The One Voice association lodges a complaint with the Prosecutor of Agen for acts of cruelty to an animal held in captivity. It also files a reference "appropriate measures" to the Administrative Tribunal of Bordeaux, to request that the prefect of Lot-et-Garonne be summoned, under penalty of 1000 euros per day, to withdraw Maya from the circus and to hand over to the association the last three reports about Maya's obviously alarming state of health.
One Voice is holding a press conference at Elephant Haven Elephant Sanctuary on Monday, October 9th at 11.00 am 1 to report on the release of the detained circus elephant Maya and her urgent transfer to the sanctuary.
Following numerous reports about Maya, one of the elephants from a "traditional" circus, the association asked a veterinarian to make an assessment of the animal from several videos taken by investigators. This sounded the alarm bells: "(...) the conditions of detention in which Maya is maintained are totally inadequate and fall well within the title of animal cruelty. Her health is extremely alarming and increases the urgency, and should be evaluated by a team of independent and specialized elephant veterinarians, appointed by the authorities to establish urgently a therapeutic and nutritional plan to improve her condition. If not, I think Maya's chances of survival in the short term are greatly compromised. (...) "
Faced with this overwhelming report the association One Voice immediately filed a complaint to the Public Prosecutor for an act of cruelty, and also asked the administrative court to order the Prefect to fulfil its mission of protection of animals.
If these steps do not succeed, the association considers other actions because it is just inconceivable that the basic rights of this elephant are so flouted.
Finally, in the perspective of her rescue, the association made the decision to reserve a place for Maya in the Elephant Haven, whose team said it is ready to welcome the elephant as soon as it is released, even in the case of an emergency.
1 Press conference at Elephant Haven - Monday 9th October at 11am with:
- Muriel Arnal, president of One Voice
- The Elephant Haven Sanctuary Team
- Arielle Moreau, lawyer for One Voice
- Pierre Gallego, wildlife Consultant Veterinarian for One Voice
