Swedish circus drops wild animal acts after cruelty exposed
Cirkus Scott announced today that they will no longer feature wild animal acts after 76 years of doing so.
Cirkus Scott announced today that they will no longer feature wild animal acts after 76 years of doing so.
The statement came after a public outcry in Sweden, and campaign by our friends at Djurrättsalliansen and Djurens Rätt, after it was revealed by ADI that the two elephants performing with the circus had been subjected to beatings and mistreatment by their trainer whilst at the Great British Circus.
In 2009, ADI conducted an investigation into the Great British Circus and its elephant act, and exposed frightened, stressed elephants being brutally hit in the face with metal hooks, brooms and pitchforks. Three elephants – Sonja, Vana Mana and Delhi – were kept chained to the ground by one front and one back leg, barely able to take a step forward or back for up to 11 hours a day, and restricted access to food and water and social contact.
The Swedish public were outraged to find that Sonja and Vana Mana – and the same trainer who had subjected them to such cruelty in the UK – were performing with Cirkus Scott. The third elephant that had toured with the Great British Circus, Delhi, sadly died last year. She had suffered terribly during her time in the circus.
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