Guilty Verdict in South Africa Elephant Abuse Case

by Sherry Morse

South African elephant trainer Riccardo Ghiazza and his former employee Wayne Stockigit were recently found guilty of animal cruelty from footage released almost 5 years ago depicting the abuse of 30 juvenile elephants.

Charged with animal cruelty by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Ghiazza faces a hefty fine at sentencing, and up to a year in prison.

Pretoria Regional Magistrate A.C. Bekker found Ghiazza guilty under Section 2.1(B) of the Animal Protection Act citing undisputed evidence that uncovered chains had cut into the elephants’ flesh. The elephants had also been beaten and were denied food and water.

Karen Trendler, founder of Wildcare Africa Trust rehabilitation center, said that the abuse of the young elephants was among the worst she had ever seen.

"They were exposed to the most shocking abuse ? hopefully this ruling will set a precedent to prevent further incidences of this type of cruelty," she said.

Ghiazza had planned to sell the elephants for $25,000 each to zoos, entertainment facilities and game parks around the world, once they were trained.

Five of the elephants that were owned by Ghiazza have been relocated to the Marakele National Park under the care of the NSPCA.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.