Sunday, July 31, 2011

Elephant battle rages as circus comes to Toronto
Published On Fri Jul 29 2011
Kate Allen and Gloria Er-Chua Staff Reporters
from: thestar.com
Months after a protracted battle over Toronto Zoo’s three elephants resulted in the decision to move them away, two new pachyderms have just rolled into town — and animal activists are not pleased.

The Shrine Circus, operating in the parking lot of Centerpoint Mall, features two elephants. The beasts are trotted out twice every performance for rides at $10 a pop and perform tricks during one segment of the show. The circus is a fundraiser for charities supported by the local Shriners’ chapter.

The mall’s Facebook page has become a flashpoint for criticism directed at the show’s organizers.

Protests are planned for every show this weekend at the Yonge St. and Steeles Ave. mall.

Susan Morris, who organized the demonstrations, has been protesting the Shrine Circus elephants’ treatment for three years. “They basically live on a truck and in a parking lot.

“I’m trying to get people to see that maybe it’s not right and to go for circuses that don’t have animals,” she said.

Larry Solheim, general manager for TZ Productions which produces the circus, said the elephants do well under the company’s care.

“Elephants thrive in captivity,” he said, adding they are transported in custom-built trailers and their average trip is 100 kilometres. On the road, they live in a compound with climate-controlled facilities.

The company’s herd of around eight animals lives in Florida when they are not performing.
read more:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1032608--elephant-battle-rages-as-circus-comes-to-toronto

No comments:

Post a Comment