asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

FREE NYThe HCMC Circus Theatre is going animal freeand Ny the elephant is making her escape first.By Beth Young. Photo by Fred Wissink.For most of her life, Ny theelephant has performed atthe HCMC Circus Theatre onPham Ngu Lao. Between showsshe is locked up in a concreteenclosure, held captive by aheavy chain with very littlegive. It’s been like this eversince Sony presented her as agift to the Vietnamese Government17 years ago. Anotherelephant was also part of thepackage, and together So andNy became circus acts, theirnames a perpetual reminder ofthe company’s gesture.Sadly, So coped poorly withthe conditions and was takenaway to an unknown location.Ny, now 20, remains, buthopefully for not much longer.Thanks to animal welfareorganisation Wild Life at Risk(WAR) and a group of concernedexpatriates, she maysoon be returning to a morenatural habitat. If all goes toplan, the elephant sanctuarycurrently under constructionat Cat Tien National Park willbecome her new home onceshe’s officially retired.Lori Burke, the creator, coproducerand director of newcircus act "Xin Chao", says it’sabout time. Just a few weeksago, Ny tried to break down thesteel gate that surrounds herenclosure, and very nearly succeeded.After the many stuntsshe’s been forced to performover the years—balancing onefootedon a spinning table andkicking soccer balls throughhoops—it’s easy to understandher desperation to get out. “Canyou imagine how cruel [thetrainers] must’ve been to her, tomake her do things like that?”Burke says.Still, Ny’s departure signalsa new beginning for her, andalso, for the other “performers”who live and work at the circus.With the decision made tobecome animal-free, the cagedmonkeys and dogs kept behindthe big top will be rescued andrehabilitated in time, too. “Ithink it’s going to be a happystory,” Burke says, and it’s onethat she hopes will encouragefurther steps forward for animalwelfare in Vietnam.To contribute to the cost of Ny’srehabilitation please email WAR atinfo@wildlifeatrisk.com.44 asialife HCMCasialife HCMC 45