Dumba, the elephant hidden by a circus in a rubbish dump in Gard

Dumba is over forty and her feet are so painful that she twists and turns even in front of strangers in an attempt to obtain relief. The forced immobility and solitude to which she is subjected daily cause muscle wasting, musculo-skeletal pain and stereotypic movements.

Just like other elephants held in captivity by circuses, she was snatched from her family while she was a baby. She has never been seen in the company of another elephant since. Just like Baby, she is kept in solitary confinement by her trainer and rented out to the highest bidder for videos and performances. Forced to have her photo taken with members of the public (which is illegal), in particular in the Cirque de Paris, she crossed paths with Jon, Patty, Marli, Céleste and Hannah before we obtained their release. We had hoped to find her in March 2020 when we followed the Cirque de Paris. On its usual site: Baby. She hadn't been seen again in France since the end of 2018. In Spain, where we are working in solidarity on her behalf with FAADA (Fundación para el Asesoramiento y Acción en Defensa de los Animales – Foundation for Advice and Action in Defence of Animals), she had been off the radar since the end of September 2020.

But one of our sympathizers came across her while out for a New Year walk, in an area that literally looks like a rubbish dump.

France, this refuge for trainers prosecuted for mistreatment. Her trainer had fled Spain with her in order to avoid court proceedings. It would have been very easy for him to flee once again in order to hide Dumba elsewhere. It was therefore essential that we act speedily. Within a few hours we had despatched our investigators.

The opinion of the expert on elephants to whom we sent the images was irrefutable: skeletal problems, possible tuberculosis ... injuries. "The physical condition of this obviously elderly Asian elephant is very poor."

We have submitted a complaint of ill-treatment and neglect by a professional (an offence) to the court in Alès. Added to that is illegally operating an establishment keeping non-domestic animals. The seizure of Dumba must be organized as quickly as possible; a place in a sanctuary already awaits her. Sign the petition and let us join together to appeal to the relevant minister, Barbara Pompili, because we shall never abandon those whose suffering is scandalously hidden from view: circus animals!

Translated from the French by Patricia Fairey