But the excitement died down once we learned the details of their “liberation”: the 13 Asian elephants will not be retired to a sanctuary, which strives to replicate their natural habitat in every way. Instead, they will live out the rest of their days in the Ringling Bros.’ very own Center for Elephant Conservation, a flat and nearly treeless 200-acre ranch, where they will have more room to roam, yes, but they will also still be prodded with bullhooks, shackled and kept indoors on bare concrete floors at night. In short, they will be far from free.
Please join me in calling on Ringling Bros. CEO Kenneth Feld to retire its 13 remaining elephants to a real sanctuary, so they can experience life in their natural habitat.
Ringling Bros. will also continue to breed the elephants. Why? Because Feld wants to “someday show tourists the grandeur of the Asian elephant,” in some as-yet-to-be-determined venue. For this reason, females will be kept on an endless cycle of pregnancy and birth. He has also invested in medical research using the elephants’ blood, and is dedicated to keeping them on hand for that reason. This is not freedom, and it is not humane.
Ringling’s Center for Elephant Conservation is a step up from circus performing, certainly, but Feld still has a long way to go to show these majestic creatures the respect they’ve earned from their decades of service (some of them have performed for Ringling for nearly a half century).
Help me get these humble creatures the freedom they deserve. Your voice matters because they do. Let’s stand up for what’s right and demand that CEO Kenneth Feld retire these elephants to a true sanctuary.
This petition will be delivered to: Feld Entertainment, Nicole Feld
Using Fireworks to Save Elephants in Tanzania
It’s a little after midnight on a Tuesday in June and a young bull elephant is foraging in near silence. There is no way for him to know that he’s wandered out of the boundaries of Tarangire National Park and is currently munching on corn in a family farm.
It doesn’t take long before a bright flashing light appears in the distance, followed by the screeching of an air horn. While these unfamiliar lights and loud noises are usually enough to get an elephant to leave, this male seems unfazed. A few minutes later, an object shoots through the air, bursts open with a bang, and a cloud of chili powder overtakes the elephant’s senses. He quickly turns, and disappears into the grassland.
Why are these men throwing chili powder at elephants? In order to save their lives. As more and more people turn to farming in corridors where elephants range, conflicts between the two cause huge problems. When an elephant wanders onto a villager’s farm, it can have a devastating effect: A single elephant can destroy someone’s food supply for the entire year in one night, trample property, and threaten a family’s safety.
In the past, when an elephant made a wrong turn and ended up in a community garden, a villager used the only defense he had against a five-ton animal: a spear. A direct hit was always enough to chase her away…and make sure she would never come back. More than likely, she retreated into the park before succumbing to her wounds after a few days.
But these villagers now have a better — if slightly unorthodox — way to redirect elephants away from their crops. Honeyguide Foundation, with critical support from The Nature Conservancy, has created a unique, four-step elephant alarm system to protect a villager’s food source without harming the elephant.
Honeyguide Foundation is deploying this alarm system through 60 “crop protection teams” across northern Tanzania. Each team of 10 or more volunteers nominates a leader to receive training on how to use the elephant alarm kit. Each night, the crop protection volunteers keep watch throughout the village. If an elephant is spotted heading into an agricultural area, the team leader springs into action, armed with his elephant alarm kit.
The alarm system involves four sequential steps, each deployed only if the previous strategy didn’t work. These methods do not harm the elephant, they just make the elephant uncomfortable enough to turn around. (Watch this short video to see how it works.)
Step 1: Shine very bright flashing lights at the elephant
Step 2: Sound off a very loud air horn
Step 3: Throw a “chili cloud” — chili powder mixed with sand and a lit firecracker inside of a condom — near where the elephant is grazing
Step 4: Set off a roman candle — they are loud, bright, and a little scary!
“I’d heard that both thunder claps and chili powder were effective in keeping elephants away from farms, and so I decided to try and merge these two components of sound and smell together,” said Damian Bell, executive director of Honeyguide Foundation. “At Honeyguide, we are always looking for innovative solutions to prevent and reduce human-wildlife conflict.”
The Nature Conservancy is providing direct financial support to 35 village teams in two community-led wildlife management areas, as well as supporting the governance of the entire network. Honeyguide estimates that the program will create 20 to 30 new crop protection teams within the next year.
You can help us fund more elephant alarm kits. All donations made through this link will be earmarked for Honeyguide’s efforts. Just $10 will buy three chili clouds.
The elephant alarm system does more than protect one wandering elephant and one family’s crops each night: It’s part of a holistic strategy to protect landscapes, natural resources, and wildlife for the long term. Ensuring that local communities benefit from wildlife, and are engaged in their conservation, is a key element of our work to save them.
“In Northern Tanzania, elephants are worth more alive than dead because they attract tourism, which creates jobs for a lot of people,” said Matt Brown, TNC Africa’s Conservation Director. “But for communities that are located closest to conserved areas, the safety of your family and your crops has to come first. Farmers can’t support conservation of wildlife migration corridors if the animals threaten lives and livelihoods.”
The elephant alarm system is already changing lives in communities across northern Tanzania. As one crop protection volunteer recently put it: “This system is so helpful and easy… and now we don’t have to use spears.”
“We want farmers and communities continue to be conservationists, and in order to achieve this I believe that the elephant needs to be seen as a friend rather than foe,” Bell said. “Since we have developed the toolkit, the community members are much more confident that they can keep elephants out of their fields and live alongside elephants peacefully.”
Human-wildlife conflict has become a growing challenge for conservationists, and Honeyguide Foundation’s elephant alarm system is an ingenious and inexpensive way to reduce these conflicts that TNC is proud to support.
Each elephant alarm kit costs $530. It includes a high-powered flashlight, an air horn, 60 chili clouds, 3 roman candles, a first aid kit and a team leader jumpsuit.
Your gift will go far:
A donation of $25 would fund 9 chili clouds.
A donation of $50 would fund one air horn and 2 chili clouds.
A donation of $100 would fund one roman candle and 22 chili clouds.
A donation of $10,000 would fund expanding the program into 20 more villages.
Each donation given here will be directed to this urgent work with Honeyguide Foundation.
WE'RE ALMOST THERE!
Will you help reach our goal of 200,000 by emailing this petition to your friends, family and co-workers? Facebook, Twitter and all other social medias will help tremendously!
So let's get the word out for this beautiful little female elephant who must have our help now!
She thanks you with a BIG TRUMPET!
No More Suffering for Nosey the Elephant.
Goal: Have the Great Lakes Medieval Faire cancel Nosey the elephant’s appearance.
Nosey the elephant has been mistreated and taken advantage of for far too long. Despite public outcry, Nosey remains with her exhibitor Hugo Liebel. Liebel has a long list of animal welfare citations on record that go all the way back to 1993, but has been contracted to appear at the Great Lakes Medieval Faire in Ohio.
A veterinarian and elephant expert stated that Nosey’s case is “the worst, most prolonged, documented example of an uncorrected case of suffering and abuse in an elephant I have ever reviewed.” Nosey has reportedly been seen confined to small parking lots with no food, water or shelter. She also often displays signs of stress and will rock back and forth continuously.
Sign this petition to demand the Great Lakes Medieval Faire cancel Nosey’s appearance. Nosey’s suffering needs to be put to an end. She deserves a happy end to her life, not one where she continues living in captivity for human entertainment.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Ms. Hall,
This year at your festival, Nosey the elephant is scheduled to make an appearance. Nosey has been mistreated and taken advantage of for years. It is time this abuse is put to an end.
Her exhibitor, Hugo Liebel, has been forcing Nosey to give rides to people despite her arthritis and numerous stress behaviors. Liebel has a long list of citations that date back all the way to 1993. Nosey has also reportedly been seen trapped in hot parking lots with no shelter, food or water. It is cruel and inhumane what Liebel has been putting Nosey through.
Please consider canceling Nosey’s appearance at your fair. She is in great pain, physically and mentally, and it is time her misery be put to an end. She belongs in a sanctuary where she can relax, play, and enjoy her days with friends.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Deborah Robinson
Rides on Nosey the elephant at Shipshewana Flea Market canceled after complaints http://www.goshennews.com/news/local_news/rides-on-nosey-the-elephant-at-shipshewana-flea-market-canceled/article_6708c198-447d-11e6-8374-530774b2
No Elephants, White or Otherwise, at This Flea Market. Hugo Liebel, who drags an ailing elephant named Nosey around the country and forces her to give rides, was supposed to be at Indiana’s Shipshewana Flea Market each Tuesday and Wednesday during the month of July. But after hearing from PETA about his long history of animal-welfare violations and putting the public at risk, fair management pulled the plug on him.
Years of being shackled in chains and forced to perform grueling tricks have taken their toll on Nosey. One of the nation’s leading elephant experts and veterinarians has characterized her case as “the worst, most prolonged, documented example of an uncorrected case of suffering and abuse in an elephant I have ever reviewed.” According to this expert, Nosey has had numerous bouts of lameness since 2014 and is probably suffering from arthritis, a painful condition that can be fatal in elephants.
We’re sending flea market management a box of vegan cookies as a token of our thanks for doing the right thing by this suffering elephant.
What You Can Do
Please let the flea market know that you support its decision by posting a comment on its Facebook page, and also urge Congress to take action for Nosey.
NEW Informative Article About Nosey On The Star Beacon!
Nosey has made the news once again! Our own Karen Ess, (founder of Action for Nosey Now) was interviewed for the new and well written article in the Star Beacon. We'd like to thank Justin Dennis for writing this informative article and the Star Beacon for publishing it. Huge thanks also to Kim Fenton (one of the GLMF protest organisers) for her great quotes which were used throughout the article and to everyone who protested for Nosey over the weekend. Here are a few interesting points from the article:
Thanks ~ Action for Nosey Now 
#KeepNoseyInTheNews
AFNN
Rally For Nosey at Great Lakes Medieval Faire in Ohio!
Details http://bit.ly/29M3zbj via Action for Nosey Now
Elephant
rides: 60-year-old elephant dies after rescue from tragic life in Thailand
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Save the Sick, Confined Elephant, Kaavan & Place in Reputable Sanctuary
TARGET: President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain
Overview petition
Update #1 3 days ago
petition has been delivered to the Chairman, Capital Development Authority, Islamabad Pakistan and the Pakistan President. Thank you for speaking out for this beautiful animal that truly needs to live a happy, normal life.
About This Petition
A young elephant by the name of Kaavan was literally taken away from its mother in Sri Lanka back in 1985 and taken to the Pakistan Islamabad Zoo. Ever since that time this baby lived in a concrete enclosure with all four legs chained, allowing for very little movement. This has been Kaavan’s entire life. Red full story at http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/free-kaavan-the-sick-zoo-elephant/
Kaavan can do nothing more than bob his head side to side, a behavior typical of despair and depression. Because of the chains, he also suffers with several deep gashes and signs of gangrene on his lower legs. If this poor animal is not removed from this atmosphere and helped, he will not have a very long life. Living at this zoo has robbed Kaavan of the many benefits of an animal living free in the wild, like love, friendship, comfort and freedom.
Join us in our efforts to save Kaavan from this horrific zoo so that we can get him all the medical care and attention he needs and the prospect of a better life possibly in a reputable sanctuary. This poor animal has spent too many long years in despair and discomfort without ever receiving any medical attention or even be able to walk and roam the way that elephants do. Kaavan has endured much too much abuse and neglect and it is our time to stand up for him and help him in his remaining years.
Our efforts in this petition is to save Kaavan from the Pakistan Islamabad Zoo, provide him love, medical care, exercise and nourishment at which time he can then be placed in a safe, healthy, reputable sanctuary or facility that can give him all the attention and care he deserves. You can help us in our efforts by signing and sharing this petition. Please stand up for Kaavan!
Retire 46-year-old elephant Beulah after 19 years of exploitation
After doing research, I discovered that Beulah had been on the road for almost 20 years. She belongs to the Commerford and Sons Traveling Petting Zoo. The zoo has been cited by the US Department of Agriculture for mistreating and abusing their animals. They have been documented using bullhooks -- a device meant to inflict pain -- on elephants in their care and opposing legislation to ban their use.
A traveling petting zoo is no place for an intelligent animal like Beulah, let alone a traveling zoo with a long list of Animal Welfare Act violations. It is time they let Beulah retire and live out the rest of her life in an elephant sanctuary.
I started this petition in hopes of giving Beulah a better life. Together, we can make that happen. Thanks to public outcry, many elephants across the world have been freed from exploitation and given a better life. Big circuses like Barnum and Bailey have committed to stop using elephants in their show. We can do the same for Beulah. Help us convince Beulah’s owners to send her to an elephant sanctuary by signing and sharing the petition.
Here is documentation of abuses by the Commerford and Sons Traveling Petting Zoo:
http://www.mediapeta.com/peta/pdf/CommerfordPettingZooFactsheet_2010_11_09-pdf.pdf
This petition will be delivered to: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), R W Commerford & Sons, Governor Dannel Malloy
This Baby Elephant May Be Cute, but Here’s Why He Doesn’t Belong on a Beach.
Ah, beautiful pictures of animals – who doesn’t love them? A video of a wild elephant herd looking after their younger members, for example, or a picture of some rescued farm animals snuggling together, is enough to make any animal lover sigh with joy. Sharing photographs and videos of animals can be a great way to spread the message that other species are not so different from humans when it comes to their ability to love and be loved. Social media is a powerful tool for education on a range of issues that affect these animals’ lives, such as factory farming, species extinction, or the pitfalls of captivity.
However, there are certain animal pictures that you should think twice about sharing. One example of this might be a picture of a tiger cub posing with a tourist. Tiger cubs and other big cats are often exploited by roadside zoos and other captive animal attractions, where they are used as selfie props by unscrupulous “carers” who then cruelly discard the animals once they are no longer small and cuddly enough. It is common practice to separate the young clubs from their mothers and starve them in order to render them as small and docile as possible.
It can be hard to tell, at first glance, whether a cute picture or video is exploiting the animals involved. One simple question you can ask yourself is: is this animal engaging in a behavior that comes naturally to them? Another important consideration could be: is the animal in their natural habitat, or perhaps in a reputable animal sanctuary that protects them from human interference and aims to replicate their wild habitat as closely as possible? If any of these questions cannot be satisfactorily answered, the best policy is to avoid promoting that particular picture or video as “cute” or “funny.” Chances are, the situation is far from cute for the animals involved.
This is the case for the baby elephant named Spunky below, who has been forced to pose for photographs on a beach.
A beach environment is unsuitable for elephants, due to a lack of shaded areas. Salt water is also too abrasive for their sensitive skin. In addition, most baby elephants who are put to work in this way have been torn away from their mothers at a very early age, and will likely be forced to work in a trekking camp once they are older. Spunky may look as though he is having fun, but the truth behind the elephant tourism industry is anything but.
Whenever videos or pictures of wild animals in unnatural situations are shared, it should always be accompanied by a critical analysis of why they are harmful to the animals involved. In this way, they can be used as educational tools, helping others to recognize harmful pictures (and speak out against them) whenever they see them in future. For more information on how you can avoid indirectly causing harm to animals by promoting pictures or videos that portray their exploitation, read the articles below.
- 6 Types of Cute Animal Videos You Should Never Help Go Viral
- Why You Should Never Share or Like These Baby Elephant Videos
- Against Wild Animal Petting Attractions? This Photo Shows a Better Way to Interact With Wildlife
- Seven Simple Things You Can Do to Help Captive Elephants – Right Now!
