Stop Circus Suffering

ADI has an obligation to probe and ask questions of those in possession of vulnerable animals, and we take particular life-long interest in those animals whose lives have been changed by an ADI investigation. The long-term monitoring of Anne’s life that resulted in the successful recordings in the barn, led to her final release from her suffering.

We are disappointed to see Longleat continue to make unsubstantiated comments about Anne’s history, claiming this week: “We also acknowledge concerns regarding the historical trauma prior to her safe life here at Longleat and the potential for her to associate this with ankus use. We have no evidence to show that ankuses have ever been used on Anne and we have confirmed this with reputable welfare groups that have monitored her over the last two decades.”

Longleat supports this contention by claiming that another animal protection group has monitored Anne over the past twenty years, and it is implied that this group can provide assurance that the ankus was never used on her. We know of no other group that has come forward with evidence about Anne’s life and their monitoring of her welfare over many years, and no such evidence was produced at the trial. Whereas ADI has monitored and recorded for two decades, including Anne’s companions Beverly and Janie, who both died in the winter of 2001-2. This included visual evidence and veterinary reports. We would of course, be pleased to be advised of any further recorded evidence of Anne’s life with the circus.

In our view, there can be no evidential basis for the claim that Anne has never been worked with an ankus. In the video clip below, an ankus is clearly being used vigorously on Anne while at Bobby Roberts Circus.

• Read about the suffering of Anne the elephant at the Bobby Roberts’ Super Circus
• Read about the trial of Bobby Roberts, found guilty of mistreatment to Anne the elephant
• Find out about our global campaign to stop circus suffering

Support our work to help animals like Anne