African Elephant

Chlidonias · 15-10-2008

this was on tv3 news tonight:
3 News > Lifestyle > Story > SPCA at odds with animal rights activists over circus elephant

Quote:

SPCA at odds with animal rights activists over circus elephant
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 3:42p.m.
A travelling circus has come under fire from animal rights campaigners for continuing to use an elephant in its performances.
'Jumbo' is the only circus elephant left in the country, and protesters are comparing her living conditions to solitary confinement.
But circus operators and the SPCA say the circus is the best place for her.
"We don't believe that circuses are a place for any animals, let alone large exotic animals like this elephant, because most of their days are spent in solitary confinement in a container of sorts," says Judy Morley-Hall of the Kapiti Animal Welfare Society.
Jumbo is 35 years old, and likely to live another 35. She has been a circus attraction all her life.
She was bought by the Loritz Circus earlier this year from her original owner and trainer, Tony Ratcliffe, who still looks after her.
Jumbo's new owners say the circus is the only life she has ever known, and she gets the best life possible.
"We're disappointed that we get this sort of response from these people," says Paul Johnson.
The protesters refused an invitation to talk about Jumbo's lifestyle, which includes all the outdoors time she wants and a trailer for shelter.
The SPCA was sent in to inspect Jumbo when she was in Auckland. It said she was in a good condition and being well cared for. It says Jumbo is the last circus elephant in New Zealand, so really this is a non-issue.
Ms Morley-Hall says the issue is clear.
"I think he deserves to end his days with his own kind and with freedom to walk around."
But the only other elephants in this country are two in Auckland Zoo. They are Indian elephants, but Jumbo is African and his trainer says he could not cope with the company.

3 News

Jarkari · 16-10-2008

from what I've read the circus is spending alot of money to make sure she gets the best. one article i read mentioned a figures well over a million dollars.

NZ Jeremy · 18-10-2008

He's a male eh..? Kind of hard to control usually...

Chlidonias · 02-01-2009

I saw Jumbo today. It was early morning, before the Loritz circus was open to the public, so she was chained inside her truck. I'm not one to be overly sentimental but it really was very sad. She was just rocking side to side banging against the side of the truck opening. If I was of the animal lib persuasion I would be wanting to break her out. I took some photos (a couple in the gallery) and watched her for about ten minutes but it was pretty heartbreaking to see her like that so I left
Jumbo the elephant
http://www.zoochat.com/679/jumbo-ele...-circus-58108/

Jarkari · 02-01-2009

She Really is quite a beautiful girl, I hear the circus looks after her very well but still a sad sight, nothing would be better than to be with other African Elephants.

NZ Jeremy · 03-01-2009

This is s**t...

Chlidonias · 15-01-2009

Circus elephant in the middle of jumbo row - New Zealand, world, sport, business & entertainment news on Stuff.co.nz

Quote:

A jumbo-sized dispute has broken out over the living conditions of New Zealand's only circus elephant.

Animal rights campaigner Save Animals from Exploitation (Safe) says Jumbo, an African elephant with the Loritz Circus which is currently in Christchurch, is being kept in conditions that break welfare codes for circus elephants.

The circus has dismissed the campaigner's claims as "hysterical".

Safe campaign officer Sacha Dowell said Jumbo was being kept tethered inside her trailer and was not being allowed the recommended eight hours of exercise per day.

Dowell said Jumbo was seen to be "swaying" from foot to foot, which was a sign of "emotional issues".

"It's not physical pain, it's more emotional pain at not being allowed to express her natural behaviour," she said.

A Safe press release said elephants were social and highly mobile animals and keeping Jumbo in a circus with restricted movement was harming her.

Dowell said Jumbo's long memory would mean she remembered being a free, wild elephant and would not have become habituated to captivity.

Safe campaigners protested outside the circus in North Hagley Park on Saturday.

Loritz marketing manager Paul Johnson said Jumbo, a 30-year circus veteran, had a purpose-built $300,000 home that she could retreat into at will.

"It's not a tethering of the animal, it's an option to go in or out. I dispute any claim that she is tethered for any length of time."

Jumbo was sometimes tethered for short periods for public safety, he said.

The swaying was a natural behaviour displayed in the wild that shifted the elephant's four-tonne load from foot to foot so as not to get tired, he said.

Jumbo did not "perform" in shows any more but still "made an appearance" in one scene, he said.

Johnson said he had spoken to Safe in the past, and challenged it to come up with some options for Jumbo's future but it had failed to come back to him.

"Now, you can't even talk to them. They are just hysterical."

EYE ON JUMBO

Minimum standards of elephant care as set by the government:

- A minimum exercise area of 500 square metres

- Ground underfoot in elephant exercise areas must be non-abrasive and drained

- Elephants must not be tethered with metal leg bands or chains except for safety reasons at night, during storms, in an emergency, or for treatment

- If used, a tether must be around one leg only If used, chains must be covered by polyester webbing or hosing where they go around the animal's legs and the covering must be well lubricated

- Elephants must have access to high-fibre food

There are currently 17 comments posted on the article in the link, from both pro- and anti-circus people, many of them making very valid arguments.
Now I don't usually go along with SAFE because they are all nutcases, but in this case I agree with them on most points.

A quote from the article above:
"Loritz marketing manager Paul Johnson said Jumbo, a 30-year circus veteran, had a purpose-built $300,000 home that she could retreat into at will.
"It's not a tethering of the animal, it's an option to go in or out. I dispute any claim that she is tethered for any length of time."
Jumbo was sometimes tethered for short periods for public safety, he said."
This is quite plainly a lie. At the circus she is contained within an old truck trailer that would be cheap at $3000. She does not have the option to go in or out whenever she likes because she is chained all night and right into the morning (at the very least).

Hix · 15-01-2009

Quote:

Dowell said Jumbo's long memory would mean she remembered being a free, wild elephant and would not have become habituated to captivity.

Well that's a subjective opinion. I have trouble remembering thirty years ago, and I'm sure other people would too. Elephants are individual's, and maybe her memory isn't as good as other elephants?

And if she has been in captivity for 30 years, then she has to have become habituated to it by now (or else she would be a nervous wreck and completely unmanageable). 'Habituated' doesn't necessarily mean 'happy'.

Chlidonias - I agree with your assessment of 'nutcases'. Having said that, there are people and organisations in the industry that do the wrong (for a variety of reasons) and it is sometimes difficult for the industry to legally clean it's own dirty laundry. Groups of well-meaning nutcases sometimes can bring enough pressure to bear and do what industry has not.

Hix

Jarkari · 16-01-2009

Well can anything actually be done? If a zoo deosn't want her then it would be up to a private individual to house her. And who would be willing to fork out that cash. And it would be a big ask for any New Zealand Zoo to house her as that would mean building New Facilities.

NZ Jeremy · 16-01-2009

They would have to send him oversea's, Auckland has facilities for three elephants and currently has two females but no way of keeping them seperate...

Jarkari · 16-01-2009

And I doubt the zoo would house an african with two asians. they have two choices, dubbo or a US sanctuary. but who's going to pay for that? Plus I doubt the circus would just give up the elephant. Surely they paid for her and would be expecting some kind of compensation for that.

Chlidonias · 17-01-2009

various of the posters leaving comments on the article above were saying things along the lines of "then why doesn't SAFE do something about it instead of just protesting", but of course SAFE nor anyone else can do anything at all because the elephant is the property of the circus. They're not likely to just give her away even if it was in the elephant's best interests. Someone would have to buy her, and that of course is only dependant on whether the circus wants to sell her. Protests are all there is to try and shame the circus into providing her with a better home. Its all a bit moot really.

Anyway, here's SAFE's web-page on Jumbo
SAFE : Free Jumbo Campaign

Chlidonias · 17-01-2009

and here's an article from 15 January (a couple of days after the last article I posted). The actions may or may not have been carried out by people connected to SAFE (it wouldn't surprise me) but its certainly not the right way to go about things

Intruders' apparent bid to release elephant fails - New Zealand news on Stuff.co.nz

Quote:

Intruders with jumbo-size liberation plans have broken into an elephant trailer at a circus in Christchurch freeing only smaller animals, including a llama.

Loritz Circus yesterday accused animal activists of freeing the creatures into North Hagley Park early on Sunday.

However, the animal rights group that protested against the care of a circus elephant, Jumbo, the previous day denied any involvement.

Loritz Circus operations manager Marcus Loritz said staff heard a disturbance about 4am on Sunday.

They were investigating the noise when they saw people running from the circus site.

The circus, which has been based in the park since December 31 and performs its final show on Sunday, said it was the second break-in attempt in the past week.

"They were inside the trailer and opened the back of the trailer and pulled the ramp down and opened the fences," Loritz said.

Smaller animals, including a llama, goat and miniature horse, enclosed with the elephant had wandered out of the enclosure.

"Luckily, they didn't wander too far."

The intruders could not release Jumbo because of locks in the trailer. However, they had got inside the the feeding area of the elephant's trailer.

"It's really dangerous and disturbing to the elephant. It's actually terrible because if they are animal activists they should know those animals could get onto the road and get killed, or cause an accident.

"I don't know what they were thinking.

"We have had quite a lot of grief since we have been here."

Save Animals from Exploitation (Safe) campaign officer Sacha Dowell said the group was told of the break-in on Tuesday, and was not involved.

"Safe had nothing to do with it. We work within the law," she said.

Loritz said paint had also been poured into the circus's diesel tanks and splashed over vehicles.

Animal rights' messages had been painted on the sides of the trailer, while the entrance to the circus tent had been slashed. The damage would cost several thousand dollars.

NZ Jeremy · 21-01-2009

Animal rights protesters always go about things in the wrong way, simply put the most effective thing they could do would be to join as a zoo member and try and influence things from the inside because zoos are not going anywhere...

kiwipo · 27-03-2009

The biggest problem is the Circus legally own the elephant and have no intention of donating her to a zoo. The former owner is an awkward volitile guy to deal with, and apparently still has legal connection as well as contact with the ele. He's often said, and he's even told me himself, that he is the only person who can tell the elephant what to do and control her if she gets upset.
However the Circus is determined the keep the ele, and the SPCa and MAf have checked her out a number of times and never found anything wrong. I've been present on two of these checks myself, back when Ratcliff had her in his circus.
He says she has never had contact with other elephants, and couldn't settle in with other elephants, but even if that were true she could still settle in at some place like Orana Park.
But as said, the circus won't be letting her go anytime soon.

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