Tyke the elephant killed her trainer on the floor of the Blaisdell Arena on Aug. 20, 1994, in front of a horrified audience that was there to be entertained by a traveling circus. She injured two other people before she was killed by a barrage of bullets in Kakaako.

The tragic death of Tyke and her trainer provides an all-too-vivid example of the danger posed to both animals and human beings when wild animals are kept in captivity solely for entertainment.

The Hawaiian Humane Society has long opposed using wild animals as entertainment. That is why we have advocated, along with other animal welfare organizations, for the state’s Department of Agriculture to pass rules that would ban the importation of wild animals into Hawaii for entertainment purposes.

The Society promotes the humane treatment of all animals, whether domesticated or wild.

This proposed rule change is long overdue.

In May 2015, Gov. David Ige issued a directive prohibiting the Department of Agriculture from issuing permits for the importation of wild animals solely for entertainment at circuses and fairs. The proposed rule, which would make that ban permanent, will be heard publicly on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii island this week and we urge the public to provide testimony in support of the new rule.

Prior to the governor’s directive, the state attorney general reported that there is nothing illegal about the Department of Agriculture issuing permits to allow circus animals to be brought into Hawaii for performances.

That is what makes passing a rule change so important.

Think about what wild animals must endure in coming to Hawaii to perform in a circus. They are often trucked to California in extremely cramped quarters with little exercise and then loaded onto a ship for four to five days, often enduring stormy seas and seasickness.

The animals arrive in Hawaii sore and stressed. Rather than being allowed to rest following the harrowing trip, they are often subjected to even more inhumane conditions, especially as they continue their “training.” Elephants, in particular, suffer training conditions that may include beating the animal, using electrical prods, withholding food, chaining and using other cruel methods to force them into submission. Following this sort of brutal training, the animal may seem tame but its original instincts will appear if provoked, which is what happened with Tyke.

Around the country, many local governments already have passed laws refusing to host circuses and other animal acts. It is time for wild animal acts to pass into history, particularly in Hawaii, where we have seen the tragedy that can result from this kind of exploitation.

Please lend your voice to the prevention of animal suffering and testify in support this rule change at a series of public hearings across the state this week.

TO TESTIFY

This week’s public hearings on Department of Agriculture rules banning the import of dangerous wild animals for performance in circuses and fairs:

>> To see the proposed rules: Go to hdea.hawaii.gov/meetings-reports/proposedar

>> To submit testimony: Email Jonathan.K.Ho@Hawaii.gov, and include “Testimony: Animal Import Rules” in the subject line