Judge sides with circus in elephant flap

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Washington has sided with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in a legal fight over alleged abuse of Asian elephants.

In a 57-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan Wednesday said a former Ringling employee, Tom Rider, and the Animal Protection Institute did not have legal standing to sue the circus under the Endangered Species Act, The Washington Post said Thursday.

Ringling Bros. had been accused of violating the law because handlers used bull hooks on elephants and chained them for long periods. Such techniques harmed the elephants, Rider and API argued.