Misleading elephant welfare campaign was 'justified'

NZPA

LIFE IN THE CIRCUS: Jumbo the elephant with keeper Tony Ratcliffe at the centre of an Advertising Complaints Authority hearing. The Authority has found in favour of Jumbo against SAFE.

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An animal welfare organisation is unrepentant for its advertising campaign aimed at getting Jumbo the elephant out of the circus, which the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed misleading.

"We feel absolutely justified in what we did and believe the Advertising Standards Complaint Board got their determination wrong," Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE) campaign director Hans Kriek said.

The group would be appealing the decision, he said.

The campaign included an image of the elephant's foot with a chain around it, which the authority said was misleading because it was not Jumbo's foot pictured.

It also found false the claim that an elephant swaying was a sign of stress.

Mr Kriek said he was particularly surprised by this decision.

"When you talk to elephant experts or read any literature on this it clearly indicates that when elephants sway it means they can't cope with their environment."

Paul Johnson of Loritz Circus said the ASA's decision was the right one, as SAFE's campaign was "based on emotion, not fact".

"Particularly concerning is that they're misleading people by publishing this clearly false information," he said.

"The annoying thing for us is that we would welcome input from (SAFE) but they've never bothered to engage with us."

SAFE had also sparked a SPCA inquiry into Jumbo's well-being which found the animal was being well cared for and not neglected.

SPCA chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said while the circus' treatment of the animal could be deemed "okay", there were ongoing welfare issues surrounding Jumbo's treatment.

"It is not suitable what is happening to her. . . it's inappropriate to have an elephant in a circus any more because of the pressures it puts on a very large and ultimately needy animal," she said.

The SPCA is opposed to circuses, but abides by the Circus Code of Welfare which allows them to keep exotic animals and outlines their rights.

In a separate investigation into Loritz Circus' treatment of Jumbo, the SPCA had found the circus in breach of the code for keeping the elephant in a pub car-park.