Circus may soon phase out elephants after an order from Central Zoo Authority
| By: Vivek Sabnis | Date: 2009-12-22 | Place: Pune |
The popular Rambo circus will probably not have its most famous elephant trick this season. And this is because the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is contemplating to move all elephants from the zoo and circuses to wildlife parks and sanctuaries.
This has come in the wake of the recent mishap where an elephant was responsible for knocking over a pedestrian. Circus organisers now face a crisis as animal rights activists and zoo authorities are against performance of elephants in a circus.
Incidentally, there are 20 registered circuses in the country and now they might have to abandon the 120 elephants involved if they officially receive an order to ban the use or performance of elephants in circus.
The CZA has been forced to look into this matter and will now send a proposal to the ministry to ban elephants from performing at circuses and also against chaining them in the zoo.
Rambo Circus in Pune has four female elephants in the team apart from 9 horses, 2 camels, a group of Australian dogs and parrots.
“If elephants are banned, we will have no option but to wind up the 130 year old circus tradition in our country,” said Sujit Dilip, partner, Rambo Circus. “Elephants are the only attraction in the circus. We will go to the court to challenge the decision,” he added.
Pravin Walimbe, author of The World of Circus, said that the government should look into this issue as the circus in India is going through a bad patch with the introduction of new laws and regulations. We are taking up the issue to the India Circus Federation, he said. According to him, elephants are safer in circus as they get better medical and hygienic care there, he said.
source: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/dec/221209-Central-Zoo-Authority-Circus-Elephants-Pune.htm