Law to ban wild animals in UK circuses being blocked by three Tory MPs

“Seriously, these idiots blocking the ban need to go undercover to see the real truth! What elephant in the wild would stand on its head or lion jump through fire…FFS…Watch the video below…if you love your pets, would you let them be treated this way??? There is no difference, all animals are sentient, they feel most emotions humans do; yet they are treated like inanimate objects. their only use is to perform for entertainment, to earn money for their captors!!”

By Damian Carrington Friday 5 December 2014 14.46 GMT

UK lags behind Bolivia and Bosnia in banning the use of wild animals, such as lions, tigers, zebras and camels, in travelling circuses

‘The days of transporting wild animals in the back of lorries around towns and cities to show them off to people are long gone … Britain should join the 21st century.’ Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

A new law to ban the use of wild animals in circuses is being repeatedly blocked by a trio of Tory backbenchers, despite the personal support of David Cameron, the government, Labour and over 90% of the British public.

The bill was blocked for the seventh time on Friday afternoon, a move its supporters called a “travesty” and an “outrage”. Dozens of lions, tigers, zebras and camels are still used in travelling circuses and in 2012 the government pledged to outlaw what Cameron called the “outdated practice”. But despitepublishing the draft law in 2013, it has since failed to pass it.

Former environment minister Jim Fitzpatrick, a Labour MP, took the government’s bill and presented it as a private members bill, with support from MPs from all main parties. But it has been repeatedly blocked by circus-supporter Andrew Rosindell, along with Christopher Chope and Philip Davies, all Conservative MPs.

“It is very much a matter of a tiny number of Tory backwoodsmen preventing this from happening,” Fitzpatrick told the Guardian. “It is frustrating, but we are keeping the issue alive – it won’t go away.”

“The days of transporting wild animals in the back of lorries around towns and cities to show them off to people are long gone,” he said, noting that many nations, from Bosnia to Bolivia, already have bans and that safari parks and zoos provided alternatives. “We think Britain should join the 21st century.”

“For those that think animals are trained with loving hands…WATCH THIS…then tell me; do you really think they enjoy this life????

 Irrespective of  when this undercover video was taken, the principles for any animals still in circuses are the same; fear. neglect, torment & ridicule!!”

(Uploaded on 8 Dec 2008

The Truth About The Treatment of Animals In Circuses Filmed by Animal Defenders International, this video lifts the lid on the use and abuse of animals in entertainment. • the violence used to train and control the animals • the small cages, temporary pens, and chains the animals live and die in • the long journeys • the unnatural conditions • the animals driven out of their minds by boredom and deprivation)

“It is a travesty that the actions of just three MPs are preventing legislation to end animal suffering from being passed,” said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International. In April, Cameron told ADI: “Yes, we are going to do it.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the government bill would be passed “when parliamentary time allows”. However, the current parliamentary programme has the smallest number of bills for 20 years. Fitzpatrick said there clearly was time and he had “no idea” why ministers will not fulfil their pledge.

The British Veterinary Association backs the ban, stating: “The welfare needs of wild animals cannot be met within a travelling circus, in terms of housing or being able to express normal behaviour.” The RSPCA said: “Cramped and bare temporary housing, forced training and performance, loud noises and crowds of people are often unavoidable realities for the animals.”

But Rosindell, who has blocked the bill twice said: “The circus is a Great British institution, which has proved that it has the high standards of welfare which are rightly expected of it, and I strongly believe that it deserves to be defended against the propaganda and exaggerations.”

He added: “None have been taken from their natural habitat; all are from several generations of animals born in captivity. I believe it would be much more cruel to remove them from the life they have always known in living and performing with their loving owners in the environment they are accustomed to.”

Creamer said: “By blocking the bill they are defying not only the wishes of their own party and their constituents, but also the British public and Parliament. There is also clearly time to pass a ban and the government needs to act now.” A 2010 government consultation found 94% of the British public supported a ban on wild animal acts.

Maria Eagle, Labour’s shadow environment secretary, said: “The British public will be outraged that, when given the opportunity, a determined group of Tories have repeatedly dug their heels in. The next Labour government will ban wild animals in circuses.”

Fitzpatrick said: “I think a ban on wild animals will come in sooner rather than later, but I have severe reservations about whether we get it in before the election next May.”

News Link:-http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/05/law-to-ban-wild-animals-in-uk-circuses-being-blocked-by-three-tory-mps

City Council Vote Means Circus Animals Still Welcome In Worcester

“We have seen far too many undercover investigations, showing animals being beaten, slapped or whipped, even struck with electric cattle prods; to know that an animal’s life in the circus is not a good one. Animals do not belong in cages or shackled when not performing! They are forced to entertain the public by doing unnatural & stupid tricks, that can be detrimental to their health! Human safety is also an issue, when animals can’t take it any more & attack! There are plenty videos on YouTube showing trainers being mauled by big cats in the ring & elephants that have trampled their handlers, then charged the crowds looking for a way out; which sadly ends in tragic fatalities for the public & animal!! I personally think NO animal on earth should be forced to entertain humans for monetary gain…it’s wrong & immoral!!”

Also read another post I have added toward the end:- ‘CAPS welcomes Scottish consultation on wild animals in circuses’.

“Please sign just a few of the many petitions to ban wildlife in circuses: at the end of this post or on the Petition Tab above. If you’re in any doubt as to how elephants are trained; watch the video & share it, education is the key; what we share, will make more care!!

By Nick Kotsopoulos 04/02/2014

WORCESTER — The circus, complete with its lions, tigers and elephants, is still welcome in this city. 

The City Council Tuesday night rejected a call for the drafting of an ordinance that would have banned the use of wild and exotic animals in travelling shows and circuses that perform here. The vote was 8-3, with Councilor-at-Large Konstantina B. Lukes, District 2 Councilor Philip P. Palmieri and District 4 Councilor Sarai Rivera voting in opposition.

Mrs. Lukes, who advocated for the ban as the past chairman of the council’s Public Health and Human Services Committee, said the intent of her order was not to ban circuses in the city, but rather to ban the use of animals that are subject to extinction, such as elephants.

She said circuses exploit such animals for profit and she believes it is “time to right a wrong” by banning their use in circuses that come here. 

But Councillor-at-Large Michael T. Gaffney, who pushed to have a council vote taken on the matter after it had been tabled last month, said the proposal was not just about banning elephants in circuses.

He said he believes that animal-rights advocates would eventually move to have animals banned in other things, such as petting zoos. 

“This is the first step of saying we shouldn’t have animals period,” Mr. Gaffney said. 

Meanwhile, District 5 Councillor Gary Rosen argued it was time for the council to put the issue to rest.

He said the council had become mired down talking about whether it should ban a legal business such as a circus at a time when it has so many other important issues requiring its attention.

Mr. Rosen said if people object to wild and exotic animals performing at circuses held in the city, then they simply shouldn’t go to them. (What a knob head!!!)

“What are we doing even talking about this?” Mr. Rosen asked. “I think we’re foolish to be talking about banning a legal business from coming to Worcester. If people have a problem with the circus, then they should stay away, but they shouldn’t tell others they can’t go.” 

Last year, the City Council Public Health and Human Services Committee asked the Law Department to review a model ordinance drafted by Born Free USA, a national animal advocacy group. 

As part of its recommendation, the committee has also asked the city administration to draft an ordinance along the lines of the model ordinance that would keep out circuses and travelling shows that feature elephants, tigers, lions and chimpanzees. 

At the request of Mayor Joseph M. Petty, the council tabled the proposal until it received a report from the city administration on the impact of such a ban.

In a report that went before the council Tuesday night, City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. said the proposal raises a number of concerns, including legal issues since it would ban an activity permitted by state and federal law.

City Solicitor David M. Moore said it is his opinion that any municipal ordinance prohibiting the use of wild and exotic animals in circuses staged in the city would be “invalidated” as pre-empted by federal and state law. 

He said it would also trigger contractual issues between the city and SMG the company that manages the city-owned DCU Center (The DCU Center is an indoor arena and convention center complex, located in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, USA).

SMG reports that the circus has an economic impact of $1.5 million during those years it comes to the DCU Center.

That economic impact includes ticket revenue, concessions, merchandise and parking for the approximately 20,000 people who attend the circus shows at the DCU Center.

Ms. Rivera said if Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was not allowed to come back to the city, she believes that families would spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere in the community.

“That money will be spent in the local economy whether the circus is in town or not,” she said. “Families will find a place to take their children. Putting dollars to such (animal) cruelty; we have to ask ourselves what kind of a community we are? This is a serious issue and something we need to consider.” 

News Link:-http://www.telegram.com/article/20140204/NEWS/302049735/1116

• Petitions (More in the Petition Menu Tab):-
• http://www.petition2congress.com/11940/requesting-legislation-be-passed-in-usa-to-ban-wild-animals-in-ci/
• http://www.change.org/petitions/worcester-city-council-ban-circuses-with-animal-acts-from-coming-to-worcester
• https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2063
• Really interesting read:–http://www.captiveanimals.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Ethics-of-animal-circuses.pdf

Please note the above images are not connected in any way to this news post!

More News On Circuses:–

Thursday, January 23rd, 2014  CAPS welcomes Scottish consultation on wild animals in circuses

Yesterday afternoon, it was announced that the Scottish Government has opened a new consultation to gauge public opinion on the use of wild animals in circuses. A CAPS spokesperson welcomed the news, saying “this presents us with an opportunity to move a step closer to a UK-wide ban on the cruel practice of exploiting wild animals in the circus ring”.

England has already promised to bring in a ban, and Wales has also shown willing to do the same. CAPS has worked with campaign partners for many years to encourage Scotland to follow suit, with a full public consultation forming the first step in that process.

Said Liz Tyson, CAPS Director:

“We encourage our Scottish supporters to get involved in the process and join us in calling for an outright ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in Scotland. These measures are long overdue and this is the opportunity for compassionate members of the public to make a difference”.

CAPS has presented evidence to the Scottish Government in recent years on this issue and will be putting together a detailed response to the consultation and working with campaign partners towards a ban

The consultation closes on the 16th April and all relevant information can be found by visiting this website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/animal-welfare/AnimalWelfare/Circuses

Please help to support our vital work for animals by making a donation today. Thank you!

News Link:–http://www.captiveanimals.org/news/2014/01/caps-welcomes-scottish-consultation-on-wild-animals-in-circuses/

“Don’t support the cruelty! See how elephants are really trained to perform tricks; then tell everyone”.

Ringling Bros. Circus is NO FUN FOR ELEPHANTS! – End The Elephant Tragedy America!

http://breakthechainus.com/
Animals in the circus have not been asked to be there. They are stolen from the wild, babies ripped from their mothers and beaten into submission to perform. Elephants live a majority of their lives in chains. Tigers are crammed in into tiny cages for months on end. This atrocity must end now and we are putting a stop to it. But we can’t succeed without you!
http://www.ad-international.org/adi_u…

GRAPHIC VIDEO: Why Arguments For Killing Of Giraffe Marius Don’t Stand Up To Scrutiny

“WTF…they didn’t have to kill  him, Marius was offered various homes & even a business man was willing to pay thousands to save the giraffe! It seems it’s rules for one & rules for another in the EAZA operation! If they can’t or don’t want an animal that doesn’t fit their requirements, they should have a system in place whereby the un-wanted animal can always be offered an alternative home; if they can’t manage that…then perhaps they shouldn’t be breeding animals at all!!

Thanks to my dear friend on twitter.com/9marbar9 for heads up on these. Please sign:

1. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/666/714/094/boycott-zoosrevenge-for-marius/
2. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/142/274/832/they-killed-marius/#next_action

Editor’s note: Liz Tyson is Director of UK charity, The Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS). She previously lived and worked in the Colombian Amazon on conservation projects. She is a board member of conservation charity Neotropical Primate Conservation and a doctoral researcher at the University of Essex, School of Law. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely hers.

Liz Tyson

(CNN) — The killing of a young giraffe named Marius at Copenhagen Zoo sparked international outrage this weekend. On Sunday, he was shot with a bolt gun then publicly dissected before being fed to the lions.

In its defence, the zoo has argued that Marius’ death was necessary to protect the genetic diversity of his species. It was claimed that to allow Marius to take up space that could be used to house another animal with more desirable genetic make-up may hinder conservation breeding programs.

Contraception which required sedation is dangerous and giraffes might die during the procedure. As such, Marius’ birth could not have been safely prevented. Marius could not be re-homed because sending him somewhere other than a zoo which was a member of the European Association for Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) could result in him being sold into a circus, which would be against EAZA rules. In effect, the zoo’s hands were tied, it was implied.

None of these arguments appear to stand up to scrutiny.

As the head of the European endangered species program for giraffes stated in press, Marius was not from a rare sub-species.

Given that zoos claim that animals are kept in order to support the conservation of threatened species, it is therefore unclear why any member of Marius’ subspecies should be held captive at all.

Zoo staff get death threats

It was further confirmed that a contraceptive for giraffes has been developed in the last few years which allows females to be safely injected at a distance thus suggesting that Marius’ birth was not inevitable.

The director of EAZA supported the stance that Marius had to die and encouraged people to consider the “bigger picture.” But EAZA itself is less than consistent in its approach to inbreeding and, indeed, in its concern for the ultimate fate of animals in its member zoos.

EAZA and similar zoo bodies discourage member zoos from deliberately breeding white lions; a practice which is recognized as involving inbreeding in order to perpetuate the unusual white colouring of the animals involved.

Due to the serious welfare implications and the lack of conservation value of inbred animals, breeding of white lions is theoretically not allowed in EAZA zoos. In practice, both West Midland Safari Park and Paradise Wildlife Park in the UK breed white lions.

Both are EAZA members and yet, despite vociferously supporting the killing of Marius to prevent the same problem, a blind eye has been turned by EAZA to the persistent inbreeding of other species in its zoos. White lions are, perhaps tellingly, a great crowd pleaser.

In 2012 West Midland Safari Park were revealed to have sent four white lions to a circus trainer, who sent them on to a Japanese circus. That the safari park remains an EAZA member means that the rules on sending animals to non-EAZA collections are not consistently applied. Despite this, no exception was made for Marius.

In fact, rather than Marius being a tragic exception, the killing of animals considered to be surplus to requirements by zoos is something which is common in the industry. A 2003 study suggested that there are around 7,500 animals deemed “surplus” in European zoos at any one time.

Whilst it cannot be undone, Marius’ death has served an important purpose in shining a spotlight on a practice which is normally kept well-hidden from public view. As long as there are zoos, there will be unwanted animals. And as long as there are unwanted animals, more like Marius will be killed.

It has long been recognised that conservation success is achieved not in city centre zoos or safari parks, but in natural habitats. We would urge anyone with a passion for conservation to support effective in situ efforts which are truly making a positive impact on species conservation.

Viewer Discrestion Advised – Danish Zoo criticized for killing giraffe

Published on 10 Feb 2014

CNN’s Fred Pleitgen on why thousands are angry after a zoo in Copenhagen culled a healthy giraffe.

READ: Why Copenhagen zoo was right to cull giraffe

READ: Danish zoo kills healthy giraffe, feeds body to lions

READ: Marius the giraffe: Copenhagen zoo staff get death threats

News Link:–http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/10/opinion/giraffe-culling-against/