Директор ростовского зоопарка ответил на критику ЕАЗА из-за передачи слона в цирк
The zoo director responded to the criticism. The deal with Moscow circus was set up in 2019, when the zoo was not yet EAZA membership candidate. The circus handed over some chimpanzees to the zoo (I imagine they have behaviour problems) and was going to exchange some more animals (which? Some goddamn inbred big cats?) but it did not happen, so instead the zoo sold the elephant.
Previous decision was finding Ekol a new home at another zoo, but "either no zoos wanted her or didn't have required conditions." Kazan zoo refused because they're going to get Africans. Many circuses offered to take the elephant, including Italian one, and Moscow State Circus was chosen because it's stationary. They promised to build indoor & outdoor enclosures. The zoo director trusts the circus, says it has the best husbandry possible, and that he feels no shame.
In Russia, cooperation between zoos & circuses is accepted as normal, and the director doesn't want to have Ecol returned, because it means paying forfeits, returning chimps and finding a new home for her again, since it's not possible to keep her with her father (What's about Sitara you bastard!!!). And instead of Ekol "a wild elephant would have been acquired by circus" (that's illegal but he doesn't have enough education to know it).
Also he says that this is a Force Majeure situation and he hopes EAZA understands his position, and "common sense would prevail".
Btw his surname is Zhadobin, originating from Russian word "zhadoba", which means "greedy one".