Bobby Roberts circus demos October 2005
Time for Anne to pack up her
trunk?
27 October 2005
ANIMAL welfare campaigners are urging people in Warrington to boycott
a travelling circus because of its use of an elderly elephant.
On Tuesday night, members of Manchester Animal Protection held a
protest at Bobby Roberts Circus, which is currently appearing on
Delph Lane, Winwick.
They object to the circus using 52-year-old Anne, an elephant who
suffers from arthritis, to attract audiences.
Despite claims from the circus that she no longer performs, she is
transported from town to town every week so that people can pay to
have their photograph taken with her.
Campaigners say elephants are social, intelligent animals and can
suffer a range of mental and physical problems in captivity.
The world's leading elephant experts are unanimous in condemning
the use of elephants in circuses.
Bobby Roberts is the only circus touring Britain with an elephant,
and one of the few that continues to use any animals.
Animal welfare campaigners are calling for Anne, the last elephant
to be used in a circus, to be released to a sanctuary but, so far,
the circus has refused to let her go, saying that other elephants
would kill her.
But Craig Redmond from the Captive Animals' Protection Society, said: "This
is complete nonsense. There are sanctuaries that specialise in taking
elephants from exactly the same situations as Anne and have a total
success rate of integrating them back into a herd."
John Bailey, from Manchester Animal Protection said: "Animals
do not belong in circuses and we encourage the public to boycott
this one and visit instead, one of the many excellent animal-free
circuses that visit the north west.
" It is time for animals like Anne to be retired to sanctuaries rather
than dragged around to perform for the public."
A spokesman for Bobby Roberts Circus claimed it was not cruel and
said: "I'm not interested in talking to you. You'll print what
you want anyway."
Despite being made to pose with hundreds of audience members, the
spokesman maintained that Anne belongs with the circus because 'she
doesn't like strangers'
Circus is no place for Anne
27 October
2005
ANNE the elephant is 52 years old and has lived in captivity all
her life. Her keepers at Bobby Roberts Circus, the only circus in
the UK to still keep an elephant, insist she no longer performs as
she was retired 10 years ago.
Whether the reason for her retirement was her crippling arthritis,
or her 'fear' of strangers, we'll never know, since circus representatives
refused to answer questions from the Warrington Guardian.
Anne may no longer perform, but she is still used to boost the profits
of the travelling circus, as families are charged to pose beside
her and have their photographs taken.
Considering Anne's dislike of strangers, (the circus' reason for
not releasing Anne to an elephant sanctuary), one can only imagine
her terror at having to pose with hundreds of strangers week in week
out.
Nevertheless, the circus maintains that caging Anne up day after
day and travelling from town to town is NOT cruel.
Neither is the fact that Anne used to perform, as part of her act,
on two legs. Could this be the reason for her arthritis?
It's time for this elephant to pack her trunk and say goodbye to
the circus so she can spend the rest of her days in comfort.
An appalling
way to treat a beautiful animal
24 October 2005
I AGREE with Susan Berry, "Circus life is not happy for Annie",
Letters, October 19.
The fact that Bobby Roberts tells people this poor, old, arthritic
elephant is happy would be laughable if it wasn't so appalling.
How can we take a glorious animal away from its homeland, cage it,
ferry it up and down the country in a van, never to see trees or fields,
and made to perform for children?
Elephants are highly intelligent animals, they do not enjoy noise or
travel - both necessary to make money for Mr Roberts.
If we take our children to see this animal, we are keeping him in the
business of animal abuse.
Keep away.
Take the kids to the pictures or up Rivington Pike at half term instead.
I am sure, if we told children the truth, they would not want to go.
A Cartmell
Bolton Green Party Spokesperson
Link
to letter
Circus life is not happy for Annie
19 October 2005
UNFORTUNATELY, that throwback to a less enlightened age, the circus
with animals, was in the Bolton area last week.
Bobby Roberts, who trails a lone, old, arthritic elephant up and
down the country year after year, tells people that Annie the elephant
is part of his family.
I wasn't aware it was usual to keep one's family members in chains,
depriving them of company of their own kind!
If Bobby Roberts had an ounce of decency in him, he would let this
wretched animal go to the sanctuary which has been offered. Couldn't
be anything to do with money could it? A few pounds a time for visitors
to have their photos taken with the elephant. A few thousand a time
for the commercials she has ìstarredî in.
The saddest thing of all is that those people who visited the circus
for their hour of pleasure condemn this animal to live out what's
left of her life in misery.
Susan Berry
Preston
Link to letter
Animal rights circus protest
13 October 2005
ANIMAL rights activists staged a protest outside a circus near Farnworth
on Wednesday night.
Campaigners from Manchester Animal Protection and the Captive Animals'
Protection Society stood at the entrance of the Bobby Roberts Circus
at New Hill Farm, Manchester Road, distributing leaflets and holding
a banner asking people to "boycott the cruel circus."
At the centre of the row is the big star of the circus, Annie the
elephant, who appears in the interval so that visitors can have their
photograph taken with her.
The circus say Annie is part of their family, and has been retired
from the ring for some time and that they're "surprised and
saddened" by the campaign.
But the animal welfare groups say Annie should be sent to a sanctuary
and the use of animals for entertainment of this kind is cruel and
exploitative.
Leaving the first show of the evening with his young daughter, Lee
Eyres, aged 35, from Swinton, said: "It was a cracking night.
The animals looked fine to me. If they looked ill treated I wouldn't
be spending my money here."
But David Cooper, aged 37, of Agecroft Road, Swinton, who went to
the show with wife Michelle, aged 31, and daughters Katie, aged four,
and Amy, aged two, said: "We phoned to ask if there were any
animals in the circus and they said no.
" We wouldn't have come otherwise. I don't agree with it. "
Susie Hughes from Manchester Animal Protection said: "We're
here tonight to raise public awareness. We're giving them these leaflets
so they can make up their own mind."
The Bobby Roberts Circus is one of the few in the country that still
uses animals.
Also among the acts are jugglers on horseback, springboard acrobats
and Arabian stallions.
Earlier this year The Sunday Mirror launched an appeal to rescue
the 52-year-old elephant from the circus.
Link to article
Annie the elephant sparks protests
11 October 2005
THE circus has come to town - complete with clowns and showgirls
and performing Shetland ponies, poodles and parrots.
But the biggest star of them all is Annie the elephant.
And it is her appearance that has left the Bobby Roberts Circus facing
complaints.
The circus is one of the few in the country that still uses animals.
The Captive Animalsí Protection Society (CAPS) and the Manchester
Animal Protection Society (MAPS) say they will be staging a protest
outside the circus near Farnworth this week. They want the elephant
to be sent to a sanctuary. The circus says it is "surprised
and saddened" by the campaign.
A spokesman said Annie was a part of their family, and has been retired
from the circus ring for some time.
The elephant appears for just a few minutes in the interval so that
visitors can have their photo taken with her.
Craig Redmond, campaigns officer for CAPS, said: "It's time
to end the use of animals in circuses, and we encourage the Bobby
Roberts Circus to follow others by having only human acts.
" The human performers can choose to be there; the animals have no
choice.
" There is one very simple thing that anyone concerned for animal welfare
can do, and
that is to avoid all animal circuses."
He said his organisation received more complaints about the Bobby
Roberts Circus than any other British circus, as it was the only
one touring Britain with an elephant and one of the few still to
use animals such as horses.
The Sunday Mirror launched an appeal this summer to rescue the 52-year-old
elephant.
Bobby Roberts said: "Allegations made by tabloid newspapers
about Annieís health, claiming she is in constant pain, are
totally unfounded and completely untrue.
" We have a large amount of veterinary evidence which completely refutes
this claim.
Additionally, claims that Annie is still performing are
entirely fictional.
" Annie is retired from the circus ring and has been for some time."
Mr Robert said arguments over the rights and wrongs of performing
animals in the circus were not the issue in Annie's case.
He added: "Our opinion is that if Annie was taken away from
her familiar surroundings and the company of those she loves, she
would quite simply pine away and die.
" It would be a most unkind separation which would be far more detrimental
to her
well-being than continuing the way of life which she has known
for many years.î
The circus was at New Hill Farm, off Manchester Road (A6), near Farnworth,
from Tuesday.
Also among the acts are jugglers on horseback, springboard acrobats
and Arabian stallions.
Link to article