I’m an animal lover and it sickens me to hear about abuse.
I sat in the courtroom for 10.5 hours listening to testimony, and I think the county bit off more than it can chew. The animal control officer under oath said she knew nothing about elephants.
Nosey was stranded in Lawrence County due to a breakdown. The owner did the best he could in this situation. One of the two main complaints was that Nosey had a skin condition due to neglect. Well, in court we learn from an elephant doctor that this condition is common. The other complaint was that Nosey had to stand in her own waste. Elephants produce a lot of waste. It is called life.
Based only on what I heard in court, I didn’t hear any proof that Mr. Liebel abused this elephant.
Elephants are very intelligent and they form a bond with their owner. When separated, the elephant can have anxiety. Nosey seemed to be subjected to more cruelty while under control of the county and the facility in Tennessee than when she was with her owner.
The county had to force Nosey into a trailer with a winch, which might have injured her leg. After she arrived in Tennessee, something happened there that caused her to break her tusk. Nosey did not break her tusk while under the control of her owner.
This elephant might cost the county a lot of money we can’t afford. Nosey should be immediately released to her owner so she can return to her home in Florida and let officials there handle this.
Read the original article here.