ELEPHANTS OF EDEN – No Sanctuary for Elephants

[Flutterby]

NSPCA Lays Animal Cruelty Charges

ISSUED ON MONDAY 19 MAY 2014


CONTACT PERSON : WENDY WILLSON on 011907 3590/1/2/3


The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has laid animal cruelty charges against Elephants of Eden, the Knysna Elephant Park, their directors and management including Lizette Withers, in terms of the Animals Protection Act, 71 of 1962 for cruelty to elephants.

This proved necessary after the NSPCA received horrific footage depicting the cruel and abusive training methods employed to control and train baby and young elephants for their future, captive lives in the elephant-based tourist industry.

Wendy Willson, National NSPCA Inspector, has stated that the footage shows elephant calves and juvenile elephants being chained, roped and stretched, shocked with electric cattle prods and hit with bull hooks– all methods used to force these gentle giants to submit to the will of their trainers and handlers. "The elephants show signs of crippling injuries with severely swollen legs and feet, debilitating abscesses and wounds resulting from the abusive use of ropes, chains, and bull hooks. The calculated and premeditated cruelty of this nature that took place at this facility is a far cry from the loving sanctuary image that Elephants of Eden/Knysna Elephant Park like to portray,”continued Willson.

The footage was taken on the premises of Elephants of Eden situated in the Eastern Cape – a property defined as a safe haven for elephants and owned by the same entities who own the Knysna Elephant Park. The facility and its remaining elephants have recently been moved to the Western Cape to join the Knysna Elephant Park.

In simple terms; due to the size, intelligence and nature of elephants, training most often takes place through domination, and the breaking of the elephant's spirit. In order to dominate or force one's will onto an animal such as the elephant, force needs to be applied and thus is a recipe for abuse. The footage is proof of this.

A growing number of people in South Africa and around the world have suffered severe and fatal injuries as a result of the rebellion of trained elephants kept in captivity. Elephants of Eden and the Knysna Elephant Park are no exceptions: - at these facilities two elephant handlers have been killed and others have been seriously injured. The most recent case occurred in 2011.

The captive elephant interaction industry is a form of tourism driven by greed and without any conservation benefit. Additionally, no dedicated laws exist in South Africa to govern methods used in handling or training elephants for interaction tourism, and trainers and handlers do not require any formal training or education to be able to work with or handle elephants.

At a recent inspection of the Knysna Elephant Park, even though the NSPCA had a warrant to inspect the premises, we were denied entry by Lizette Withers. We were obliged to obtain assistance from the police in order to effect the warrant. Ms Withers only permitted entry when she was advised that her persistent refusal would lead to her arrest. A charge of obstruction has also been laid against Ms Withers.

The NSPCA subscribes to the credo that "wild animals belong in the wild” and is opposed to the removal of elephants from the wild for domestication purposes. We believe that elephants should not be trained, kept in captivity and/or used for entertainment.

[Lisbeth]

[Bushcraft]

[pooky]

[Flutterby]

Elephants of Eden respond to animal cruelty allegations

Mon, 19 May 2014

The owner of Elephants of Eden at Alexandria in the Eastern Cape says she does not deny animal cruelty allegations laid by the National Council of SPCA's.

Lizette Withers says, however, that the charges relate to a single incident that took place six years ago.

The NSPCA laid animal cruelty charges against Elephants of Eden, after receiving footage depicting cruel and abusive training methods used to control young elephants for their future in the elephant-based tourist industry.

The charges extend to the elephant's owners and management of The Knysna Elephant Park, to where the remaining elephants were recently moved.

Withers told AlgoaFM News the park only found out about the incident two weeks after it took place in November 2008.

She says the situation was rectified immediately.

"Two guys got fired the other people were not working for me.I've got nothing to hide, I didn't abuse the elephants.It was one of the staff members that didn't even work for me. The main people that didn't work for me, the ones who abused the elephants worked for the guy who laid the complaint, I mean he must be cooked in his head." says Withers.

[Amoli]

Was this a matter of somebody just flying off the handles - some idle time.

What mischief to bring this forward again - if it should not be necessary.

[Flutterby]

Not sure Amoli.

[Flutterby]

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SPCAs
RESPONSE STATEMENT

ISSUED ON TUESDAY 20 MAY 2014

The National Council of SPCAs refers to the media statement issued by the Knysna Elephant Park and Elephants of Eden and considers it noteworthy that the document contains neither concern nor compassion for the elephants that were the victims of abuse. To us, the horrific mistreatment of these baby elephants is the key to the whole matter. We care. We took action, and the public is standing behind us, recognising that harsh treatment and blatant cruelty cannot be explained away or excused, no matter how long ago it may have occurred.

It appears from the Knysna Elephant Park / Elephants of Eden statement that nothing was done to stop the mistreatment of the baby elephants and no action, other than a “labour process”, was taken against the offenders. This is unacceptable.

Public reaction to the visuals has demonstrated disgust, shock and horror at the treatment meted out to these captive baby elephants owned by the Knysna Elephant Park and Elephants of Eden.

Elephants taken from the wild are “broken in” during a training process undertaken at the Elephants of Eden/Knysna Elephant Park so they can perform their working functions, which includes giving rides to visitors. Human interaction activities include walking amongst the elephants, hand-feeding the elephants and using them as photographic props at events such as weddings.

CURRENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1 If the abuse took place in 2008, why is it only being publicised now?

The matter only came to our attention recently. This is blatant cruelty and we have laid criminal charges in terms of the Animals Protection Act. The legal process will now take its course. If, as stated in her media release, Lisette Withers knew about this at the time, why didn’t the Knysna Elephant Park or Elephants of Eden take appropriate action or draw it to the attention of the relevant authorities?

2 Why are the elephants still in the possession of the Knysna Elephant Park?

The elephants are owned by Lisette and Ian Withers of the Knysna Elephant Park and Elephants of Eden, they have permission from the relevant provincial department to keep them on that property.

3 What is the NSPCA doing about the elephants still on the property?

We have consulted with our legal representatives, who will be taking the appropriate action. Ultimately, it will be for the courts to decide.
There is also another issue, which relates to the 4 baby elephants whose mothers were shot and killed in the NW Province. They were allegedly purchased by Knysna Elephant Park/Elephants of Eden. We are continuing in our efforts, through legal channels as well, to have these youngsters removed from the premises.

4 Why does Lisette Withers of the Knysna Elephant Park/Elephants of Eden hate and despise the NSPCA? Lisette Withers in an interview stated “they (NSPCA) are stealing every old woman’s pension money. I despise them, they set things up and act like watchdogs, they think they are gods”. It is reported by eNCA that Withers accused the NSPCA of sensationalism and only being interested in money.

We don’t think that it takes rocket science to understand why Lisette Withers of the Knysna Elephant Park/Elephants of Eden hate and despise us – in fact we would expect nothing less.

We are an animal welfare organisation that relies on donations not only from ‘old woman’ but everyone who cares and concerns themselves with animals, we use the donations against facilities like the Knysna Elephant Park/Elephants of Eden, to do inspections, to research, and to bring about prosecutions. We will do everything to ensure that animal cruelty is exposed, the animals must be protected and the public have a right to know.

https://www.facebook.com/NSPCA?fref=ts

[Flutterby]

Knysna Elephant Park - Cruelty Exposed

For those who watched eTV checkpoint last night, clearly the truth has sadly started emerging after Karen Trendler's analysis of the abuse and cruelty suffered at the hands of EOE, the Knysna Elephant Park's training property which went under the name of a retirement park for old elephants. Few realised just what was going on behind the scenes. It appeared that Lizette Withers eventually conceded - but too late for elephants who had to endure this barbaric treatment in the name of tourism. This was not an isolated industry and anywhere in the world where elephant rides are advertised, you can be assured that the same training takes places. Let us bring an end to the elephant back safari operation in South Africa. It is a National disgrace and National shame! The story does not end here! The Sandhurst Four baby elephant illegally taken from their mothers and transported to EOE are now at the Knysna Elephant Park after CapeNature issued permits for this move! Please let us find a proper sanctuary for these elephants and assist with revoking the permits issued to allow for these new babies to go to proper care and eventual release back into the wild.

How do we know this was not an isolated incident - Lizette Withers owner of Knysna Elephant Park was well caught out on camera interview for eTV Checkpoint. There is a lot of infrastructure on the videos that proves the training methods were standard practice. Crushes, ropes, chains, sand pits, metal poles, etc. Were these erected for a single, isolated incident, and then dismantled and hidden form Withers whenever she visited?? No, they were used continuously over long periods of time, for many different animals, and were standard training practice. The footage proves this quite irrefutably. Worth noting, Withers uses a "progressive lies" strategy. First, it was an isolated single incident. Then, it was retribution because the elephant killed a handler. Then it was crazy black people obeying evil spirits. Finally, she is forced to admit that (1) she did use those training methods and (2) she is liable for the cruelty. Unfortunately, these so called "Crazy" people were under four layers of line-function managers: they reported to a head handler, then the EoE manager, then the KEP manager and finally to Withers. Also very interestingly, she mentions near the end of the programme that there are no problems at the Knysna Elephant Park, because all her animals are trained. I agree, they are all trained, and now the world knows what it takes to train them. What she does now is called "tune-up" training, which is a type of re-enforcement training done with rewards, and the ever present bull hooks.

[Lisbeth]

It gives me goose skin