Circuses flout the intelligence and sensitivity of elephants
While researchers continue to prove the incredible intelligence of elephants, circuses continue to exploit them. #LibertéPourLesEléphants
They are still around thirty. Thirty elephants on the roads of France, transported from town to town, locked up, sometimes isolated and suffering. Among them, Lechmee blind and paralyzed but always twitchy. The care given to her by her friends is overwhelming. They illustrate the identity of elephants, so sensitive, capable of compassion and consolation … Because the discoveries about their cognitive abilities accumulates. How much will it take to get an end to their ordeal in these circuses?
We already know the capacity of their memory, their empathy and their unselfish nature. We know that they honour their dead, that they cooperate. Perhaps even the wisdom of knowing how to live together should be a source of inspiration for humans. Yet they continue to be exploited in the worst possible way.
Elephants are the slaves of circuses. Forced to raise a foot, to do a handstand, a turnaround … then sent back to their dark trailers. How is it still possible, when we know, and it’s even been scientifically proven how intelligent they are?
A recent study has shown the amazing mathematical abilities of an Asian elephant. It has proved its ability to evaluate relative quantities, which was believed to be the case only from the human species until now. For this, several elephants have been confronted with images representing various quantities of fruits. Of the four individuals tested, only Authai passed the test, i.e. to determine, between two images, on which there was the greatest number of fruits, whatever the size. Further research is needed to generalize this already exciting result of this species.
Of course, it should not be necessary to prove the suffering caused by a practice to put an end to it. But concerning elephants, and as for many other species, it seems that whatever discoveries are made about them, nothing seems enough! Yet it is only to observe poor Lechmee watching Mina and Kamala surround her and give her special care and help her to feed herself. To understand what elephants are capable of, the complexity of their social links and their cognitive abilities … Not even Lechmee’s blindness, her disabled leg, her age and that of her friends, the violence that we have filmed, the disregard for the regulations, seem to succeed in convincing the authorities to put an end to their terrible exploitation…
But for Lechmee, Mina, Kamala and for all other circus prisoners we will continue to fight on relentlessly!