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Elephants trapped by EU red-tape

27 January 2011, 16:04 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - If elephants have long memories, the EU is in for trouble after stranding four "undocumented" circus pachyderms in Morocco for several months.

Held "hostage" to European Union travel restrictions, according to their keeper, the elephants left France on tour in 2005.

But having spent more than six months in Morocco "under European rules they have technically acquired the 'nationality' of the country where they are," the EU told AFP on Thursday.

Morocco, however, has no regulations on animal health compatible with EU rules and suffers moreover from foot and mouth disease.

"The rules on allowing live animals into the EU from third countries are very strict," a European Commission spokesman said.

One solution would be for their keeper, Josef Gartner, to ship them to a country which has signed a health agreement with the EU, such as non-EU Croatia.

But Gartner, who accuses the EU of "taking the elephants hostage", says he has run up huge debts just feeding them and cannot afford to pay the freight.

He is threatening to put the elephants down failing a breakthrough.

Gartner left with the elephants from southern France before touring in Romania, Tunisia and Morocco, where he is stuck.

"He doesn't seem to have done his homework before leaving," the spokesman added.


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