Circus cleans up its act
No ellies, lions in sight at Brian Boswell Circus in Richards Bay
THE Brian Boswell Circus has seemingly tamed its wild side, with not one elephant or lion in sight at its tents opposite the City of uMhlathuze Municipality.
Animals included in its shows are restricted to camels, lamas, ponies and horses.
Both Richards Bay and Empangeni SPCAs have committed to conduct ongoing inspections of the animals’ living conditions until the circus packs up on 4 September.
The circus came under immense pressure after video footage aired on television programme Carte Blanche in 2013 showed how elephants had been chained and exposed to heat for hours and beaten with sticks.
Circus owner Brian and Jane Boswell, their daughter Georgina and elephant handler and ringmaster David Marais, faced a string of animal cruelty charges laid by the National Council of SPCA, but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew these on 21 April this year owing to a lack of evidence.
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