(From previous page)

... But the animals weren't laughing when we investigated their living conditions during their recent visit to Wellington.

Sadly the elephant rocked from side to side. In a crate hardly bigger than itself, chained by the leg, it swung backwards and forwards... backwards and forwards... left, right, left, right...

From within the black gloom of the crates shadowy forms crouching in total silence watched our every move. Situated in small boxes constructed between the wheel-base and the big cats the chimpanzees and baboons chained at the neck... with apparently insufficient room to stand. Arms extended through the bars and palms upturned... They begged

... For this was their treat... The flaps of their travelling hell-hole homes were up... and for the prisoners had a view of several feet of derelict and ugly wasteground upon which the circus was parked.

And the big cats in their tiny, rusting and disgusting cages, though degraded, looked beyond, through and over us... Retaining their dignity in face of overwhelming odds.

Making us feel ashamed and insignificant
Sickened, shocked and angered we decided to return the following day to record the scene on camera for Mobilise!

We trust that all our members share our views that circuses which include animal acts must be wiped out. Training methods, in which the animals must be "broken" are extremely cruel. Capture methods are often hideous and methods of disposal of aging animals extremely suspicious.

In spite of constant complaints of a small nucleus of members TVNZ insists on showing circus performances with animal acts and we now suggest that other members may like to enlarge on this campaign...

By bombarding the TV stations with calls and jamming the switchboards

It is suggested that at every televised circus performance using animal acts members in the main centres telephone their protest - reporting that they are turning their sets off until the show has finished... and that they ask their more enlightened friends to do the same.