Humiliation for the circus, the court affirms our right to defend Maya!

On February 13th, we were put on trial by the circus that owns and exploits Maya. The circus advocated censorship, forbidding us to defend her, demanding not only our silence, but our public apology.

Not fulfilling our mission was out of the question, we had to do everything in our power to defend the animals!

Justice has proved us right.

For several weeks, Maya was nowhere to be found, and our letters to the circus were left practically unanswered. They allowed the rumour to spread that she was dead, while they alone could dispel the doubt.

At the hearing, we learned that Maya was alive. The veterinary inspection requested by the Prefect had taken place the day before, and the circus had had her abscess treated at the hindquarters a few days before. We had raised the alert about this growth in October!

But a priori, nothing has been done for her feet, while her posture shows us in a blatant way that it is from there that she physically suffers the most! She gathers her feet under her, to make up for her weight from the back to the front and tries to relieve them by lifting them one after the other.

When we know that the vast majority of elephant health problems come from their feet, we can only worry about such a lack of knowledge. All the elephants at this circus were filmed trampling in their excrement, because they were stuck on the spot, we even filmed Maya drinking from a garden hose on the ground!

Maya’s stereotypical behaviour is also very worrying, it is related to her pain, but also to her impossibility to walk, an imperative natural need for elephants. Let us repeat, elephants are made for walking and the richness of a group life, and in circuses their mobility is all the more limited and this all year long. To this must be added the perpetual truck journeys, on winding roads that places great demands on the elephant’s feet and legs.

We will soon know if this veterinarian has taken into account her well-being as a whole or if he has focused only on the health aspect, as have the veterinarians of the circus so far.

During the hearing, the circus attorney repeatedly showed that he did not know the anatomy of an elephant and made use of bad faith as a specialist.

Selected extracts:

“Salières (temporal gland area) are towards the flanks” while in fact they are above the temples;

“Abscesses appearing on the hindquarters are usual past 50 years” while they are actually due to abuse.

“Maya is living in this circus, and not captive, she is part of the family, and is not considered a work tool …” So, she can leave when she wants, right?

“All studies show that an elephant lives longer in captivity than in the wild …” For us, a life of detention and exhibition is not a dignified life. In nature, they must be protected, and in captivity they must be released!

We have other actions planned for her in 2018, it is time that Maya get a little respite, and to be helped, this is a priority of her requirements! We also file a complaint against the ill-treatment suffered by Nelly and Brigit, the other two elephants held by this circus. These elderly and suffering elephants deserve, like all the others on this planet, an elephant life, not a Circassian life. They will not silence us!