ANIMAL protection campaigners are calling for a circus elephant to be freed.
The 54-year-old elephant called Anne has arrived in Hartlepool as part of Bobby Roberts Circus.
The circus will be based at the marina from tomorrow until Monday and the Captive Animal Protection Society (CAPS) say Anne does not have proper faciliti
es to exercise.
But circus director Bobby Roberts and his wife Moira say that they love and care well for the animal that has been with the circus and part of their family for over 50 years.
The elephant who, according to Moira is 'retired,' travels around the country with the circus and poses after the show for pictures at £4 a piece.
Moira said: "She no longer performs in the show"
But Craig Redmond, campaign manager for CAPS, claimed she was rented out only two months ago for a publicity stunt in Yarm, near Stockton-on-Tees, to an art gallery opening a new exhibition.
Moira said: "The animals only move around once a week in specially built trailers. Anne moves in a 47ft articulated vehicle.''
She said Anne has a tent which is more than 180ft by 120ft ''in which she can move about during the day".
But Mr Redmond said: "In our opinion the animal does not have the proper facilities to exercise.
"The circus say that they put the tent up for her but the tent is very small.
"She is a social animal who would in the wild walk many miles each day."
Moira countered that a normal elephant would walk many miles a day to forage for food but Anne has no need to do that because they bring fruit, vegetables and hay for her.
Anne has been without the company of fellow elephants since 2001.
