AR-News: Arna the elephant under spotlight again

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The Daily Telegraph

Arna under spotlight again

By NICOLLE FENECH

June 1, 2004

ARNA the elephant has taken centre stage at the circus for 40 years but yesterday it was her working conditions that were under the spotlight at a Sydney court.

After two years of legal wrangling, Stardust Circus was back in the Downing Centre Local Court answering a cruelty charge brought by Animal Liberation NSW.

The action, which has been to the Supreme Court and back, involves 47-year-old Arna which Animal Liberation claims became distressed when the circus allowed a short visit by three elephants from another circus.

It has been claimed that from the time her partner Bambi died in July 1996, Arna lived a solitary existence at the circus until December 30, 2000 when Stardust Circus director Janice Lennon arranged the visit, believing it would be good for her to have contact with other elephants. However Animal Liberation claims the visit of a few hours led to the elephant becoming extremely distressed when the others were taken away again.

Mrs Lennon yesterday told the court she would never have arranged the visit if she thought Arna was going to become distressed.

NSW Agriculture had given Stardust Circus a permit to keep Arna as a single circus animal after July 1996 but its standards prefer that single elephants be given contact with other elephants if it can be arranged.

The action was dismissed by the Local Court in 2002 which found the prosecution had failed to prove there was any intention by the circus to cause pain to Arna.

However the Supreme Court later found there had been an error of law and now the matter has returned to court.