The Ringling Brothers Circus is back in town, which means a few things. Bad - our sports teams will have to take harrowing road trips. Good - the pachyderms are marching through our city streets!
The eleven circus elephants weighing about four tons each are transported across the country via train. Because they are way too heavy to ride on a truck, the elephants must walk from the stop to the venue. In the case of the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, that means a two-mile trek through neighboring Des Plaines.
At 8 p.m. Tuesday night, the brigade stomped through the streets as onlookers snapped photos and waived. We spoke with a few kids who were seeing the massive beasts for the first time. Very excited to say the least.
Libby Morris is a trainer with Ringling Brothers, she works exclusively with the elephants, a trade that has been part of her family for generations. She told me that in New York City, the elephants walk six miles. They schedule a stop every two miles, and sometimes, she hops on the front elephant and takes a ride.
But the real story last night was the cleanup crew. Two lucky public workers from the city of Des Plaines, Allen Labuda and Woody Hunt, had the fortune of working the late shift. That meant following the line and scooping up the pounds and pounds of excrement thunderously falling from the group.
The Ringling Brothers Circus starts this Thursday at the Allstate Arena before moving to the United Center on November 17th. Tickets can be purchased here.
The eleven circus elephants weighing about four tons each are transported across the country via train. Because they are way too heavy to ride on a truck, the elephants must walk from the stop to the venue. In the case of the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, that means a two-mile trek through neighboring Des Plaines.
At 8 p.m. Tuesday night, the brigade stomped through the streets as onlookers snapped photos and waived. We spoke with a few kids who were seeing the massive beasts for the first time. Very excited to say the least.
Libby Morris is a trainer with Ringling Brothers, she works exclusively with the elephants, a trade that has been part of her family for generations. She told me that in New York City, the elephants walk six miles. They schedule a stop every two miles, and sometimes, she hops on the front elephant and takes a ride.
But the real story last night was the cleanup crew. Two lucky public workers from the city of Des Plaines, Allen Labuda and Woody Hunt, had the fortune of working the late shift. That meant following the line and scooping up the pounds and pounds of excrement thunderously falling from the group.
The Ringling Brothers Circus starts this Thursday at the Allstate Arena before moving to the United Center on November 17th. Tickets can be purchased here.
