RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY®ANNOUNCES
THE RETURN OF BABY BARACK!
(July 14, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA) –Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®is pleased to announce that Baby Barack and his mother Bonnie are back with Barnum’s FUNundrum!SM . Barack, who left audiences perched on the edge of their seats, amazed to see a baby elephant up-close, is again walking the ring with his mother Bonnie. The Greatest Show On Earth® is the only place to witness this absolutely sensational young elephant, who continues to steal the hearts of Children Of All Ages!
Barnum’s FUNundrum! producers Alana Feld and Nicole Feld are thrilled to bring this very special element back to the show. “It’s an incredible moment when the audience gets to see this special elephant walk out with his mother,” stated Nicole Feld. “We create memories for families, that’s what Ringling Bros. is all about, and when Barack comes out, it’s just so amazing, families talk about it well after the show is over,” added producer Alana Feld.
Barack was born January 19, 2009, at 11:50 pm, on the eve of the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States and weighed in at 250 pounds. He is the first calf in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey breeding program born as a result of artificial insemination.
Barack and his mother had returned to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® after he was diagnosed with a form of elephant Herpes virus earlier this year. Barack has now been successfully treated and declared healthy by veterinarians at the Ringling Bros. Center. It is not known what causes the virus in elephant calves; however Barack’s trainers noticed right away that the young elephant wasn’t himself, and he was immediately treated. Barack’s over all good health and recovery is a testament to his excellent care.
“We are so proud of our elephant care, and the treatment we were able to provide Barack here at the Center,” noted Dr. Dennis Schmidt, Ringling Bros. Chair of Veterinary Care and Director of Research. “The therapy Barack received at the Ringling Bros.Center resulted from the collaboration of research we’ve done here and shared with other institutions. Our findings are really making a difference in improving the health and lives of these majestic animals.”
In 1995, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation was established to preserve the endangered Asian elephant species by focusing on the research, reproduction and retirement of captive Asian elephants. Since the breeding program’s inception, it has seen unparalleled success and remains one of the key components in Ringling Bros. conservation efforts. The Ringling Bros. Center boasts a total of 24 births since its conservation efforts began in 1992.
For more information, visit http://www.elephantcenter.com