PETA to protest appalling condition of circus jumbos

Jaipur, Apr 25 (UNI) Activists of the people for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will demonstrate here tomorrow to show how captive circus elephants are shackled, beaten and abused.

This is to protest an incident of April 23 where in a circus elephant, Bahadur, belonging to Rajkamal Circus, ran amok after a boy hurled a stone at him after the show at Chaughan Stadium here.

The stone actually hurt Bahadur in its eye, which enraged it.

The jumbo was not chained when the incident occurred and he ran helter skelter bringing down the tent. Had the circus personnel not brought him under control, a major mishap could have occurred.

PETA's protest is part of a series of demonstrations that the group is holding in an effort to draw attention to the appalling conditions of captive elephants.

A chained PETA volunteer wearing a body suit with an elephant mask will demonstrate with a huge poster reading 'Shackled, Beaten, Abused.' PETA says an elephant requires 200 kg of green fodder and more than 150 litres of water a day, yet no circus provided these to them. The number of mahouts killed by elephants has increased in recent times with 41 deaths in 2006 and 11 between December 2006 and February 2007.

PETA says circus elephants perform out of fear and deprivation and portray a distorted view of wildlife.

Says N G Jayasimha, PETA's India co-ordinator, ''Animals are not natural performers, they are forced to do so. Boycott circuses.'' UNI