Deliberate: circus tries to camouflage itself, One Voice will continue to defend the elephant Maya
The
judge of the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Strasbourg has ruled, One
Voice’s freedom of expression is safe, for the protection of
animals.
We
file a complaint against the family that owns this circus, against
the living conditions unworthy of Nelly and Brigit, the other two
elephants that they continue to hold.
On
February 13th,
One Voice was summarily summoned to the TGI of Strasbourg by the
circus, which owns and operates Maya, a 50-year-old Asian elephant.
For Arielle Moreau, lawyer for One Voice,
“The
intension here is to harm by muzzling the association One Voice.”
Indeed,
the circus demanded the withdrawal of any representation of the
elephant on the website of the association, its social networks,
leaflets and signs during events. In other words, they demanded that
publicly defending Maya becomes illegal. They also demanded an
apology published in the regional daily newspaper appearing where the
circus headquarters is registered.
For
several weeks, the circus let rumours circulate that Maya was dead,
by hiding her, refusing to answer the letters of the association,
telling them of their legitimate rights, whereas they alone had the
opportunity to dispel the doubt. Using bad faith and false pretences,
the lawyer tried to turn the situation around for the benefit of his
clients, insinuating that One Voice spread the rumour, while she did
everything to stop it.
At the hearing, the
association learned that Maya was alive, that the veterinary
inspection requested by the prefect of Lot-et-Garonne had taken place
the day before, and that the circus had had an abscess treated on the
back of the elephant before this inspection. Nothing has been done
for her feet, however, as her posture blatantly shows that it is from
here that she physically suffers the most. She picks up her feet from
under her, to make up for her weight from the back to the front. We
will know soon if the veterinarian mandated by the authorities has
taken the measure of the distress of Maya in addition to her pain.
The
appeal lodged for Maya by One Voice at the Administrative Court of
Bordeaux is still ongoing and the complaint for acts of cruelty
allowed the opening of an investigation. To this will be added the
complaint of the association for two other elephants of the same
circus, Nelly and Brigit, detained like her for many years, also
stored in truck trailers as working tools, and also presenting
disturbing signs of stereotypy. One Voice reminds that the place for
Maya at the sanctuary Elephant Haven (in Limousin) has been reserved
by the association since October 2017 and to which the association
made a significant donation in 2016 for the purchase of the land.