In Britain, the sad case of the cruel treatment of Anne the elephant, held captive in Bobby Roberts’ circus for much of her 57 years, has garnered much media coverage world wide. For many years, Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS) – www.captiveanimals.org – and other campaigning groups and individuals, have been urging for her to be released to more suitable accommodation.
The coverage of this cruel abuse and more news can be seen at:
Animal Aid also has a link: http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/AA/HOME/
There may be hope now for Anne. We have contacted our MPs asking for her, and other wild animals incarcerated in 4 British circuses, to be relocated and a ban imposed on wild animals in circuses. This was promised by the previous government, but the present one is temporising on this serious matter.
We suggest that we continue pressing our MPs on this issue.
News from India
This concerns Rajni, the elephant cow, whose case the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) had been pursuing, along with member organizations PFA Hyderabad and Blue Cross of Hyderabad.
After considerable background work on this case, a victory was achieved last week when the High Court ordered a stay on her use in the Giyarveen Shareef procession in Hyderabad, which was to have taken place on 26 March 2011. The legal intervention was made by People for Animals (PFA) Hyderabad. Kudos to the active role played by Vasanthi Vadi, Sriram Vepuri, Mahesh Agarwal and others in Hyderabad in bringing about this victory. This is a great example of the power of working together through an umbrella like FIAPO – the victory came just at the right time for Rajni!
Background to the case:
Elephants in India have been subjected to immense suffering and torture primarily due to their stature, grandeur and religious significance. People have used them with ignorance and without considering their well being.
In February 2011, the High Court in Hyderabad gave permission to hire out an elephant for a procession of Giyarvin Sharif of Hazrat Ghouse – e – Azam Dastagir from Chilla Mubarak to Charminar on 26th March. The particular elephant to be used is housed at the Hyderabad Zoo, but actually owned privately.
The justification the court used for its decision was that it had previously allowed an elephant to be used in a Bonahi festival and Moharrum; their logic being, if permission was granted in one case, it should be granted in another.
But Suparna Ganguli, FIAPO Governing Board Member and long time elephant protection activist through Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC), reports that the elephant, Rajni, owned by the Nizam Trust, has a history of rogue and dangerous behaviour when in crowds and among loud frightening noises.
FIAPO facilitated its member organizations and brought legal advice through Anjali Sharma of the NOIDA SPCA and one of the FIAPO governors, through which a strategy was devised to intervene and prevent the use of Rajni in this procession.
~ Faizan Vegan Jaleel FIAPO.
~ QCA is grateful that permission to reprint this news was granted by Arpan Sharma.
Convenor, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations.