Lame Elephant’s Planned Appearance at Medieval Fair Prompts Call for Relief

PETA Asks Event Planners to Cancel Hugo Liebel’s Elephant Rides to Prevent Animal’s Forced Performance

For Immediate Release:
July 9, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

As venues across the United States continue to heed the call of concerned citizens by showing Hugo Liebel’s cruel elephant rides the door, PETA has rushed a letter to The Great Lakes Medieval Faire—where ailing elephant Nosey was first spotted with an abnormal gait last year. In the letter, PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—urges fair owner Lawrence Rickard to follow the lead of a growing number of event organizers by putting a stop to Nosey’s planned appearance and pledging never to host Liebel again. According to elephant experts, Nosey’s painful stiffness may be a sign of advanced arthritis, yet Liebel continues to shackle her, cart her all over the country, and force her to give rides to the public.

“Audiences are no longer willing to stomach the suffering of elephants like Nosey who are forced to limp along in pain for human amusement,” says PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Delcianna Winders. “PETA is calling on The Great Lakes Medieval Faire to do the right thing by not giving Liebel the opportunity to prod her through another series of grueling rides and tricks.”

Liebel’s extensive history of mistreating Nosey includes nearly 200 citations for federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) violations, including for chaining her so tightly that she could barely move and repeatedly denying her adequate veterinary care for a chronic skin condition. In 2013, he was ordered to pay $7,500 to settle 33 charges for AWA violations. Additionally, Nosey previously attacked one of Liebel’s employees, hitting him with her tusk and lifting him off his feet, but Liebel has continued to allow dangerous public contact with Nosey.

PETA’s letter to Great Lakes Medieval Faire owner Lawrence Rickard is available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.