Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THE SINGLE TON
Calls for UK’S loneliest elephant Anne to be moved to sanctuary
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for our last circus elephant to be moved to a sanctuary in France amid fears she is lonely.
Anne toured the nation with Scotland’s Bobby Roberts Super Circus and sickening abuse by a worker was exposed in 2011.
More than 210,000 now back a petition urging a switch from her solitary habitat at
Longleat Safari Park,
Wilts, to The Elephant
Haven, near Limoges.
The 2011 footage that showed Anne being beaten led to criminal convictions against circus boss
Bobby Roberts and
Anne, now 58, went to Longleat in 2015 after a campaign by our sister paper, the Sunday Mirror.
But while it was hoped she would be with others of her kind, she has lived alone. Animal Defenders International, which exposed her abuse, backs a move to The Elephant Haven, which has two elephants. President Jan Creamer said: “Elephants are social, intelligent animals who need the company of their own kind. Having worked so hard to expose the abuse, ADI want nothing more than for Anne to have a friend. We hope it’s not too late.”
But Longleat, where Anne has a purpose-built £1million home, said she is best off on her own and her health and overall condition have “advanced significantly” there.
A spokesman said: “In addition to her age, she has had the hardships of 50 years in a circus. Given Anne’s age, limited mobility, compromised health and the fact she has lived a large part of her life without other elephants, her current situation is the best option.”
Scotland banned wild animals in circuses in 2017. A ban will be in place for the rest of the UK by 2020.