We’re overjoyed by the news that Nosey, a long-suffering elephant who was trapped in the entertainment industry by accused abusive owners Hugo and Francizka Liebelis free at last.

Nosey, who activists have been trying to free for years, was seized from her cruel owners at a roadside circus in Alabama, which had been cited by the USDA over 200 times, after an animal activist shared a video of her being forced to give people rides while clearly in pain. The owners were charged with animal cruelty and accused of neglecting Nosey. According to newsite, AL.com,  court records show that Nosey had an “inadequate food supply,” showed “signs of stress,”  had  been tightly chained for long periods of time and forced to stand in her own waste. 

The judge in the case ruled Monday that Nosey would not return to the Liebels and instead gave custody to the animal control officer who took on Nosey’s case, entrusting the officer to make decisions about Nosey’s placement. And we’re pleased to announce the officer chose to let Nosey stay permanently at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee where she has been since the beginning of the trial.

We are so relieved that Nosey’s story has a happy ending and that she is now free from the decades of abuse she was forced to endure. This ruling serves as further proof that public opinion about the use and abuse of animals, especially elephants, in the entertainment industry is changing for the better. If you would like to learn more about Nosey, check out our “Dishing it Out” blogpost  “New Year, New Nosey” and watch her progress by following updates from The Elephant Sanctuary on Facebook.