Notorious Circus Exhibitor Faces Dozens of Charges for Animal Welfare Act Violations—Group Will Protest at Raymond James Stadium
For Immediate Release:
February 20, 2013
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Tampa, Fla. -- PETA is using its popular website to ask visitors to urge Eric Hart, president and CEO of the Tampa Sports Authority, to cancel performances by an ailing elephant named Nosey that are scheduled to begin Friday at Raymond James Stadium as part of the UniverSoul Circus. Nosey's exhibitor, Hugo Liebel, faces almost three dozen charges for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, most of them relating to Nosey, including chaining her so tightly that she could barely move and repeatedly denying her adequate veterinary care for a skin condition. Liebel is set to face these charges at a hearing in Tampa next month. In the meantime, PETA members will be on hand for a spirited protest at the stadium.
When: Friday, February 22, 6:15 p.m.
Where: Raymond James Stadium parking lot, 4201 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa
"If the Tampa Sports Authority hosts this cruel outfit, it will virtually be endorsing animal abuse," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "This poor elephant should not be used and abused but confiscated and allowed to retire."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been citing Liebel for failing to treat Nosey's skin condition properly for two decades. According to a veterinarian with more than 30 years of experience caring for and treating elephants, recent photographs of Nosey reveal that her condition continues to deteriorate and that she is suffering as a result. PETA has just submitted a complaint to the USDA today asking that the agency confiscate her. The USDA described Nosey's condition as "thickened layers of dead skin" with a "dry, cracked appearance" on her legs, tail, back, sides, and face. Also, records just obtained by PETA reveal that Nosey tested positive for tuberculosis (TB) antibodies in January 2012. This result can be an early indicator of TB infection, which is highly transmissible to humans. Liebel's other violations include allowing unsupervised public contact with Nosey, who previously attacked a worker, who then had to be rushed to an emergency room.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.