Performing elephants were very common in circuses during the 19th and 20th centuries. Circus owners would often treat these animals with cruelty and subject them to great physical and mental stress. Under the strain of captivity and regular performance, elephants turned increasingly violent and turned upon their trainers, and at times, upon the spectators. If the elephant, because of its temperament, was deemed unsuitable to continue performing in the shows, it was put to death, sometimes in spectacular fashion.
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Poster of the Forepaugh & Sells Brothers circus. Photo: trialsanderrors/Wikimedia
Source: amusingplanet.com