| Claim elephant mentally damaged A former circus elephant who fatally crushed its keeper yesterday lived most of its life in a small trailer and had "psychological damage,'' says an animal rights group. SAFE's Mr Kriek said there was a long record of keepers of elephants either in circuses of zoos who had been killed. "We campaigned to get Jumbo away from a life of solitary confinement stuck in a trailer,'' he told Radio New Zealand this morning. Mr Ratcliffe told Radio New Zealand today he was the only person who knew how to handle Mila, and Franklin zoo had been ignorant of the elephant's capabilities. "We always knew Franklin zoo was only going to be a temporary solution. Jumbo, now Mila, had been owned by New Zealand circus owner Tony Ratcliffe but had been sold to Loritz circus which had plans to build an enclosure for her. "Loritz Circus were meant to build a place for her and it didn't eventuate. He claimed he never had a problem with the elephant. Now I have offered help again - they've got no handler that can get her out and do anything with her - I don't even know if I can do anything with her because they have been messing with her. "That's the key thing with elephants, they need to live with other elephants because they are such social animals,'' he said. Then they rang and said we need your help to get her out of the trailer. I got that situation resurrected and took her to the zoo that didn't want me. Loritz circus relinquished responsibility for Mila and signed her over to the SPCA, after which she was transferred to Franklin Zoo as a temporary home. "I am the last line of true elephant handlers - I doubt if Auckland zoo will be able to handle this situation. |
Friday, 27 April 2012
Claim elephant mentally damaged
