Today, January 4, 119 years ago, a female, wild-caught Asian elephant called Topsy is killed in front of 1,000 plus people at Lunar Park, one of America’s first amusement parks,… Read More
On January 4, 1903, a female Asian elephant called Topsy was electrocuted to death on Coney Island, New York. I first learned about Topsy in the 1990s. I was working… Read More
Topsy was in her late twenties when she was murdered at Luna Park on Coney Island in New York on January 4, 1903. The murder scene is one of America’s first theme parks at a time when the United States emerges as an industrial world leader. My use of the word “murder” rather than “killed” is deliberate. Her life and death represent the fate of many animals—not just elephants and not just in the entertainment industry. Even though some thought her guilty, I felt she was innocent.… Read More
On January 4, 1903, an Asian elephant called Topsy was electrocuted to death on Coney Island, New York. One hundred and fifteen years later, I remember Topsy in my chapter in Animal Biography: Re-framing Animal Lives edited Andre Krebber and Mieke Roscher and published by Palgrave in their series Studies in Animals and Literature.… Read More
A video of my presentation, Topsy, An Elephant We Must Never Forget, will be shown at the conference organised by the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.… Read More
Animal Biographies – Recovering Animal Selfhood through Interdisciplinary Narration? I will be presenting my paper ‘Topsy, An Elephant We Must Never Forget.’… Read More
Generally elephants fascinate me but one particular elephant has a special place in my heart. She is Topsy who was an Asian elephant killed by electrocution at New York’s Coney Island in 1903.… Read More
Mark Hawthorne wrote Bleating Hearts because he wanted to ‘examine animal exploitation that does not get enough (or any) attention.’ (4) As you might expect, this is a book that… Read More
Various animal protection organisations and pro-animal bloggers throughout the world are proclaiming success in that the British government has banned wild animals in circuses. This is not true. Further, to… Read More
Sadly, I am unable to attend but I urge those who can to attend the Association of Lawyers for Animal Welfare seminar, ‘Zoo licensing – is the regulatory regime working?,’ on Wednesday,… Read More
Martin Lacey from the Great British Circus spoke out in support of animals performing in circuses but refused access to the BBC to film the animals in his care. A… Read More
Bee Friedlander, my colleague at the Animals and Society Institute, chronicles the growing awareness of animal welfare at her local zoo in Detroit. She writes, Today the Detroit Zoo has… Read More
Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, Robert Flello, is promoting a Private Members Bill, Use of Wild Animals in Circuses, in the House of Commons in the British Parliament. The chances of this bill becoming… Read More
Remember in April I commented on press reports that the Conservative-led coalition government was set to ban wild animals from performing in circuses? I expressed reservation that this, indeed, would… Read More
Animal activists across the world via the Web are rushing to report the UK government will ban animals in circuses following on from a report in the Daily Express, which… Read More
BBC report the Northampton Police and RSPCA are investigating the beating of elephant Anne at Bobby Roberts Super Circus. What a shame the last Labour government didn’t have the conviction… Read More
Shocking new ADI cruelty exposé shames UK circus industry from Animal Defenders on Vimeo.… Read More
Today is the anniversary of the day when the elephant, Topsy, was electrocuted by Thomas Edison in New York in 1903 before a crowd of 1,500 spectators, who each paid… Read More
embedded by Embedded VideoYouTube Direkt… Read More
Remembering Tyke.… Read More
