Although an elephant's skin is thick, it is sensitive enough for them to feel the pain of an insect bite. Trainers embed the hook into the soft tissue behind the ears and inside the mouth or tender spots under the chin and around the feet. Click here for more information on the bullhook . Whips The sting of a whip causes lingering, intense pain. Electrical shock Like the whip, a jolt of electrical current is painful.
Circuses often use electric prods and smaller hand-held shocking devices that are easily concealed.
Firearms Circuses use wild animals who are by nature unpredictable and dangerous. When animals rebel against a trainer's physical dominance they sometimes pay with their lives. Rampaging elephants have been gunned down in city streets and caged tigers have been shot to death. Muzzles Animals such as bears may be forced to wear muzzles in an attempt to keep them subdued and to discourage them from protecting themselves if they feel threatened. Muzzling can interfere with vision and respiration.