Elephant Abuse: Circus Owner Convicted

A circus owner found guilty of three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an elephant in his care has been spared a prison term.

Bobby Roberts was also convicted of failing to prevent an employee from repeatedly beating the animal called Anne.

The 69-year-old defendant, who ran Super Circus in Polebrook, Cambridgeshire, also failed to ensure the Asian elephant's needs were met by not giving her medication for her arthritis.

Roberts was given a three-year conditional discharge, while his wife Moira, 75, was cleared by a jury following a five-day trial.

The couple, from Oundle, had denied the charges at Northampton Crown Court.

The court was shown footage filmed secretly by animal welfare group Animal Defenders International (ADI) of the animal being kicked and struck with a pitchfork several times by the groom at the circus's winter quarters in Polebrook, last year.

The footage, filmed between January 21 and February 15 2011, also showed Anne constantly chained to the ground.

The 58-year-old elephant could be seen chained by one foot and one hind leg in a barn.

Anne the elephant is now being looked after at Longleat Safari Park

The legs of the animal - who the prosecution allege was not receiving medication for its arthritis - could also be seen to buckle several times in the footage.

Bobby Roberts told the court he was unaware that Anne had been constantly chained.

And he said the groom, who is believed to have returned home to Romania, had not followed his instructions.

He admitted the elephant would be chained up at times.

But he added his instructions were that the animal be let loose behind an electric fence in a cordoned off area of the barn when possible or, if the weather was good, to be taken to a field outside.

In April 2011, the defendants agreed to hand Anne over to Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire, where she is to live out her days.

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