U.K. couple charged with elephant cruelty

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PETERBOROUGH, England, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- A British couple have been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an elephant they kept as part of their circus, officials said.

Bobby and Moira Roberts, who own the Bobby Roberts Super Circus, jointly face three charges for offenses under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. They allegedly kept the elephant, Anne, chained to the ground at all times, failed to stop an employee from beating the animal and failed to meet the needs of the animal, The Guardian of London reported Thursday.

The charges against the Roberts were brought after an investigation into the 58-year-old elephant's condition by welfare organization Animal Defenders International from Jan. 21 to Feb. 15 at the circus in Peterborough.

The two are scheduled to appear in court Nov. 16.

Anne, who suffers from arthritis, has been transferred to a 13-acre lot at the Wiltshire wildlife center.