Pretoria - Brutal methods were used to train the 30 Tuli elephants brought to South Africa in 1998 as they achieved more rapid results than other softer techniques, the Pretoria regional court heard on Wednesday.

Wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and crisis response specialist Karen Trendler told the court that this was the explanation she received from the animals' owner Riccardo Ghiazza who also owned the plot where they were kept near Brits.

Ghiazza and handlers, Wayne Stockigt and Craig Saunders, have pleaded not guilty to maltreating the elephants.

He has also pleaded not guilty of not having a licence to train them.

Trendler agreed under cross-examination that as a commercial project, the elephants were a valuable commodity to Ghiazza and that all had survived the alleged brutal training methods.

She had, however, been "quite shocked at the particularly harsh and brutal" methods used, and had found the use of uninsulated chains and hobbles disturbing, while the sharp, hooked and spiked metal ankuses, were "very distressing".

Animals in good condition on arrival

Trendler added that a sudden change of handlers, though, would have been problematic.

The situation had improved after a court order granting the National Council of the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) custody and control of the elephants.

While her relationship with Ghiazza was not antagonistic, his relationship with a committee established for the training and welfare of the elephants, and on which she sat, was highly charged and at times "explosive".

On a couple of occasions Ghiazza had made it clear the elephants were his and he would decide on their welfare.

Trendler said she had then resigned after finding many of the committee's concerns were not necessarily about the elephants, while new suggestions were either not accepted or implemented.

She had felt she could accomplish more in her personal capacity, Trendler told the court.

In other testimony, international wildlife veterinarian, Doctor Sybille Quandt, told the court that transportation could have been behind many of the bruises initially found on the animals.

Quandt said the animals were in good condition when they arrived but within two months their shoulder blades had started protruding and their faces became hollow.

Elephants had deep cuts on legs, broken tails

The use of ankuses, sleeping on bare concrete, chaining and rope tethering had probably caused multiple abscesses on their trunks, deep cuts on their legs, broken tails and pressure sores on the sides of their heads and shoulders.

A massive abscess on the head of one of the animals "which had to be drained with a piece of hosepipe" could only have been caused by repeated hitting with a blunt object, he said.

Quandt said the health and condition of the elephants had started improving when NSPCA monitors moved onto the premises.

The trial continues on May 6.

article from www.news24.co.za