Elephant Rides at Carousel Festival Appear to Violate Law

PETA Asks Mayor to Cancel Exhibition of Ailing Elephant

For Immediate Release:
August 26, 2016

Contact:
David Perle 202-438-7382

Today, PETA rushed a complaint to Logansport Mayor Dave Kitchell urging him to end the elephant rides offered today and tomorrow at the Carousel Festival in Riverside Park. In the letter, PETA notes that Logansport law prohibits harboring wild animals with “dangerous propensities” in city parks—and not only does the U.S. Department of Agriculture classify elephants as “dangerous animals,” Nosey, the elephant used for the festival, also has a history of dangerous incidents. She once threw a handler to the ground with her tusk, sending him to the hospital with a head injury, which resulted in a federal fine for the exhibitor.

“Captive elephants are denied everything that’s natural and important to them, so it can be only a matter of time before they lash out in frustration,” says PETA Foundation Associate Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Rachel Mathews. “A festival is no place for a suffering elephant, and PETA is calling on Mayor Kitchell to put an end to these dangerous, cruel, and apparently illegal rides.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that exhibitor Hugo Liebel has forced Nosey to perform grueling tricks and give rides for decades, even though she shows signs of painful, crippling arthritis. PETA has persuaded venues to cancel Nosey’s performances and has worked with elephant experts, engaged members of Congress, and gathered celebrity support in favor of her release to an accredited sanctuary where her needs could be properly addressed.

PETA’s letter to Mayor Kitchell is available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.