This circus is one of the worst that APOs have come across, as it celebrated animal suffering like no other. The elephant that the circus used to perform with was almost completely blind. She was kept tied for 22 hours a day without adequate food, water or exercise. The circus had also not registered the elephant with the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), and was holding the animal illegally. In a 2 week long collaborative effort, animal protection organisations in Andhra Pradesh secured freedom for all animals in the possession of SAM Circus camped in the West Godavari District.
PFA Hyderabad lead the on ground rescue operation. In addition to the elephant, 1 camel, 2 horses, 2 goats, 5 dogs, 3 puppies 1 bullock were freed from a life of torture in the process. All animals except the elephant have been rehabilitated by Blue Cross of Hyderabad. The elephant has been moved to the Wildlife SOS Elephant Care Center in Mathura, where she is undergoing treatment and care.
Tied in a paddock, with a severe eye infection and no medical care, this horse may lose sight in one eye. Such neglect and abuse is rampant in circuses.
The rescue was made possible as a result of the Animal Welfare Board of India withdrawing regulatory clearances to the circus. It was a joint effort of animal protection organisations PFA Hyderabad, Blue Cross of Hyderabad, Wildlife SOS, Animal Protection Organsiation Kakinada, Jeevraksha Sangham Rajahmundri, SPCA shelter Kakinada, Honorary Animal Welfare Officer Vijay Kishore, PFA Uttarakhand and FIAPO.
Like Moonlight circus, this circus was also a repeat offender. It continued to blatantly flout the ban on performance imposed on it and also mistreated its animals, proven by the terrible conditions they were kept in. The deformed bullock was used as a grand exhibition object, a practice which is both medieval and barbaric. This is vindication of the fact that there is no place for animals in circuses, and lends more strength to our appeal to the government to entirely prohibit animals in circuses.
