With 2K Games's upcoming release of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for DS and Wii, animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) called on the press to inform others about the circus company's alleged abuse of elephants and tigers when writing about the games.

"While a representative for Ringling Bros. stated that 'you're going to get to experience every single part of [the circus],' we highly doubt the game will feature what PETA investigators recently documented: the severe and routine abuse of elephants and tigers at the hands of Ringling workers," says a PETA spokesperson.

According to the animal right group, its investigator captured video of Ringling Bros. employees beating and whipping elephants, as well as using sharp bullhooks to jab and yank them. The PETA representative implored journalists, "If you choose to cover the release of this game, we feel that it's imperative you also inform the public about our investigation findings."

This isn't the first time PETA has used video games as a platform to advance its agenda; last November, it released Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals, an online web game parodying Majesco's Cooking Mama series and bringing attention to turkey cruelty (two weeks before Thanksgiving).

PETA also championed Lionhead Studio’s Fable II as 2008's "most animal-friendly video game" earlier this year, applauding the Xbox 360 game for rewarding players for maintaining a vegetarian diet.

"Ringling has made it clear that it has no intention of stopping its abusive practices," adds the PETA spokesperson. "It has not even condemned the violent behavior that's clearly shown in this video footage. With the release of this game, it's time for blogs and websites to tell readers the truth about Ringling."

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey (Wii) and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: Circus Friends: Asian Elephants (DS) ship to stores next week under Take-Two's family/budget label 2K Play.