Johannesburg - Men ride atop elephants whose legs have been stretched in opposite directions with chains and ropes. Ear-piercing sounds of electric cattle prods and elephant squeals rent the air as handlers strike the animals.
Large white abscesses break through the grey wrinkled skin, showing signs of bruising and tissue damage. An elephant’s trunk is in tatters from a beating.
These are some of the images that have been released by the National Council of the SPCA that claims minders at the Eastern Cape facility Elephants of Eden attacked and abused baby elephants.
On Monday, the NSPCA released pictures, taken from videos, depicting severe animal cruelty at the hands of the centre’s staff.
Elephants of Eden, which later moved to the Western Cape to combine locations with its sister organisation the Knysna Elephant Park, now faces charges of animal cruelty, said Wendy Willson, the NSPCA national inspector.
“We know that this takes place in the industry,” Willson said.
“It’s very difficult to prove, and this footage proves what we’ve always suspected. It will cause quite an outcry.”
Founded in 1994 along the Garden Route, the Knysna Elephant Park is owned by Lisette and Ian Withers. The facility offers visitors elephant rides and walks and even a “sleepover with elephants”.
Lisette Withers denied the accusation of consistent abuse, claiming the pictures depicted an isolated incident that happened six years ago. An elephant handler had died while feeding wild elephants and his co-workers claimed the man’s spirit had asked them to seek revenge.
When the manager in the Eastern Cape went on holiday, the co-workers brutally attacked the elephants.
Knysna discovered the incident two weeks later and fired the staff involved and provided medical care to the injured animals, Withers said.
“I’m not saying the beatings are not cruel. They certainly were,” Withers said. “What I don’t understand is that this happened six years ago.
“The NSPCA has targeted us for years. They would love to close us down.”
Willson said the footage showed multiple incidents occurring from 2008, 2009 and 2010, although she would not disclose the source of the film or photos.
In March, the NSPCA accused the Knysna Elephant Park of abducting four elephant calves whose mothers were killed in a culling operation.
Knysna Elephant Park officials deny blame, saying in a statement that the elephants were offered to them by Sandhurst Safaris, which intended to close its operation.
The council also laid a charge of obstruction against Withers for refusing entry to the NSPCA when they came with a warrant to inspect the park. Withers said they never produced a warrant and she did not let them into the park until they returned with one.
Though the training of elephants for human interaction is not illegal, animal abuse is, under the Animal Protection Act of 1962.
Elephants that have been trained are often more violent towards humans, so there is an increase in deaths and injuries of elephant handlers. At the Knysna Elephant Park and Elephants of Eden, elephants have killed two handlers.
The NSPCA said they hoped to have elephants removed from the centre and the owners convicted.
A court date has not been set, but Withers said she would defend herself and her centre against the allegations. - The Star