on a show in Garden Grove. Joyce died three months later. LA County Public Health
Officials say she died of tuberculosis. Eighty percent of her lungs were destroyed.
Experts say even in life, nine-year-old Heather was probably stunted. Her body smaller than
it should be. Now lying in the trailer where she died somewhere between Nevada and New
Mexico yesterday.
It was ninety-four degrees here yesterday, who knows what it was where they were traveling.
Heat frustration is certainly a possibility. Bicycle police found the trailer rocking back
and forth in a hotel parking lot. They looked inside and found three elephants, eight lamas,
and little breathing room. This gives the circus, circuses across America, a black eye.
This is exactly what people protest against.