Community Corner

Durham Fair Votes Overwhelmingly to Keep Elephant Show

Despite an online petition aimed at getting the fair to cancel Elephant Encounter, fair members voted in support of the show Wednesday night.

The Durham Fair Association voted Wednesday night to keep an elephant act as part of this year's fair.

The fair's membership voted 59-12 in favor of keeping Elephant Encounter amidst growing controversy generated by an online petition aimed at getting the fair to cancel the Florida-based show. 

Prior to Wednesday’s vote, Durham resident and self-described elephant supporter, Rachel Mann, presented the fair’s executive board with the signatures of more than 3,000 people who supported the petition she started late last month

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Mann was also given the opportunity to speak before the standing room only crowd gathered at the Durham Fair medical building. 

“I’m hopeful that they’re going to make the right decision,” Mann said just moments after finishing her speech which lasted about ten minutes. 

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Mann, a local teacher and parent, admitted she was nervous while presenting fair members with what she described as the mistreatment of elephants by Elephant Encounter owner Bill Morris.

“Our intent is not to disparage nor disrupt our town’s fine fair but to educate you and others about the inhumane treatment these elephants endure,” Mann said from a prepared statement.

Mann said she would not attend this year's fair if the membership continued to support the show, although she offered to help volunteers come up with an "educational" alternative to the elephant act.

Fair officials were not prepared to make a statement Wednesday night but said they expected to issue one on Thursday. The 83 percent in favor of the elephant act was significant, they said.

Some fair members were visibly shaken by the vote although the general mood appeared to be upbeat afterwards.

A state police trooper was located at the entrance to the fairgrounds while another was stationed just inside the door of the medical building, as a precaution. 

After her presentation, Mann and a small group of supporters gathered just outside an entrance gate and speculated that fair members followed her speech by watching a video provided to the fair by a “circus lobbying organization.” 

“I said what I came to say,” Mann said.

1,900 of the 3,004 signatures on Mann’s online petition are Connecticut residents, she said. 230 Durham residents signed the petition while 94 Middlefield residents supported Mann’s efforts.

The Durham Fair is scheduled for Sept. 26-29.


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