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Kenya's death
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On the evening of April 13th 1998, an African Elephant named Kenya was found collapsed at the Hoffman winter quarters in Grantham. Circus King are based here, as well as Uncle Sam's Great American Circus (formerly the Russian Circus).

Kenya, aged 13 years was apparently knocked down during an altercation with another elephant and, despite being winched to her feet by local fire crews, she died the following day.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the owner, Philip Hanson, had had Kenya and her flatmates - Mary, Lily and Tikka - since they were babies. The controversy over Kenya's death deepened when it was discovered that Hanson had previously duped the press by posing with a healthy elephant which the press believed was Kenya. Several weeks earlier, the winter quarters had been visited by the RSPCA who said that the elephants appeared to be in good condition. We do not know, however, what level of expertise the RSPCA inspectors had with regard to elephants.

The truth behind Kenya's death may never be discovered, but as long as wild elephants are confined in circuses and forced to perform, tragedies such as this will continue to occur.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Please write to your local MP at The House of Commons, London, SW1A OM,and to Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street, London, SWlA 2M. Ask for the banning of the importation of young elephants from their countries of origin for the circus and zoo industries and the banning of elephant acts in circuses (elephant acts are banned from circuses in Finland).
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