Graphic Video: California Towns Ban Bullhooks For Elephants

 “Seriously, if you were caught using a bullhook, stick or broom etc. on a dog, cat or horse etc. whipping or poking it until it bleeds; I’m sure, you would be charged with animal abuse; & quite rightly so! These bullhooks are used to control elephants; via pain, just as various other weapons are used for the rest of the circus animals! Elephants may have thick skin, but did you know they can feel a fly land on them?? So how do you think a bullhook feels to an elephant when it’s used aggressively by an impatient trainer or handlers mucking out stalls etc. I bet it hurts like hell! Bullhooks are used to keep circus elephants in check, by tugging on sensitive parts of the elephant like their ear’s & gouging at their legs to make them perform unnatural tricks for the paying audience! Elephants were not made to entertain humans, which is why they are forced by the bullhook & electric prods (verified on undercover surveillance) to entertain! How else would one get an elephant to lift off front or rear feet, walk around a big ball with one foot on it, the other turning it, or how about getting them to do a handstand; using their trunks as a balancing aid? I’m pretty sure they don’t conform to words alone, or snacks! These elephants are performing stunts in such a way as they would never, in the wild; their bodies are simply not made to do balancing acts, it’s so unnatural for them to even consider doing tricks…but a bullhook used by a human, aimed at the right place, makes it much easier to get the job done, by causing pain. They’re not dogs who can learn a trick within half an hour using treats alone. Plus the tricks elephants are forced to do; adds injuries to their ailments later in life!!!

“Those that intentionally inflict pain & suffering & enjoy carrying out their sickening hold on animals, are not worthy of being called animal trainers or handlers etc.; they are good for one thing; picking up the mess after said animal has been to the toilet!! If they can yank an elephant round, how do the treat their family pets? They shouldn’t be or in the care of any animal; if they don’t mind whacking an elephant around its body, for simply getting a verbal command right!! Torture devices can be used right under the noses of the people, paying to watch the elephants or other animals at the circus; paying customers have no idea the animals are suffering; whilst performing ridiculous tricks! Innocent looking walking sticks can be used to enforce pain, yet they look totally harmless to the distanced crowd! However, they are anything but innocent, a simple walking stick can be turned into a torture device used on any animals whilst performing etc. Props like this can have spiked nails in one end that the trainers uses to control the animals! Those watching the performance wouldn’t be able to see nails in sticks etc…they are simply too far away; but it still looks so innocent to those watching!”

“To be honest I’m astounded that more elephants haven’t attacked, killed their trainers or gone on a rampage; like several have over the years, due to the constant abuse from humans carrying  bullhooks or other items, such as a walking cane, filled with spiked nails, that when touched, cause pain etc! Could it be that elephants who were caught in the wild, remember the heartache of being taken from family & the torture chamber called the Phajaan? I’m sure those that were caught wild will never ever forget the pain of being taken from its mother & family! But it’s the Phajaan, the poor little elephant will remember forever, because that was home where he was a victim to horrendous abuse! The Phajaan is where all wild caught small elephants are horrifically tortured daily; used for one reason other than a horror chamber…it breaks the spirit of the elephant!

 Once they are in the Phajaan they can’t turn or even lay down; heavy duty rope or chains cause terrible suffering & injuries! Each foot is tied down so tightly to stop them having any chance of hurting the people who are torturing them. Rope is tied around the neck & body so there is no way they can escape! Food & water is used as a training tool too (it still is being used today) the elephants get neither if they haven’t complied with the human commands being barked at them all day for weeks or months! The elephant will stay tied in the phajaan, being whipped, poked & prodded daily to the point of bleeding from  wounds!! It stops, only when & depending on how quickly the humans can break the little elephants spirit! That is what the phajaan is made for…to literally break the elephant down, both physically & mentally, until it has no fight left in it & the elephant starts to obey the human commands!! Captured young, these elephants have to be submissive before they can be trained for log work or to be sent somewhere to be trained as a circus elephant! Nobody will pay for an elephant if it will not obey human commands. The Phajaan is used as a medieval cage of wood & it succeeds in breaking the most hardened spirit of an elephant…over time the elephant just won’t be able to stand the beatings or go on without water or food; he must submit to stop the pain & he realises; he is now a slave to humans!”

“I have a theory about why most captured elephants try not to retaliate after a beating with a bullhook etc. They say elephants have fantastic memories…well perhaps it’s the thought of being taken back to that torture chamber, where the elephants endured terrible suffering & beatings…in the Phajaan; at the hands of humans!! The horror of that place must be tattooed in the memory of every elephant that suffered there. The elephants don’t understand they will never return to that horrible place if they don’t conform. The Phajaan & the humans, who mentally & physically broke them using such weapons like the bullhooks, will stay with the elephants forever! They may be in a different place, but it is still the humans who control them! Do the elephants even know their own power & strength against humans; probably not, because it was forced out of them in the Phajaan? They only know that humans are the leaders & with their torture tools, can still physically beat & hurt the elephants, if they don’t comply!!”

“Could fear alone stop the elephants from causing harm to their trainers or owners, after all, thats all the elephants know about humans; how much pain they can cause! When they are shipped off to do other work, where all elephants know of humans is they are to be feared & must be obeyed in order not to receive punishment, I wonder if the new elephant looks at the other elephants old wounds & realises; that they too came through the same cruel path!  So do they actually behave & perform out of fear? Fear of going back to the Phajaan perhaps ensures most elephants comply! What do you think?”

“Please watch the video below, to help understand what elephants endure through life. A circus elephant could have come through the same route; tortured & abused in the Phajaan, their spirits forever broken at the hands of humans!”

By Kristin J. Bender Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — The circus will stop coming to Oakland in a few years after a tool used by elephant handlers was banned in the city.

The Oakland City Council earlier this week unanimously approved an ordinance outlawing bullhooks. The instrument resembles a fireplace poker, with a sharp hook on one end that is used by trainers to control the animals. 

Tom Rider, a former circus elephant trainer, shows a bullhook that is used by elephant trainers. The Oakland, Calif., City Council earlier this week unanimously approved an ordinance outlawing bullhooks, an instrument resembling a fireplace poker with a sharp hook on one end that is used by trainers to control the animals. Oakland is now the second city in California, after Los Angeles, to ban the use of a bullhooks. File photo

Oakland is now the second California city, after Los Angeles, to ban the use of a bullhooks. The circus will stop performing in Los Angeles in summer 2016. The Oakland ban takes effect in 2017.

“(That) will be the last time we will be in Oakland because we can’t perform without the elephants,” said Stephen Payne, spokesman for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

But the circus is still holding out hope about having future performances in Oakland. “We may see if the Oakland City Council wants to reconsider,” he said. Payne said the move is a loss for people who enjoy the circus. An estimated 30,000 people attended the Oakland circus over six days last summer, he said.

“Please Note Viewer Discretion advised! “Breaking the spirit of a young wild elephant” to be used to pull logs, work in the tourist industry or sold onto circuses”

“To Truly understand how an elephant’s spirit is broken & make them afraid of man…you really should watch this video”

Published on 8 Mar 2012

Here are the images of the training of wild elephants that are caught for the tourist trade. Please remind yourself and tell others that by visiting elephant camps you are supporting this!

The Oakland Zoo and animal rights activists supported the ordinance, saying bullhooks are cruel and inhumane. Other U.S. cities to ban bullhooks include Miami Beach, Florida.

Proponents say the tool is designed to give trainers dominance over elephants and does not hurt or harm the animal. “A lot of the information that was presented to the Oakland City Council by the proponents was designed to distort our animal care,” Payne said.

Oakland Zoo Chief Executive Officer Joel Parrott said the practice hearkens back to the turn of the 20th century and has no place in modern times.

“If I suggested using a bullhook on giraffes to get them through gates or to stab tigers to get them to do what I want them to do, everybody would react,” Parrott said. “The only reason it’s acceptable is we’ve grown used to it with the elephants.”

News Link:-http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20141219/business/141218357/

“Quote links below; read the & find out something you never knew about elephants”         

                                                                                                     The Sense of Touch

Despite its thickness, an elephant’s skin is very sensitive, to the point where it can feel a fly land on its back. Surprisingly, it is also sensitive to the sun, and baby elephants are even known to sunburn. The species’ notorious love for mud and baths helps alleviate both of these problems.

If you liked this article and the Bonus Facts below, you might also enjoy:

• Do Elephants Really Have Exceptional Memories?
• The Elephant Condemned to Death by Hanging
• 12 Interesting Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Rhinoceroses
• How the Sun Burns Your Skin and How Sunscreen Prevents This
• Why Skin Wrinkles in Water

Bonus Elephant Facts

• Elephants can be either “right-handed” or “left-handed,” and this is often shown by greater wear on one tusk as opposed to the other. Dogs and Cats are also often right or left “handed”.
• Unlike the rhinoceros, whose horn is made of hair-like keratin, elephant tusks are actually overgrown incisors. Incredibly long, at least one-third of an elephant’s tusk is inside the animal’s head, outside of view. The outside, ivory part of the tusk is, like its other teeth, comprised of dentine surrounded by a layer of enamel. An elephant’s tusks never stop growing.
• The heaviest tusks recorded weigh about 220 pounds per tusk, while the longest ever discovered were 11 feet long! Tusks today are generally much smaller due to the ivory trade and poaching keeping them from reaching such mammoth sizes.
• In a rare example of unanimity, the whole world banned the trade in ivory in 1989 with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In the decade preceding the agreement, more than half of Africa’s elephants had been killed in order to harvest the ivory, and today, poaching continues. In fact, in 2011, only a portion of the largest seizures collected found in excess of 50 thousand pounds of poached ivory. To combat this, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) had proposed regulations in February 2014 that would have placed “a near-total ban on anything made with ivory moving in and out of the U.S.” However, the sweeping regulation had many concerned that it would inhibit the transportation of “old ivory,” such as that found in antique pieces of art and musical instruments. After a public outcry, particularly from concert musicians who often need to travel with their antique, ivory-fitted instruments to perform, FWS carved out an exception in May 2014.
• Today there are somewhere between 400,000 and 600,000 African elephants remaining, and, unless things change, they are predicted to become locally extinct within 50 years

News Link with more interesting facts about elephants:–http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/07/skin-african-elephant/

GRAPHIC VIDEO: R.I.P… PAWS Says Goodbye To Beloved Asian Elephant Annie.‏

It is with very heavy hearts that we at PAWS share news of the passing of our dear friend, Asian elephant Annie – best known for her joyous romps in the lake that is part of our Asian elephant habitat at the ARK 2000 sanctuary. She had endured severe arthritis and foot disease, which gradually worsened over many years. After it became clear that the medications and treatments used to treat her chronic conditions were no longer providing relief, she was humanely euthanized on Tuesday, while lying on soft soil and surrounded by those who cared for and loved her. At age 55, she was among the oldest Asian elephants in North America.

“Everyone at PAWS will miss Annie. She was a very special elephant,” said PAWS president Ed Stewart. “I’m proud we were able to give her a peaceful and more natural life at the PAWS sanctuary for nearly 20 years. We restored her dignity and gave her the care and respect she deserved.”

Annie was born in Assam, India, around 1960, and taken from her mother at a very early age for use in the zoo industry. She was immediately put on display in a zoo in Wisconsin, where she spent much of her life chained to a concrete floor.

In 1994, the nation was shocked by videos showing Annie and her companion Tammy being cruelly trained. While held by ropes and chains handlers “broke” the elephants, mercilessly beating them into submission. This was no undercover video; the zoo recorded the training session as instruction for other keepers. (This footage was included in the 2013 HBO documentary, “An Apology to Elephants,” narrated by actress and comedienne – and friend of PAWS – Lily Tomlin.) Under public pressure, the zoo opted to relocate the elephants to PAWS.

Annie arrived at PAWS in 1995, rescued from the Wisconsin zoo with Tammy, who passed away in 2003 at age 52 from chronic foot disease and arthritis – the leading causes of death for elephants in captivity. Despite their great intelligence and size, in captivity elephants are forced to live in small, barren enclosures that cause a multitude of physical and psychological harms. Their social, physical and psychological complexities may make them one of the most deprived of all captive wild animals.

Annie keeps cool in the lake, provided for all the animals; this is as free as any captive animal can be, pure heaven for all!

Annie’s life at the PAWS ARK 2000 sanctuary was far closer to what elephants naturally need. She had a sprawling habitat in which to roam, elephant companions, soft grass to lie down and nap on, and a lake in which she loved to bob, splash and swim. It was always a joy to see Annie enjoying her habitat – something we often shared with you on our Facebook page and on Youtube.

Over the years, Annie experienced a variety of health problems, including an injury caused by a bull elephant during forced mating. Her arthritis and foot problems had progressed, including a severe foot abscess. In 2012, Annie tested positive for tuberculosis, but never exhibited symptoms of the disease. Her general condition remained good, including normal appetite and weight, but Annie’s arthritis and foot disease ultimately made movement unbearably painful for her. Tuberculosis has been diagnosed in many elephants used for circuses and to give rides, and in zoos such as the Oregon Zoo and St. Louis Zoo.

It is a sad fact that by the time most elephants come to PAWS they are suffering the debilitating effects of a life spent in inadequate captive conditions. Annie was no exception. Had she remained in her native home, she likely would have been leading a full and enriched life today, surrounded by a family of her own.

“Our job at PAWS is to restore dignity to captive elephants and, for elephants like Annie and Tammy, give them a life free from beatings and chains,” explained Ed. “We did our best for them, and continue to make a significant difference in the lives of all the elephants and other wild animals under our care.”

As is customary for all elephants that pass away at PAWS, a necropsy is being performed on Annie’s remains by pathologists from U.C. Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and tissue samples sent to a laboratory.

PAWS thanks everyone who has ever cared about and supported Annie and helped give her – and all of the wild animals at PAWS – a life of dignity, serenity, and love. On behalf of Annie and everyone at PAWS, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts

“This next video shows pure brute strength by keepers to make Annie lay down. Watch closely & see how the bull hook is gouged into her skin to make her first lay down, then stand; Annie cries out in pain as she is manhandled, she could easily have harmed her trainers, but she didn’t. Now, listen very closely as the keepers talk about how to get her to lay down, near a diagram, around 5.29..(I can hear what sounds like an electrical shock prod) …I bet they were using it on Annie…vile acts of cruelty; just for the publics entertainment!! Annie must have thought she was in heaven when she was moved to PAWS; she finally had some freedom to behave like an elephant should, larking about in the lake & making friends with other free elephants,. I’m so grateful to PAWS for giving Annie her freedom & final home, her final resting place of peace, tranquility & compassion…God bless her soul!”

1989: Zoo training tape of Annie.

Warning: Contains graphic images that are hard to watch.

Uploaded on 5 Oct 2011

Asian elephant Annie, and her close companion Tamara, shared an elephant barn/enclosure at the Milwaukee Zoo until 1994, when videotaped recordings of cruel beatings and abusive training elicited public demands that the two elephants be sent to the PAWS sanctuary. Today Annie (Tamara died in 2002) spends her days roaming and grazing among the trees, swimming in the lake, dusting and mud-bathing before lying down to sleep on a sunny hillside.

The archaic management of elephants by zoos that have been using the Free Contact system, has been the focus of controversy between AZA and animal welfare organizations, as well as many zoo professionals who advocate the use of Protected Contact management, a safer and kinder approach to elephant management.

Free Contact allows elephant keepers and handlers to share the same space with the elephant while using the cruel weapon known as the bullhook, the ankus, or the “guide”, to control the animal and to protect the handler. This system has caused injury and death to keepers and considerable suffering to elephants. Protected Contact requires that keepers work with the animal behind barriers and eliminates the use of any weapon or punishment for the elephant. It is a system that ensures the safety of the keeper and the welfare and comfort of the elephant.

In August of this year, The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) board of directors has approved new standards that will maximize occupational safety of elephant care professionals at AZA-accredited and AZA-certified facilities. The recent release of this new policy by AZA is a giant first step toward maximizing the physical and psychological health of the elephants as well.

The Elephant Manager’s Association opposes these new standards. In a recent statement, EMA wrote: “It is the opinion of the EMA that evaluations and decisions of this sort are best made by elephant care professionals intimately involved in the program as opposed to policy makers that casually observe from a distance.”

PO Box 849

Galt, CA 95632

(209) 745-2606

info@pawsweb.org

www.pawsweb.org

 “TORTURE CHAMBER…JUST THINK ON, THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE AN ELEPHANT IN A CIRCUS OR EVEN A ZOO…THIS IS HOW THEY WERE FIRST SNATCHED FROM THEIR MOTHERS IN THE WILD; THEN TORTURED, SO THEY WOULD ACCEPT THE COMMANDS OF HUMANS; FOR THE SOUL PURPOSE OF ENTERTAINING HUMANS…HORRIFIC!!”

 VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED…BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW ELEPHANTS SPIRITS ARE BROKEN SO HUMANS CAN USE THEM…PLEASE WATCH!!

Published on 8 Mar 2012

Here are the images of the training of wild elephants that are caught for the tourist trade. Please remind yourself and tell others that by visiting elephant camps you are supporting this!

Edwin Wiek of the WFFT and Khun Lek (Sangduan Chailert) of ENP are now targeted by the DNP for speaking up about the illegal wild elephant poaching and trade. This video shows what the DNP doesn’t want you to see or know about!

Did Palm Oil Plantation Workers Poison 14 Pygmy Elephants Found Dead In Borneo?

• A total of ten of the creatures have been discovered in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, Borneo, over the past three weeks
• Conservation officials believe the endangered animals had been poisoned
• Estimated to be fewer than 1,500 Borneo pygmy elephants in existence

“Please note graphic images are at the end of this long post; viewer discretion advised. A Video is also at the end of this post!”

Palm oil plantation workers were today blamed for the deaths of 14 pygmy elephants on the remote island of Borneo.

Wildlife rangers believe that the creatures could have eaten toxic substances laid to keep away ‘pests’ from the highly lucrative crop.

The animals live on land in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve which is very close to palm oil fields.

Thriving: The orphan pygmy elephant is being cared for at a wildlife reserve where it was taken after the death of its mother

A total of 14 pygmy elephants are now know to have died. Four adults were discovered yesterday in addition to ten bodies found earlier in the week.

Vets said that all the dead elephants had suffered severe bleeding and gastrointestinal ulcers, suggesting they had been poisoned.

Among the survivors is a three-month-old calf which was pictured pitifully trying to rouse his mother after she dropped down dead.

It is now being cared for at a wildlife park in Sabah where rangers have found it a home with other orphans.

Wildlife workers fear that more elephants could have been poisoned and are lying undiscovered in the remoter parts of Borneo.

Laurentius Ambu, Sabah’s director of wildlife, said: ‘We are very concerned that many more carcasses are going to turn up.

‘Because the elephants travel in herds they are going to be picking up the poisons together so we fear that there are still more dead that are going to be found.

‘Great loss’: A three-month-old elephant calf attempts to wake its mother; one of ten pygmy elephants found dead in Malaysia’s Sabah state

He said that rangers were scouring the island for areas where poison could have been laid.

‘My hunch is that there may be more (carcasses). I don’t think it’s an accident,’ he added, explaining that the area where the dead elephants were found is part of a 100,000-acre (40,469-hectare) piece of ‘commercial forest reserve’ land managed by state agency Sabah Foundation.

He said the area was slated to be used as a tree plantation for sustainable logging. So far, two palm oil plantations and a logging company operate in the area, he said.

Mr Ambu said far too many jungle areas in Sabah were being broken up by agricultural or logging activities, without corridors linking them to allow animals to pass through.

‘This shouldn’t be. The fragmentation of forests has disrupted the elephants’ traditional routes to look for food.

‘It is highly suspected that the poisoning is blatantly done or that it’s a well-planned programme.’

Attached: The baby elephant sticks close to the body of its mother, while a wildlife department official gives it a drink

Police are investigating the deaths and officials have declined to say whether there are any suspects.

Meanwhile, conservationists say they are deeply concerned about the effects the palm oil industry is having on the wildlife of Borneo.

A spokesman for the WWF said that the dead elephants were found in areas being converted for plantations, giving fresh urgency to activists’ warnings of rising conflict between man and wildlife as development accelerates.

‘The central forest landscape in Sabah needs to be protected totally from conversion,’ the group said in a statement.

‘Conversions result in fragmentation of the forests, which in turn results in loss of natural habitat for elephant herds, thus forcing them to find alternative food and space, putting humans and wildlife wildlife in direct conflict.’

‘Sad day’: A total of seven female and three male pygmy elephants have been found in the forest over the past three weeks

The first ten known deaths of the pygmy elephants were made public this week, capturing wide attention as only about 1,200 of the elephants exist worldwide.

Authorities released several photographs of the elephant carcasses, including a particularly poignant one of the three-month-old surviving calf trying to wake its dead mother.

Most of the pygmy elephants live in Sabah and grow to about 8 feet (245 centimetres) tall, a foot or two shorter than mainland Asian elephants.

Known for their babyish faces, large ears and long tails, Borneo pygmy elephants were found to be a distinct subspecies only in 2003, after DNA testing.

Sabah is one of the poorest states in Malaysia. Sabah Foundation was granted huge forest concessions, totalling about 14 percent of total land area in Sabah, by the state government to enable it to generate income to fund its aim of improving the lives of poor rural people.

The Sabah Foundation website said it had adopted sound forest management policies to ensure the areas are managed on a sustainable basis.

Tragic: The carcasses of the endangered animals were found in the forest over a period of three weeks

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2271230/Endangered-pygmy-elephants-killed-plantation-workers.html#ixzz2JhuUcjW4
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Pygmy Elephants Found Dead In Borneo

Published on 29 Jan 2013

Pygmy elephant calf desperately tries to wake up dead mother who was one of ten animals found poisoned 

A baby pygmy elephant tries in vain to rouse its mother, one of ten of the endangered creatures found dead in a Malaysian forest.

Experts believe the rare, baby-faced animals, whose bodies were found in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve in Sabah state, Borneo, had been poisoned.
Wildlife officials rescued this three-month-old elephant calf, which was found glued to its dead mother’s side in the jungle.

The seven female and three male elephants, which were all from the same family group, have been found over the past three weeks.

Sabah’s environmental minister Masidi Manjun said the cause of death appeared to be poisoning, but it was not yet clear whether the animals had been deliberately killed.

There are believed to be fewer than 1,500 Borneo pygmy elephants in existence.
While some have been killed for their tusks in the area in recent years, there was no evidence to suggest the elephants had been poached.

Asia’s Baby Elephants: Heinous Cruel Acts To Break Their Spirit…Just for The Tourists!

“I have previously posted news on this topic…yet feel it is time again to let everyone know what is happening to these baby elephants, taken from the wild, then beaten until their spirit is broken; to be used in the tourist industry.”

“We need more people to see these atrocities & act on things that can be done to help save the Asian elephant. The world has lost up to 90% of the Asian elephants in the last 100 years! So, unless more is done to protect this species & stop such activities as the illegal trade; we are going to lose the Asian elephant in the world, forever!!.

“Below is a joint post from myself & fellow animal warrior Tony Zadel who has provided a lot information & petitions. We need for people to get involved…PLEASE…watch, read & share the following with all your friends; these elephants need our help, please send letters to the appropriate people below…just do what you can to ensure these beautiful noble, gentle giants are around, for our children’s children!”

“The following Videos are heartbreaking, one can literally see the elephants cry, their  screams are not easily forgotten. Their captors do not listen, nor care…which is why we must! Although they are difficult to watch, please try to watch them; for only then will you have any idea of how they suffer & why it is imperative, they receive our help! Then, hopefully you will forward this post on to friends everywhere…show others the atrocities….then unite & help the elephants; in anyway we can.”

“By signing petitions, writing letters to Thailand’s Tourism Authority, etc. we can at least feel we are trying to help! Please do not support any entertainment that involves elephants, especially whilst on vacation in Thailand!! If there are no tourist for business, then they have no need to capture & break these animals in such a brutal manner; they need to remain within their family groups & forge future generations of wild Asian elephants.!

STOP THE BRUTAL “ILLEGAL” BARBARIC TRADE OF BABY ELEPHANTS SMUGGLING EXPOSED – Viewer Discretion Advised

Published on 18 Jul 2012

Thailand’s tourist industry is driving a brutal trade in baby elephants. Illegal and brutal cross-border trade in endangered wild Asian elephants continues. On the Thai-Myanmar border at least 50-100 calves and young females are removed from their forest homes every year and are traded illegally every year to supply tourist camps. Countless elephants die in the process threatening the remaining populations of this endangered species.

Capturing elephants from the wild for this trade often involves killing of mothers and other protective family members with automatic weapons. Captured calves are subjected to an extremely brutal breaking-in process where they are tied up, confined, starved, beaten and tortured in order to break their spirits. It is estimated that only one in three survive this inhumane “domestication” process. This original investigative report by The Ecologist Film Unit in association with Earth Focus/Link TV and Elephant Family exposes this practice.

Learn more and find out what you can do athttp://www.elephantfamily.org.

Watch more at http://www.linktv.org/earthfocus.

Breaking the spirit of the elephant – Viewer Discretion Advised

Published on 8 Mar 2012

Here are the images of the training of wild elephants that are caught for the tourist trade. Please remind yourself and tell others that by visiting elephant camps you are supporting this!

Edwin Wiek of the WFFT and Khun Lek (Sangduan Chailert) of ENP are now targeted by the DNP for speaking up about the illegal wild elephant poaching and trade. This video shows what the DNP doesn’t want you to see or know about!

“I can’t help but cry, when I see these babies tortured, agony sketched over their entire faces, their bodies flinching with every whip, punch or strike, left for days without food or water; from those  trying to break their noble spirit! They suffer greatly, untold agony…audible screams ring out through the dank rain forests. Did you know, these beautiful creatures who appear to have thick skin…can tell when a fly lands on them? So imagine their pain, their torture, their lives…encroached, only to be used in the tourist industry; for unsuspecting visitors.” 

“Be honest, after watching these videos, could you take an elephant ride whilst on vacation?? knowing the elephant you are riding, was so viciously tortured & his spirit broken as a younger elephant, for your pleasure??

Elephant Training Abuse (AAA Video) In English – Viewer Discretion Advised

Published on 30 Mar 2012

A video that explains the torturous training of elephants for logging and tourism. Video made by the Animal Activist Alliance (AAA Thailand)

Thailand‘s tourist industry is driving a brutal trade in baby elephants. Illegal and brutal cross-border trade in endangered wild Asian elephants continues.

Going on an elephant ride is a key part for many on vacation trips to Thailand and elsewhere in South-East Asia. Doubtless few realize the cruel treatment involved in capturing and “training” these intelligent creatures.

Baby elephants stolen for tourism endure unthinkable suffering. “They are immobilized, beaten mercilessly, and gouged with nails for days at a time. these ritualized “training” sessions leave the elephants badly injured, traumatized, or even dead.”

Help protect the elephants in Thai sanctuaries and the brave people who care for them and speak out on behalf of wild elephants, by sending Thailand’s Tourism Authority a message that you will not visit Thailand until the government stops raiding elephant sanctuaries, returns confiscated animals and takes effective action to protect wild elephants.

Elephants are experiencing the most awful abuses in the name of tourism – travellers to Thailand are often totally unaware of the real story. Travel agents worldwide sell Thailand with images of happy tourists riding on elephants with saddles (howdah) and patting young street elephants.

To educate the travelling public we need travel agents to:-

•  Be aware of the problem
•  Agree to corporate responsibility in the promotion of humane and ethical travel choices.
• Boycott these types of vacations until the Government does something to stop the atrocities 

PLEASE CONTACT Thailand’s Tourism Authority by email to share your concern & protest:-
Tourism Authority of Thailand
1600 New Phetburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee,
Bangkok 10310, Thailand
Tel +66 2250 5500 
Fax +66 2250 5511
Email: center@tat.or.th
URL www.tourismthailand.org

PLEASE SIGN & SHARE WIDELY THESE 7  PETITIONS TO HELP STOP THIS CRUELTY 

►PET.1 http://action.petaasiapacific.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=110&ea.campaign.id=2644

►PET.2 http://www.elephantfamily.org/sign-our-petition

►PET.3 http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/against-elephant-abuse-in-thailand/

►PET.4http://forcechange.com/18634/demand-that-thailand-stop-abusing-elephants/

►PET.5 http://www.change.org/petitions/help-baby-elephants-of-tourist-destinations-have-brighter-futures

►PET.6:http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/STOP_ABUSING_ELEPHANTS_FOR_ENTERTAINING_TOURISTS_IN_THAILAND/

►PET.7 http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/thailand-elephant-abuse.html

►PLEASE WATCH MORE – Elephant training for all kinds abuse in Thailand & India: Viewer Discretion Advised

 “Shocking Cruelty to Elephants – Vanishing Giants”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bG103hHkUU&feature=youtu.be

http://youtu.be/PTsyajXIXT0

http://youtu.be/YcvGGe-zpIA

“After watching some of these videos, one must be able to understand, why some of these performing elephants snap & retaliate? As humans, we are the ones that can truly relate to pain & anguish! As humans who try to dominate, we should totally understand, that any human or indeed any species…can only suffer so much abuse; before totally losing their mind, which sadly ends up when that person or species ends up injuring or killing others!”

“It is hard to lose a human life, or any life, but do elephants know or even acknowledge that their rampage’s can kill?? They simply break down & can’t stand any more torture or repetitive labour! They certainly know who inflicted their pain, as that person is surely the one the elephant will target first! But they have also stood & watched other elephants be beaten & broken etc.  They simply try to get their own back, on those who have done them wrong; much like any human would do!”.

“The following videos are hard to watch, it’s hard to watch any species be beaten etc. But please try to watch, even if it’s only 1 video; only then, will you see their pain, understand them & want to help protect their species & their babies!”

The brutal capture, torture and subsequent death of a young tusker in a capture operation authorized by the government, prompted Mike Pandey to stop filming his documentary on Elephants in Crisis and turn it into a news feature.

This news feature exposes the cruel and archaic methods of capture being used with no concern for the animal, a protected and endangered species.

The news feature is a protest and demand for immediate cessation of capture of elephants in this brutal way and a call for policy changes if elephants are to be protected.

Within 3 days of the release of this news feature the Government of India suspended all capture of wild elephants. Individuals in charge of the botched capture operation were suspended.

The news created international outrage. International news agencies picked it and activists from all over the world joined in triggering a global signature campaign.

In India changes in policies and rules were made at a national level ensuring that all future captures take place with modern facilities and in the presence of experts to avoid trauma and cruelty after capture. Elephant welfare became top priority.

IFAW undertook a global signature campaign against elephant capture.

Unfortunately in recent months after this news, deaths had been reported. Laws without proper implementation are of no use. Nothing has changed…we need your voice to support 

►IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAILAND’S ELEPHANTS PLEASE VISIT : ►http://www.elemotion.org/

►READ ALSO: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176957/The-agonising-blows-expose-evil-secrets-Thailands-elephant-tourism-The-Duchess-Cornwalls-brother-tells-baby-elephants-brutally-starved-tortured.html

►READ ALSO: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1016_021016_phajaan.html

►READ ALSO: http://www.thescavenger.net/animals/wildlife-tourism-in-thailand-cruel-and-exploitative-735.html

A few related posts about elephants:-

•  https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/urban-elephants-life-in-captivity/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/graphic-video-breaking-the-spirit-of-baby-elephants-for-domestication/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/baby-elephants-captured-tortured-into-submission-video/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/baby-elephants-captured-tortured-into-submission-video/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/take-action-to-help-ailing-elephants-now/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/a-video-reminder-about-how-baby-elephants-are-trained-for-circus-life/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/the-worst-year-for-elephants-for-two-decades/

Urban Elephants Life In Captivity

How it all began

The Urban Elephant – Life in Captivity

(“Watch the elephant fall out of it’s sling at 2.23 head first, the abuse they suffered then is why they go crazy now!”)

Uploaded on 12 Apr 2011

The opening of this two-time Emmy Award Winning documentary introduces us to the lives of elephants in captivity. Captured in the wild and often forced into entertainment, ArgoFilm’s “The Urban Elephant,” from the PBS/National Geographic Nature Series uncovers what’s really going on.

Join our journey by subscribing to our channel! Our Emmy Award winning films seek to lend a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.

Like what we do? Let us know! Follow us on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EmmyWinningArgoFilms
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thestoryofdao
Our webpage and blog: http://www.argofilms.com/

For a sneak peak at our upcoming film, visit:
http://www.facebook.com/StoryofDao

The Urban Elephant: Pang Dao’s Story

Uploaded on 7 Sep 2011

From ArgoFilm’s “The Urban Elephant” comes the story of Pang Dao, an Asian elephant in captivity. This two-time Emmy Award winning film was produced for PBS’s Nature Series. Pang Dao’s story is the inspiration for the upcoming “The Story of Dao”.

Join our journey by subscribing to our channel! Our Emmy Award winning films seek to lend a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.

Like what we do? Let us know! Follow us on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EmmyWinningArgoFilms
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thestoryofdao
Our website and blog: http://www.argofilms.com/

The Abuse They Suffer At The Hands Of Mankind

Viewer Discretion Advised

Dear Friends Shafeek Kallai shot this video when he visited Elephant Sanctuary at Guruvayoor, (Thrissur Dist. Kerala, India.) on 3rd of January 2010. This is very cruel , people behaviour towards animals. He was threatened while he was shooting this video and such a difficulty he could finish it. He kept this video all these days under the cover. He heard that elephant named “Arjun” is not in a position to walk as the mahouts hit him to the core and left leg had broken. Considering Arjuns case he is one of the best elephants in Kerala. . Please share video if you love ELEPHANTS

Elephant begging food on streets

This streets are no place for any elephant; let alone a baby!

Elephant Attack in Kizhisseri Town

I believe the following is a direct retaliation by the elephants, they are thoroughly pissed off; little wonder… see all four legs are chained so they can not run. And just to make matters worse, the crowd throw objects at them, my heart breaks for these gentle giants!

Uploaded on 28 Jan 2012

Elephant Attack in Kizhisseri Town, Near Calicut International Airport, Malappuram- Dt, Kerala- India @ 28/01/2012 – Saturday

Please sign the petition to save the Asian elephant:-http://www.elephantfamily.org/sign-our-petition

YOUR ACTION NEEDED

Please click on the links below and go to the Care2 petition and letter writing/email instructions. Thank you! 

Email: eugene.wamalwa@justice.go.ke or elwamalwa@gmail.com

Ask Kenya Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa to Have Greater Penalties for Poaching Imposed …
It is reported that, Pekei, the poacher of Amboseli pictured here, has openly told Kenya community rangers that he will continue to kill more elephants.

Please SHARE, African elephants don’t need the likes of this man or poachers running free.

New stricter laws must be set. WE NEED EMAILS to WAMALWA to have his judges imprison poachers, and MORE SIGNATURES on the PETITION (see “See More” in blue). …
Big Life Foundation has stated that they are able to catch poachers, but when brought before the Kenyan courts the fines are meagre and the imprisonment light. …

Please politely write/email the Justice Minister, Eugene Wamalwa, to have the courts take seriously the looming extinction of elephants and rhino killed for greed.

In the long run Kenya’s ecotourism will suffer as has been recognized by Botswana’s president who has stopped all hunting licenses.

Let His Honor Wamalwa know that the international community is outraged that our world heritage wildlife is being exterminated and the criminals who poach have no deterrent to stop.

Petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/426/276/951/demand-strong-penalty-long-imprisonment-for-poachers/

Justice Minister’s web page: http://www.justice.go.ke/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19The Star article of the notorious poacher who killed Qumquat and her family in Amboseli:- http://the-star.co.ke/news/article-95974/amboselis-notorious-jumbo-poacher-exposedThe only thing this killer did not get was Quanza, Qumquat’s baby. At least her genes will go on. Here is Sheldrick’s video of Quanza’s rescue. May this little one have a life of safety, joy and peace. God bless them all xx

Face Book  link:- https://www.facebook.com/events/378417245575689/

 

Portland’s New Baby Elephant Belongs To ‘Have Trunk Will Travel’

A baby elephant born at Portland’s zoo last week may be fated to a life with a controversial travelling elephant show that rents out pachyderms to the entertainment industry, stages circus like events and offers elephant rides at $500 an hour, The Seattle Times has found.

The newborn calf is the property of a private company, Have Trunk Will Travel, of Perris, Calif., which assumes ownership of the newborn within a month.

Last Friday’s birth of a 300-pound Asian female at the Oregon Zoo sparked public celebration and generated national news. The zoo industry promptly declared the event a victory in its quest to preserve and propagate an endangered species.

But the newborn calf doesn’t legally belong to the Portland zoo. Instead, it is the property of a private company, Have Trunk Will Travel, of Perris, Calif., which assumes ownership of the newborn within a month, according to a contract between the Oregon Zoo and the company that was obtained by The Times.

Oregon Zoo officials quietly cut a deal to give up the second, fourth and sixth offspring between Rose-Tu, owned by the zoo, and Tusko, a prolific male owned by Have Trunk Will Travel. Last week’s birth was the second offspring between the pair.

The Times’ discovery of the breeding contract highlights the dark side of elephant captivity, in which zoos are desperate to breed more elephants at any cost. The Times reported this week in a two-part series, Glamour Beasts, that elephants are dying out in America’s zoos. Zoos have depended on elephants as crowd pleaser’s and revenue generators, but for every elephant born, on average two others die, a Times analysis has found.

Since 2005, the industry’s trade group, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), has aggressively promoted breeding efforts to counteract declines in captive elephant populations. Just 288 elephants remain inside 78 U.S. accredited zoos.

Kari Johnson, who co-owns the business with her husband, Gary, confirmed Monday that Have Trunk Will Travel owns legal rights to the newborn under a contract signed with the Oregon Zoo in 2005. Details of the newborn’s future have not been worked out, she said.

“We are just thrilled,” Johnson said. “We’ll go for a visit soon. I just want to hug her.” “I wonder how long it will be before she is being forced to perform, not much older than the little one in the video?”

Hova Najarian, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Zoo in Portland, initially denied knowledge of the contract, saying Friday the unnamed newborn “is here for life.”

After The Times provided a copy of the contract, zoo officials responded with a statement:

“The contract is valid. As per the agreement, official designation of ownership takes effect after the calf has lived 30 days. Once that happens, the Oregon Zoo will be in discussion with Have Trunk Will Travel regarding ownership, and it is the zoo’s intent to retain Rose-Tu’s calf.”

At a Tuesday morning press conference, zoo director Kim Smith said the zoo is negotiating with the company to take ownership of the calf. She expects the calf to live at the zoo permanently.

But under terms of the contract, the zoo does not have the power to keep the elephant if Have Trunk Will Travel wants to take possession.

The contract, signed in June 2005, stipulated that Have Trunk Will Travel would transfer their male elephant, Tusko, to the Oregon Zoo. Records show that Tusko, now 40, arrived the following month; he remains at the zoo.

Because elephant gestation takes 20 to 22 months, breeding males may stay at zoos for many years.

Have Trunk Will Travel owns five Asian elephants, ages 27 to 47. In 2010, its 4-year-old Asian male succumbed to the fast-acting elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus (EEHV), which may spread by contact and kills only elephants. “The baby that died was called JP, he was the fourth baby elephant to be born at Have Trunk Will Travel, Rose-Tu his mum, was not able to conceive naturally, so JP’s birth was achieved through artificial insemination. 

The company has generated controversy over its 30-year history for its use of chains and bullhooks — long-handled, clawed-end training tools used to discipline elephants and train them to perform tricks. “I Think they mean force them to do tricks, no elephant in the wild stands on it’s trunk or hind legs (except when mating) I find it appalling that these amazing animals can be treated so poorly in captivity when there are so few wild ones left. We should not keep them incarcerated in zoo’s etc. Captive elephants can’t go back to the wild, but they can go to a sanctuary that is the closet to their natural habitat…

“PAWS Sanctuary would be heaven for any captive animal, especially for elephants to live in. The elephant habitat at ARK 2000 provides the elephants with hundreds of acres of varied natural terrain to roam, lakes to bathe in, and state-of-the-art elephant barns equipped with heated stalls and therapeutic Jacuzzis.”

Have Trunk Will Travel faces mounting criticism for offering elephant rides at regional fairs and zoos. “It takes a split second for an elephant to turn…probably because they have had enough of being jabbed & poked, forced to do degrading tricks that are detrimental to their health…so they loose it, & lash out! But as usual there will have to be an accident where someone gets hurt; before something can be done about it!”

Kari Johnson said the company’s elephant rides at wedding events is a fast-growing revenue stream. “My God, is there nothing these people aren’t prepared to do for $$$$ How degrading for the largest land animal on earth to have to do! With a mass just over 5 kg (11 lb), elephant brains are larger than those of any other land animal. A wide variety of behaviours associated with intelligence have been attributed to elephants, including those associated with grief, making music, art, altruism, play, use of tools, compassion and self-awareness.”

“Imagine the groom carried high atop an elephant as friends and family dance around him,” the company’s website reads. “The elephants are beautifully decorated and are accustomed to taking part in Indian weddings.”

The company has also provided elephants for such films as “Operation Dumbo Drop,” “Larger Than Life” “George of the Jungle,” “Jungle Book” and “Evan Almighty.”

Have Trunk Will Travel practices unprotected contact with elephants, using bull-hooks to control the animals. The practices are prohibited at most zoos. Even so, the company is accredited by the AZA. “To train an elephant to do circus tricks, it has to be hands on, with a bull hook & an electric shocker…how do you think they get them to do the tricks? Watch the video below to find out!“

As a result, the travelling show is free to breed its elephants and exchange off spring with most U.S. zoos.

Tusko’s first calf with Rose-Tu was born in August 2008, a male named Sumudra. After the delivery, Rose-Tu went into a “frenzy,” zoo officials said, and stepped on her newborn. “Is there any wonder? Captive elephants giving birth have many people surrounding them, the mothers feet are usually chained up so she can’t move around, to ease herself whilst in labour. Elephants are very clever, clever enough to know the calf is going to be taken, thus getting mad & frustrated; I doubt she stepped on her baby on purpose!”

Zoo keepers quickly rescued Sumudra. They believed the first-time mother, born at the zoo in 1994, was frightened and unfamiliar with the birthing process. Mother and son reunited without incident. “Exactly, every first time mum needs calm surroundings, room to move around to ease the pain etc. She will have been scared & in a great deal of pain, having a baby is not a spectator sport…they don’t need our interference in the wild to successfully raise babies, they know better than humans do what their baby needs. But typical humans think they know what is best!”

After Friday’s birth, keepers put the female newborn in a rope harness in case they needed to quickly pull her away from her mother. But Rose-Tu and her daughter bonded smoothly, officials said.

In the wild, mother and daughter live together for life. “Yet, in captivity, this baby elephant can be taken from her mother after only a month..imagine how she is going to feel, losing her baby…well, how would you feel?”

News Link:-http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019822187_elephants04m.html

“This is what that new baby elephant has to look forward to, at Have Trunk Will Travel…listen to the elephants cry out in pain as they are given electric shocks. See how hard they are hit with the bull-hooks  for doing nothing wrong!! Watch how the little baby has his trunk held, whilst the bull hook goes under his chin…It’s just heartbreaking !! I don’t know how they have the cheek to say they truly care for them, on their web site”

Have Trunk Will Travel Elephant Abuse

Uploaded on 23 Aug 2011

Everything in this video was filmed at Have Trunk Will Travel, of Perris, California. HTWT supplies trained elephants for movies, advertising, personal appearances  elephant rides, fairs & other public appearances.

This video is courtesy of Animal Defenders International

“Have Trunk Will Travel in my opinion is nothing more than a circus for rent…take a look at their webpage….http://www.havetrunkwilltravel.com/home.html

Read their Mission on their home page…family, truly cares, health & welfare….please…After seeing the above video, then reading their mission…I fell out my wheelchair laughing…because it’s a joke!!”

Guilty: Circus owner Bobby Roberts convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to Anne the elephant who was chained and cruelly beaten by keeper

“I am so f-ing mad over this, I’ve probably made a ton of mistakes, sorry, I’m in a lot of pain, but had to get this out…oh poor Anne, we have failed you, I’m so sorry!”

“For Christ sake, she was a circus elephant, they are forced into doing degrading tricks, detrimental to their bodies which is why poor Anne now has arthritis. Forced by beatings, electric prods etc. But, no matter, we will continue to charge motorists with dodgy lights more than we charge a person in control of an elephant…MORONS!

• Bobby Roberts found guilty today of three charges of causing unnecessary suffering at Northampton Crown Court
• Walks free from court after receiving three year conditional discharge
• Wife Moira Roberts was cleared of all charges
• Anne now lives at Longleat in a paddock with her own sandpit
• Animal rights group said the sentence is ‘derisory’

Circus owner Bobby Roberts was today convicted of three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to Asian elephant Anne. 

Roberts was also convicted of failing to prevent an employee from repeatedly beating the animal, which was filmed chained to the ground and being hit with a pitchfork. “This is all just contradictions…the owners came off best, poor Anne still has the scars & memories!”

Roberts, 69, who ran Super Circus in Polebrook, Cambridgeshire, also failed to ensure the elephant’s needs were met by not giving her medication for her arthritis.“So why not charge him for that?”

He was given a three-year conditional discharge at Northampton Crown Court but was not ordered to pay costs and was not banned from owning animals. “WTF..f-ing furious to say the least!”

His wife Moira, 75, was cleared of all three charges by District Judge David Chinnery following a five-day trial at Northampton Crown Court.

District Judge Chinnery told Roberts the real cruelty was meted out by the groom, who is believed to have returned to Romania. “Who told him, he had been filmed? who told him to get out asap? the owners did…. God I’m fuming over this!”

During the trial, the court was shown footage filmed secretly by animal welfare group Animal Defenders International (ADI) of the elephant being kicked and struck with a pitchfork several times by the groom at the circus’s winter quarters last year.

The footage, filmed between January 21 and February 15, 2011, also showed Anne constantly chained to the ground.

“I am showing this video purely for those who may not be aware of what happened to Anne etc. Then they may understand how furious I am that the Roberts got off without even so much as a slapped butt!!”

The elderly animal could be seen chained by one foot and one hind leg in a barn.

Such has been the public outcry since the footage was released, the judge said Roberts had ‘suffered enough punishment over the last 18 months.‘

He told Roberts: ‘As a result of what has happened your business is effectively at an end. You have lost everything which you have built up over the last five decades. I am told that you have no funds at all.’ “Are we supposed to feel sorry for these people, who have made a living out of exploiting & beating animals?”

He added it would be ‘disproportionate’ to ban him from keeping animals, especially because of his  ‘exemplary record or animal husbandry’. “How are we supposed to know that, can’t have hidden cameras everywhere!!”

Roberts claimed he was unaware that Anne had been constantly chained and that the groom, who is believed to have returned home to Romania, had not followed his instructions. “Sorry, did he never look at Anne’s feet or legs? could he not see the strap marks? So one must assume Anne had no foot care, for nobody to notice! “

He admitted that the elephant would be chained up at times but said his instructions were that she be let loose behind an electric fence in a cordoned-off area. “Chained up at times, what times would that be, she is in her winter quarters, why would she be chained for a couple of hours, then loose…Tell me where in her winter quarters could she have been behind an electric fence? if she was, she still would have only been able to take a step or two!”

Cruel: A keeper prepares to hit Anne once more with a stick

District Judge Chinnery added during sentencing: ‘The chaining I regard as serious but the real cruelty it seems to me was inflicted by your groom, a man whom you had entrusted with the care of Anne, behind your back and without your knowledge.’

He said it was to Roberts’ credit that he had ‘cared for and managed animals for the greater part of your seventy tears without criticism from any quarter.’ “Mmmm, so how did Anne learn those tricks she did in the circus, one only has to look at any elephant training in a circus, behind the scenes of course, to see that they are beaten into submission. 

The footage was taken in the barn at the circus’ winter quarters where Sri Lankan elephant Anne, who worked for Roberts since 1957, was kept when not on tour.

Prosecutor Helen Law said in the film Anne, who already had arthritis, rocked backwards and forwards which, as in humans, is a sign of distress.

Circus: Anne was kept her chained up for 24-hours-a-day and only un-shackled so they could swap which leg she was chained with, a court heard. Look at Anne’s eye’s, they show such heartache!

The legs of the elephant – who was not receiving medication for her arthritis – could also be seen to buckle several times in the footage.

Following the verdict, Richard Crowley, deputy chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS East Midlands, said: ‘The images of the abuse suffered by Anne the Elephant upset a great many people across the country. “Yes they bloody well did!”

‘Bobby Roberts had clear responsibilities for this elephant’s welfare, which he wilfully neglected when he treated her appallingly. Anne was kept chained up, beaten regularly and suffered significantly as a result. “Yes he neglected Anne; but you let him off scott free, what does that say to other abusers??”

‘Not only did Bobby Roberts breach his professional obligations towards Anne, but his neglect and abuse was criminal. He gave instructions for Anne to be chained and took no action to prevent the beatings she had received, failing to provide any training or supervision for the staff member responsible for her. “So why has this man got away with not even a slapped wrist?? his neglect was criminal; yet he is a free man who can go his merry way!!”

‘Today should serve as a warning that those who mistreat animals can expect to face prosecution.’  “What, when you let people off the hook? sorry but Roberts should have taken some of the blame, he was with that elephant everyday & must have seen the marks of abuse on her poor body, what about the arthritis? he didn’t do anything to ease Anne’s suffering, knowing she would be in pain…to give or do nothing; then to say it should serve as a warning…well it’s ridiculous!”

The RSPCA’s Jody Gordon said: ‘Anyone looking at this shocking footage can see how this poor elephant suffered, and this clearly spells out how completely unacceptable this is.

‘It is only a pity those physically beating Anne in the film footage could not be prosecuted also.’ “Why, because they got wind of what was happening & had time to flea without the Roberts knowing…please…I still think it was them who told him to leave, thinking they would be out the woods if he had gone”

Animal Defenders International chief executive, Jan Creamer called the sentence ‘derisory’ and provides no faith that the Animal Welfare Act can protect animals in circuses.’ “And she is so bloody right!”

She said: ‘Inspection after inspection fails to identify this abuse.  These practices will not stop until the use of wild animals in circuses is prohibited by law.

‘For years, Animal Defenders International has been campaigning to set Anne free from her chains and the terrible conditions in which she was kept and, despite the obstacles we faced at every turn, we refused to give up hope.

Our commitment to ensure that action was taken has given Anne her freedom from the circus, along with the camel called Monty.’ “Yet, had she not been taped undercover, this would still be happening. But the FBI call people with an interest in animal welfare, terrorist…FFS…we are not terrorists, we only want animals to be treated properly! Never mind animal rights folk, the FBI should concentrate on those who actually want to harm & kill people!”

She added: ‘Anne’s story is one repeated all over the world. It is time to ensure it never happens again here. The government must prohibit the use of wild animals in circuses as they have promised.’ “The Governments promises mean jack shit, first they led us a merry dance with red herrings i.e the Austrian case…now, its costing more for this farcical license system than it would if they just added a couple of paragraphs to the Animal Welfare Act 2006” 

She also called on Longleat to find the elephant a companion as a ‘matter of urgency’. “Totally agree, Anne is so lonely, you can see it in her eye’s, doesn’t every species have the right to a companion?”

Published on 3 Apr 2012 by LongleatPodcast

We are delighted to announce that Anne the elephant today celebrates her first anniversary living at Longleat Safari Park. Since her arrival on 3rd April 2011 she has had a new lease of life and continues to enjoy her retirement under the care and supervision of her experienced keepers and dedicated team of experts. Her keepers and everyone at Longleat are extremely grateful for the public support and messages of goodwill Anne has received over the past year.

Her keepers have spent huge amounts of time over the past twelve months working with Anne to improve her wellbeing and physical condition. The difference and improvement in skin condition, feet, trunk, ears and general muscle tone is clear to see and she certainly doesn’t look like an elephant approaching 60.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2237469/Anne-elephant-abuse-Circus-owner-Bobby-Roberts-guilty-causing-unnecessary-suffering.html#ixzz2D4Mbopzs
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Pictured: Twycross Zoo enclosure where three keepers ‘were caught on CCTV beating Tonzi the elephant with canes’

• Three male staff members have been dismissed for allegedly hitting the two elephants
• The animals have not been left with permanent injuries
• Police have arrested and bailed the accused trio

This is the enclosure where Tonzi and another elephant were allegedly whipped with bamboo canes.

Three zoo keepers have now been sacked and arrested after they were accused of harming the two animals at a Leicestershire zoo.

Three male staff members are accused of beating Tonzi the elephant with bamboo canes after reportedly being caught on CCTV camera.

A source at the zoo claims that the keepers took turns hitting the 28-year-old Asian elephant but left no marks, so it was not obvious that the animal had been harmed, it was reported.

It is believed that the other two elephants were hit with bamboo canes.

But when other staff members were checking through CCTV footage of the zoo, they spotted the alleged abuse.

The source told The Sun: ‘It appeared Tonzi was being beaten by the keepers.

‘Apparently the keepers were taking it in turns to hit her with bamboo canes.’

The source claims that the zoo fears people will not visit the Leicestershire attraction after the alleged cruelty to the star animal.

Tonzi, who originally came from a timber camp in Burma, became a grandmother this year when her daughter Tara had a baby.

The zoo, which has an 80-acre site, confirmed that they had sacked staff following the alleged incident and said the animals had not been permanently harmed.

A spokesman said: ‘Three members of Twycross Zoo staff have been dismissed.

‘This action follows an internal investigation and relates to an animal welfare issue.  Twycross Zoo acted rapidly and comprehensively as soon as the issue came to light.

‘The zoo immediately instigated an extensive investigation in line with its internal policies and legal welfare requirements.

‘The small group of animals this incident relates to suffered no lasting injury, are behaving normally and are now doing extremely well.

‘The animals have been and continue to be on full public show.

‘The incident was reported immediately to the police who are investigating.

”The animals involved are being regularly checked by veterinary experts who report they are well and behaving normally. The animals have been and continue to be on full public show.

‘Despite this Tywcross Zoo has a zero tolerance towards such behaviour.

‘This case involved rogue individuals, acting in complete disregard to their moral, contractual and legal requirements.

‘Everyone at the zoo is extremely upset at their actions.’

A spokesman for Leicestershire Police said that there was an ongoing investigation.

She said: ‘We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation in connection with the unnecessary suffering of an elephant at Twycross Zoo.

‘The beating happened in September this year.

‘Three men have been arrested in connection with the incident and released on police bail for a later date, pending further inquiries.’

A 59-year-old elephant called Anne, who was savagely attacked and beaten, was rescued last year because of a Daily Mail campaign.

She was Britain’s last circus elephant, and was beaten and stabbed with a pitchfork by her sadistic keeper.

Her misery was exposed in March last year after campaigners from Animal Defenders International shot secret footage of her being abused.

After a nationwide outcry, she ass safely re-homed at Longleat Safari park where, thanks to the generosity of Daily Mail readers, a £400,000 sanctuary is to be built just for her.

News Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2222877/Twycross-Zoo-keepers-sacked-arrested-beating-star-elephant-Tonzi-canes.html#ixzz2AKjm6Vrs
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Baby Elephants Captured, Tortured into Submission VIDEO

“Please, if you want to see elephants on your vacation in Asia, visit them at a shelter or sanctuary…please do not feed this appalling industry by riding on an elephant, no matter how inviting it looks…remember how horribly abused they are as babies!!”

Published on 18 Jul 2012 by linktv

Thailand’s tourist industry is driving a brutal trade in baby elephants. Illegal and brutal cross-border trade in endangered wild Asian elephants continues. On the Thai-Myanmar border at least 50-100 calves and young females are removed from their forest homes every year and are traded illegally every year to supply tourist camps. Countless elephants die in the process threatening the remaining populations of this endangered species.

Capturing elephants from the wild for this trade often involves killing of mothers and other protective family members with automatic weapons. Captured calves are subjected to an extremely brutal breaking-in process where they are tied up, confined, starved, beaten and tortured in order to break their spirits. It is estimated that only one in three survive this inhumane “domestication” process. This original investigative report by The Ecologist Film Unit in association with Earth Focus/Link TV and Elephant Family exposes this practice.

Find more at http://www.linktv.org/earthfocus.

PLEASE – sign the petition to save the Asian Elephants:–http://www.elephantfamily.org/sign-our-petition

Learn more and find out what you can do at www.elephantfamily.org.

Recent video has captured the dreadful treatment of captured endangered Asian elephants as a result of cross-border capture and trafficking in the animals.  The Ecologist Film Unit in association with Earth Focus/Link TV and Elephant Family shows the inhumane practices involved in capturing the baby pachyderms, often by killing their mothers and others of the herd, and the brutal “breaking in” of baby elephants before they are sold into animal slavery:

This is the despicable way baby’s are treated, beaten, tortured, deprived of food & water…until they stop resisting humans, then they can be trained. Trained to carry tourists, performing in circuses, or begging the streets with their mahouts for money. Is their any wonder some of them go crazy??

Going on an elephant ride is a key part of many vacation’ trips to Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Doubtless few realize the cruel treatment involved in capturing and “training” these intelligent creatures. The video claims that for every captured calf, five adult elephants are killed while trying to protect their young.

Supply and Demand Endangers a Species

Though elephant hunting is illegal in Thailand, it is widely practised in neighbouring Burma, and an active smuggling has been documented as poor Burmese capture, break and sell the baby elephants for what is, to them, huge sums of money. With so much money involved in poor countries with corrupt officials, it is hardly surprising and profoundly depressing that  90% of Asian elephants have been lost in the past century.

The NGOs trying to halt the cruel capture and treatment of the elephants call for practical steps to at least regulate the trade in elephants to require earlier registration of captive-born calves and a DNA database to ensure that the few remaining wild Asian elephants stay both wild and protected by international efforts to enforce the law.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/baby-elephants-captured-tortured-into-submission-video.html#ixzz21kUiUCKl

Read more about the phajaan:

• http://phajaan.webs.com/
• Every thing you need to know about the Phajaan. News stories on the Phajaan & Hell for wildlife in tourism:-
• http://scienceray.com/biology/ecology/the-phajaan-method-of-elephant-training/
• Petitions to sign:
• http://www.elephantfamily.org/sign-our-petition
• http://forcechange.com/16043/protect-elephants-from-the-practice-of-breaking-their-spirit/?utm_source=ForceChange%20Newsletter
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/beaten-elephants-to-drill-them-for-work/
• http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/thailand-elephant-abuse.html
• https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3192

 

Malaysia saves endangered pygmy elephant on Borneo

Malaysian wildlife authorities said Monday they had rescued a pygmy elephant calf on Borneo islandand expressed hope a planned sanctuary would provide protection for the endangered animals.

The male calf, which is less than a month old, was pulled out of a deep moat surrounding a palm oil plantation in remote Sabah state on Friday, said Sen Nathan, a senior official with the Sabah Wildlife Department.

It is the fifth calf rescued by wildlife officials since 2009. Three of those previously saved have died but a female has recovered and is now at a wildlife park.

There are fewer than 2,000 Borneo pygmy elephants left in the wild, according to authorities. A sub-species of the Asian elephant, the creatures have a rounded appearance and are smaller than mainland elephants.

The latest rescued calf, which weighed about 50 kilograms (110 pounds), was in a serious condition, Nathan told AFP.

“He suffered severe dehydration and cuts and abrasions, probably while trying to get out of the moat,” he said.

The elephant’s mother was probably forced to leave it behind after the pair fell into the moat, and the calf likely spent more than a day there before being spotted by plantation workers, he said.

Nathan said a planned elephant sanctuary on 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of land within the 26,000-hectare Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary in Sabah would help protect the animals.

The sanctuary would be able to house up to 60 injured elephants, as well as those found when they were too young to be reintroduced into the wild.

A pygmy elephant calf on Borneo island, in Malaysia’s Sabah state (AFP, Malaysia Wildlife Authorities)

Authorities announced plans for the sanctuary earlier this month and want it open by the end of the year. “We really need this sanctuary,” Nathan said.

The sanctuary will be funded with 5.3 million ringgit ($1.7 million) from industry body the Malaysian Palm Oil Council and 1.5 million ringgit from NGO the Borneo Conservation Trust.

Wildlife activists warn that pygmy elephants are fast losing their natural habitat to deforestation and human encroachment on Borneo, a vast island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

News Link:-http://sg.news.yahoo.com/malaysia-saves-endangered-pygmy-elephant-borneo-062043834.html