Warning: Elephants have been spotted on Baltimore City streets ? watch your step.
Nine elephants were in attendance Tuesday at the Pachyderm Parade, a morning promenade to mark the arrival of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Baltimore. Wearing bright red headdresses and holding each other?s tails with their trunks, the elephants marched from the B&O Railroad Museum down Pratt Street to the 1st Mariner Arena.
White Marsh resident Walt Willson held his 20-month-old daughter Alexandra on his shoulders as she checked out the elephants through her heart-shaped sunglasses, pointing excitedly. “It?s not every day that you see an elephant get out of a train and walk down the street,” Willson said with a laugh. “[Alexandra?s] in awe.”
Les and Sandy Vogel, of Baltimore, brought their daughter, Elana Dressler, and her three children ? 5-year-old Avigayil, 3-year-old Amitai and 2-year-old Hila ? to watch the elephants.
“My and Les? first date was at the New York Circus, so every March and April, we look forward to the coming of the circus,” Sandy Vogel said, adding that her grandchildren will get to see the circus for the first time Sunday.
Avigayil said she most wanted to see the clowns at the circus, because they make her laugh, and little brother Amitai agreed.
Dressler and her kids, who were visiting from their home in Israel, stared as the large elephants tramped by them on their way to the arena. “There?s no circus in Israel,” Dressler said. “I?m looking forward to seeing their reactions and how they will enjoy it on Sunday.”
Ken Samuels, production manager for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, explained that there are 12 elephants that participate in the circus. “These girls are all Asian elephants, and we don?t take any of them from the wild,” he said. “They are either bred in captivity or are rescues.”
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Presents Bellobration will be in Baltimore through March 23 and features comic daredevil Bello, named “America?s Best Clown” by Time magazine.
