Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train

Part III, The Animal Cars and Walk to the Arena.

The Circus rolls into The Pond, in Anaheim, CA

Red Unit, 133rd Edition, July 24, 2003, Anaheim, California

Story and Photographs by Carl Morrison

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Hoping to get better photographs of the elephants and horses of the circus, I attended another 'Animal Walk' from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train to the performance site. I met the animal train at Cerritos and Sunkist streets in Anaheim, California, USA, at 12:30 pm, as I had done precisely a year ago, and put myself in a good position to photograph the unloading of the animals. Specifically, I wanted to watch and photograph the animals as they came off the stock cars and down the ramps, be staged, then move out for the 6/10 mile walk to the Anaheim Pond (Arena) where they would be housed for the 10 days of the Circus in Anaheim.

As I arrived, the last of the equipment containers were being unloaded. Excited parents and grandparents I talked to said, "The tigers have already been loaded!" I concluded with a smile that I'd have to be earlier next year!

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The Anaheim Bulletin, local newspaper, had given the unloading and animal walk times, so locals enjoyed the grassy knoll and olive tree shade.	A second set of containers were unloaded.

Mondi (right) had called TrainWeb.com to see, "From the source," when the animal train would unload. 5-yr. old son, Brandon, waits patiently with Mom. She is agreat railfan.
A a set of cages, I believe the cages are used to shuttle the tigers to the performance area in the arena.	Soon the red and white Ringling Bros. bus arrived with red-shirted cast members who would talk with the crowd and walk between the animals and the crowd. Tan shirted animal handlers also arrived.

The first two cars housed the horses.

With the ramps and stock racks in place on the horse cars,...	the horses were led down the ramps and staged for the walk.
Both horses and handlers know the routine, which is completed at every venue. Note the padding above the open door.	The process was slow and safe, with the horses being more sure of their footing than the handlers. After all, the horses are not walking on their 'hind legs' as are the humans.

The oohs and aahs of those watching the unloading signaled the appearance of the first elephant from their 2 cars. When I told some folks along the way that elephants were kept in the last two cars, they doubted me saying, the doors weren't high enough. These being intelligent animals, they had learned to duck!

The first elephant appears, and 'detrains,' in the next 3 photos--->	I noticed that the elephants had this down pat, and came out without halters or handlers at their sides.
I wish I had the flexibility of this elephant, notice how long she leaves her back leg in the car as she assends the ramp.	As soon as one stepped off the end of the ramp, another elephant was ready in the doorway.

Now, look back at the 4 photos above and the one photo below, left, and notice the handler in the hat has been with the first elephant every step of the way, and appears to stay with this particular elephant all the way to the arena. I wonder if this is the case--that each elephant has her own personal handler? I guess when you are a star, you get attention like this!

Every elephant knew their job and handlers were few and far between, yet the large beasts aligned themselves better than an elementary school class after recess!	The Ringling employee in the red shirt informed me that the elephant on the right, was the Matriarch, "Daisy." All ten Asian elephants are females.
Two elephants had star brands, which were applied before Ringling Bros. rescued them.	Elephants aligned, head dresses in place, it is time to walk to the arena.

I was a busy little photographer because now, all four animal coaches were being unloaded simultaneously!

Photography Hint: Take at least two people when you watch the unloading of the circus train, and equip each with a movie camera. Position the first person across the street and between car 1 and 2 (the horse cars) and the second between cars 3 and 4 (the elephant cars) and you should have two good pieces of film. Then, be prepared to move out quickly if you want to film the walk to the arena. Perhaps position a third person between the train and the arena, at a high vantage point with good background, with a third camera. Everyone will have a full plate of entertainment during this hour or more of animal viewing. In my opinion, after viewing two animal train unloadings and walks this week, you will have a hard time finding a better place to view this process than in Anaheim. One reason being the light traffic at the intersection where the unloading takes place. The second reason being that no cross street traffice has to be blocked once the walk begins from the train to the arena in Anaheim.

Horses and handlers patiently await the elephants to take the lead in the animal walk.	André McClain, former rodeo champion, works with the horses. I wonder if I'll see him in the ring when they perform?

Elephant parade etiquete says, 'trunks and tails.'

Hooked up and rolling.
Close scrutiny confirms gender.

Could you call this an "Elephant Train?!"

I asked Ringling Bros. about the star brands on the hind quarters of
two elephants (left) and their response was,

These elephants came to us over two decades ago from a source in South East Asia where it was common custom to brand their elephants for much the same
reasons as cattle ranchers brand cattle here in the US. I believe we got a
total of 4 elephants from this same source. One is in our breeding center
in Florida, one was donated to the Moline, IL Zoo as a companion elephant, and two are on the road with the shows. [These are the two I saw.]

Because the RBBB elephants are never mixed with other herds and therefore do
not need to be identified amongst other bulls, we do not brand our
elephants. These came to us with the brand already on."

--Peggy Williams, Education Outreach Manager, Feld Entertainment


	'And they're off!' passing safely UNDER the 57 Freeway, turn right and a short ways down Douglas Street to the arena...a total from elephant cars to the arena of 6/10 mile.

The End

of a great day at the Anaheim Circus Animal Unloading and Walk.

*My apologies to Daisy and the other Lady Elephants of the circus for this angle of photograph. You see, I was only following safety orders and staying across the street from your private car and couldn't resist the shot. I assure you, only you know which elephant is in this picture and I will make no snide comments about the photo. In fact, I find this pose very becoming. Carl "Dumbo" Morrison

**Comments about this story and the photographs are welcomed via e-mail to: Carl@TrainWeb.com .

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