WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the company that owns the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus acknowledged in federal court Tuesday that all his elephant handlers strike the animals with metal-tipped prods, but he said it's necessary to keep the huge animals under control and doesn't harm them.

But under cross examination, he said the company has no policy to make sure he's personally aware of abuse investigations.

He said he's seen handlers hit elephants under the chin, behind the ears or on the legs with a bull hook — which resembles a thick fireplace poker with a curved metal hook — describing it as a standard practice to "correct" or "guide" the animals. "I don't view what I've seen as abuse," he said.