The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) is considering legal steps over proposed norms and standards for managing the elephant population being formulated by the Environmental Affairs and Tourism Department.
The NSPCA on Monday aborted a meeting to discuss captive elephants — a follow-up to an intensive workshop held on November 8 on the training of these elephants.
NSPCA spokesperson Brenda Santon said it is obvious the current norms and standards do not address the important welfare issues raised by the experts at the November 8 workshop. ”It would appear that the discussions that carried on all day have been swept aside and that the workshop was a waste of time,” she said.
The NSPCA has been part of the process, provided input and attended the relevant meetings, but does not support the norms and standards on captive elephants as they currently stand. ”They do not offer adequate protection for elephants or attempt to prevent cruelty,” Santon said.
The NSPCA believes the department has taken a step back and is not accepting responsibility for captive elephants that its agencies have permitted and continue to permit.
As the norms and standards stand, the department is placing the onus on animal welfare organisations to police the industry, but the norms and standards offer no restrictions or prohibitions on training elephants.
No attempt has been made to cap the industry.
The department and its agencies have allowed an industry to operate through the permits issued.
”Now, when the issue becomes contentious and the department finds itself in the hot seat, it wants to leave NGOs like the NSPCA who operate on public funding to clean up the mess and address the resulting welfare issues,” she said.
The department has suggested the welfare issues be addressed through the Agriculture and Land Affairs Department. ”The NSPCA fails to see the logic in this approach when the tourism industry, of which captive elephants form an integral part, falls within the department’s mandate.”
The NSPCA is mandated in terms of the Animals Protection Act and the Performing Animals Protection Act to ensure the welfare of animals, and believes the norms and standards should address welfare concerns, and regulate the industry and the training methods considered abusive towards animals.
In their current form, the norms and standards are inadequate in terms of welfare.
”The NSPCA is committed to improving the lot of this country’s captive elephants and considers the use of ankuses, chains and any type of deprivation and the restriction of social contact as unethical and cruel.
”The NSPCA walked out of the meeting in disgust and will be taking the matter under legal advisement,” Santon said. — Sapa