SAFFORD – Animal rights organization PETA is raising alarms ahead of the Jordan World Circus’s performance in Safford this weekend, highlighting the case of Viola, a 56-year-old elephant dubbed the “Most Desperate Elephant in the World.” The group claims Viola, who has attempted to escape her handlers multiple times—including a notable incident in Butte, Montana, in 2024—is being transported to the area for the circus’s show at the Graham County Fairgrounds.
The Jordan World Circus is scheduled to perform at the Graham County Fairgrounds, located at 527 Armory Rd. (east of Hwy. 191, where Armory Road meets S. Stockton Road), on Saturday, March 7, at 6 p.m. The event is promoted as the “Jordan World Glow Circus,” featuring family entertainment with glow-in-the-dark elements, aerialists, clowns, and animal acts. Tickets are available online, with early-bird specials for the first 100 general admission tickets sold.
According to PETA, Viola was taken from her family in Asia as a baby and has spent five decades in captivity, primarily under the Carson & Barnes Circus, which supplies elephants to the Jordan World Circus. The organization alleges that Viola has been forced to perform painful tricks despite chronic health issues, including swollen feet and debilitating ailments affecting her mobility. PETA cites video footage showing trainers from Carson & Barnes using sharp, steel-tipped bullhooks on elephants, causing pain and screams, and notes that Carson & Barnes has faced more than 100 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
“While some people run away to join the circus, Viola the elephant keeps trying to run away from the circus, where she’s spent a lifetime suffering in chains and servitude,” said PETA President Tracy Reiman. PETA is urging the Jordan World Circus to end its use of animal acts and is encouraging the public to avoid the show until it does so.
In response to the upcoming event, PETA supporters plan to protest outside the Graham County Fairgrounds starting before the 6 p.m. performance. Demonstrators will carry signs reading “Chained. Beaten. Desperate. Free Viola the Elephant” and call attention to the risks posed by stressed captive animals, both to the elephants and public safety.
PETA emphasizes that elephants in the wild live in matriarchal herds, protecting one another and sharing caregiving duties, a stark contrast to the life of circus elephants like Viola. The group, whose motto includes the principle that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment,” offers free Empathy Kits to promote kindness toward animals and directs people to PETA.org for more information, as well as its social media channels on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
The Jordan World Circus has not publicly responded to PETA’s specific claims regarding Viola or the planned protest in recent statements about the Safford show. Tickets remain on sale through the circus’s website and various ticketing platforms.
