Letter: Elephant's life span may be higher in circus than in wild

At 53 years young, King Tusk is greeting students across the country with the flair of an elephant half his age. In fact, with proper care and veterinary attention, performing Asian elephants can live up to 70 years -- whereas male Asian elephants in the wild, often prime targets for poaching, face a daily struggle for survival.

As with all the animals traveling with Ringling Bros., King Tusk is given the very best care possible during his goodwill tour.

At a whopping 11,000 pounds, King Tusk is a larger-than-life reminder of our responsibility to Asian elephants, both in the conservation of their species and habitat preservation and in our responsibility as animal caretakers.

In 1995, Ringling Bros. established the Center for Elephant Conservation, a $5 million state-of-the-art facility solely dedicated to the breeding and conservation of the Asian elephant.

Ringling Bros. is very proud of its history of successfully living and working with Asian elephants and of the role it has played in introducing these magnificent animals to generation after generation of circusgoers and their families.

Joan Galvin, vice president, Feld Entertainment

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