(AU) Killer elephant calls Dubbo home for now

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Killer elephant calls Dubbo home for now

Thursday, January 10, 2008

By Jess Perriam

 

So-called killer elephant Arna the Asian elephant and her circus mate Gigi have

both been offered temporary accommodation at Dubbo's Western Plains Zoo.

 

The Stardust Circus elephant is believed to be responsible for the death of a

54-year-old circus worker at Yamba on the New South Wales North Coast.

 

But Arna and Gigi's housing is dependent on whether they pass behavioural and

health assesments. There's also the matter of whether or not the zoo can afford

to house the elephants. It's estimated it will cost around $70,000 per year to

take care of each elephant.

 

New South Wales' acting Environment Minister Nathan Rees says while he's open to

the idea of the zoo keeping the elephants, he hopes it won't set a precedent for

other circuses to expect zoos to take unwanted animals.

 

" We can't just have circuses dumping animals on the doorstep of the zoos.

Without being glib about it, an elephant is not just for Christmas. You are

taking it on for a half a century. "

 

" The notion that if something goes wrong, it gets lumped with the taxpayer, I

think it's flawed. "

 

When the elephants arrive in Dubbo, they will be initially placed in quarantine

to shield other animals from possible diseases.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/westernplains/stories/s2135627.htm?nsw

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Zoo welcomes killer circus elephant

Tuesday January 15

 

Two circus elephants have arrived at their temporary new home at Dubbo's Western

Plains Zoo in far western New South Wales, after one of them crushed its

54-year-old handler on Boxing Day.

 

The Stardust Circus handler was tending to the two asian elephants, Arna and

Gigi, at the Yamba Showground on the NSW North Coast when he was killed.

 

The circus donated the elephants to the zoo after the tragedy.

 

Western Plains Zoo's senior elephant keeper, Roger Brogan, says the animals are

settling into their new surroundings after yesterday's lengthy road trip.

 

Mr Brogan says safety measures will be taken while the keepers establish a

relationship with them.

 

" Any new animal that you don't have an established relationship with,

particularly elephants, you have to be very careful of, " he said.

 

" At this stage, we'll handle these animals with what we call protective contact.

 

" [That] means we'll handle them with a barrier or a fence in between us, which

adds to the challenge but certainly in this day and age, is done very

successfully. "

 

http://au.news./080115/21/15izk.html