For the last 30 years, Nosey the elephant, who was taken from her family and her home in the wild as a baby, has been beaten with a bullhook, kept all alone in chains and in a dark and cramped trailer, and forced to perform tricks and give rides to tourists.
Actor Carol Burnett shot a video for PETA highlighting Nosey’s plight, but before it could be released, the elephant was found neglected in Alabama without shelter, hay, or water. Lawrence County authorities seized her from notorious animal exhibitor Hugo Liebel, and she was transported to an accredited sanctuary in Tennessee, where we hope she’ll remain once the legal battle with her owner is resolved.
Today, the Hollywood icon sent a letter to county commissioners:
“I was so thrilled to hear from my friends at PETA that Nosey has been transported to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
“Nosey’s tragic story very recently compelled me to record a PSA for PETA urging for her retirement and encouraging kind people everywhere to act in her behalf to give her the chance of living a happy life in a sanctuary. She has been on the road nearly since her infancy. She has worked, day in and day out, carrying people on her back and performing difficult tricks under the threat of a bullhook. Her “home” on the road has been a dark, cramped trailer or the end of a chain. She deserves so much more — as do all other elephants.
“I recorded this PSA mere weeks ago, when I didn’t think anyone in a position to help Nosey cared — so it warms my heart to see that Lawrence County does.
“I hope Nosey is able to live permanently at The Elephant Sanctuary — where she can be with other elephants, unbridled by chains, and enjoy the simple pleasure of feeling the grass beneath her feet and the sun on her back — and that she may continue to roam its vast acreage for the remainder of her years. There’s a chance that Nosey’s story will have a happy ending — and who doesn’t love a happy ending?”
PETA notes that Liebel’s history of animal neglect includes nearly 200 citations for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act, including for chaining Nosey so tightly that she could barely move and repeatedly denying her adequate veterinary care.
