The African Elephant
This huge and dangerous animal, the African elephant, is the largest land animal on Earth.
African elephants can grow up to 10 feet tall, but Rene Casselly Jr. is fearless when it comes to his beloved elephants that have been by his side all his life.
Animal Trainer And Acrobat
Rene is not only their friend, but he’s also their trainer and an acrobat at the National Circus at Lake Balafon, in Hungary.
Rene is half German and half Belgian, and his incredible stunts have made him famous.
Sharing With The Internet
The young man has an Instagram account on which he shares his stunts and skills in tumbling and jumping, all done with elephants and horses' help.
He also shares cute moments when he loves and cuddles his friends!
Seven Generations Of Animal Trainers
Until his 20th anniversary, Rene has already been performing for four years for the circus.
Moreover, he is the seventh generation animal trainer in his family. Here’s what he said about the elephants…
His Family Of Elephants
“_They are like my family. I grew up with them. They are like my brothers and sisters_,” said Rene.
And in his spare time, you will find him with the elephants, bonding and having fun together!
Swimming With Them
“_I like to go in the pools with the elephants, swimming with them_,“ said the young trainer.
This is how he gets to do his stunts by making the animals trust him and showing that he respects them. And he always does this next amazing thing…
Learning Stunts
Rene learned to get thrown into the air by elephants and being flipped in the air by the trucks, tumbling on other elephants.
He said that his ‘act with the elephant is a really unique act’ because he is the only one in the world doing it. And that’s not all!
Negative Reactions
But when he posted his videos or pictures on Instagram, many people have responded negatively, being concerned for the safety of the elephants in the circus.
Guess what the young man said?
They Don’t Know About It
“_Negative reactions, I think, are because the people don’t really know how the elephants are treated_,” said Rene.
He then explained: “_They are happy, they have their mud bath, they have everything they need_“…
The Circus Can Also Provide A Good Life
“_We’re trying to show off to the people that animals and elephants can have a good life in the circus too,_” said Rene.
And, as for training, he said that he only trains his elephants with positive enforcement. This is what he does.
Watermelon, Bananas, And Apples
“_The only thing you can teach an elephant with is food. You need a lot of food; they love to eat,_” explains Rene.
So, the elephants will perform the trick, knowing they will get lots of their favorite food! The next photo is breathtaking!
We Don’t Do Negative Enforcement
“_I don’t do any negative enforcement; the only thing is natural treatments. You can see that my elephants are happy; they are calm; they aren’t forced to do anything_,” said Rene.
And they look happy!
The Best Way To Do It
Rene chooses his circuses according to the elephants’ needs. He will only accept those places where his elephants can roam free and graze grass or bathe in mud.
This is what he said about the living conditions…
The Elephants Are Free To Roam All The Time
“_They are loose all day and all night; we don’t need to tie them to anything_,” said the young trainer.
And he will not go to the circuses that won’t give his beloved animals a good treatment!
Getting Daily Baths
“_Every circus who hires elephants or animals from us know that they can’t hire them if they can’t give good treatment_,” stated Rene.
“_I shower the elephants every day with a water pipe, brush, and shampoo, and after that, they are in the field all day_.” And their shows are amazing. Check them out in the following photos!
A Short Performance
The time Rene uses his elephants for performance is quite short.
“_If we have a show, I take them to the circus five minutes before the show, and they do a routine for six minutes, and then they come back to the fields_.
A Symbol For Circuses
The first time elephants have been introduced to circuses has been in the 19th century, at the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Hachaliah Bailey created the first circus in the U.S. after buying an African elephant in 1806, called ‘Old Bet.’
PETA Closing Circuses
In time, many circuses that used animals for entertainment and didn’t treat them right or kept them caged and neglected have been closed by animal welfare organizations like PETA.
Many of the animals used in circuses were retired and sent to animal sanctuaries or conservation reserves. Right now, Rene is still surrounded by his friends, the elephants, and horses.
Check Him Out On Instagram
Seeing how great he is with the animals, we can’t deny that he’s best friends and the animals feel safe with him around.
His videos and photos posted on Instagram prove that he is a great friend and an amazing artist!