Put yourself in their shoes or, rather, in their cages, Kati Carloni says.
Wild and exotic animals that are part of travelling circuses often spend 10 or 11 months a year living in trailers or boxcars, their movement limited further by chains, brought out once or twice a day for exercise or to perform tricks.
It’s easy to imagine what it would be like, Carloni says. Simply think of a prisoner doing life without parole.
Not surprisingly Carloni’s name is the one attached to an article placed – by petition – on the warrant of the April 5 spring Town Meeting – an article that, if passed, would ban traveling circuses that display wild or exotic animals from putting up their tents within the town’s boundaries.
She admits that this is a personal issue, that she has always been opposed to circuses displaying these creatures. But Carloni is adamant that this is an issue that deserves the support of the community, an issue whose time has come.
“In this country we have many laws that protect domesticated animals against abuse or neglect,” Carloni says, “but these beautifulwild animalsare not protected.”
A big part of the problem, she explains, is the mobile nature of these circuses. Reports of abuse or neglect are forgotten or unenforceable because before authorities can act, the circus moves on to another town or state.
ADI’s website points out that similar regulations have been passed in dozens of communities around the country, and the world. Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and Portugal and more than 20 other countries have instituted similar bans nationwide.
Two years ago, with ADI providing support and extensive documentation of the abuse of these animals, the “Travelling Exotic Animal Protection Act” (TEAP) was introduced in Congress, and similar legislation has been brought forward in theHouses of Parliament in the United Kingdom. “Which has yet to be enforced; if at all!”
Matt Rossell, campaigns manager for Animal Defenders International (ADI), which describes itself as an “animal rescue organization with a commitment to securing progressive animal protection legislation around the globe,” says that exotic animals are literally going crazy in the circus.
“It’s simply hard to argue in the 21st century, given all that we know about these animals’ complex needs, their intelligence,” Rossell says, “hard to argue that it’s acceptable to keep them in tiny cages, parking lots and trucks and trailers and train cars for most of their lives.”
For years, Memphis the black bear was trapped in a backyard in the Lowcountry. At first he was chained to a tree, and then he was placed in a five-by-twelve-foot chain-link cage.
“This is more common than people realize with these types of animals,” says Michelle Reid, director of the nonprofit Animal Rescue & Relief. “And it doesn’t necessarily have to be in the middle of nowhere.” Several months ago, Animal Rescue & Relief took Memphis from that backyard, and now he has two acres to roam in an enclosure at Charles Towne Landing.
COURTESY OF ANIMAL RESCUE & RELIEF Memphis the black bear spent years tied to a tree before being transferred to a small cage. Now he’s got two acres to roam at Charles Towne Landing.
Reid won’t say what town Memphis was found in, but she says it took about a year and a half to investigate the claims of animal abuse and get through the red tape to have him removed. When Reid and a co-worker finally went to the house with backup from local police, they removed the 450-pound bear and put him in a quarantine space. They gave him the name Memphis.
They also helped find him his new home in the Animal Forest at Charles Towne Landing on the banks of the Ashley River. “When he first was let loose into his habitat, he just took off,” Reid says. “Tearing branches out of the trees, he jumped in the pond and swam around, and he just had a field day. Every day with him is like that because he’s never had that.” “Because certain humans think they are superior to animals, so can do with them as they wish…it’s wrong & must stop!”
Reid says that some people keep bears for bear baiting (also known as bear baying), a bloodsport in which hunting dogs are released into a cage to attack a bear, sometimes with its teeth and claws removed. The practice is still legal inSouth Carolina. But in the case of Memphis the bear, Reid says it looks like the owner was just keeping him as a pet. “It seems that a lot of times when people have these sorts of animals … it’s just not your average owner and your average pet,” she says.
According to Reid, Memphis’ owner will not face criminal charges. In February, state Sen. David Thomas (R-Greenville) sponsored the Exotic Animal and Reptile Control and Regulation Act, a bill that would require people to apply for a special permit and pay a $150 annual fee to own any exotic animal — a term defined in the bill as including bears, hippos, camels, raccoons, opossums, lemurs, monkeys, beavers, and porcupines. The bill never made it past the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, but Reid is holding out hope that another legislator will sign on to support the bill in next year’s session. “It’s bloody disgraceful to think that anyone can take a wild animal & keep it as a back yard pet, they are wild for a reason!”
“I’d hate for it to take somebody getting hurt for people to realize that we need those laws,” Reid says. “Sadly it will probably take something like that, for the law to act!”
In her 10 years leading the organization, which investigates animal abuse and neglect cases in North and South Carolina, Reid has encountered exotic animal auctions where people can purchase monkeys, tigers, and large reptiles. She has seen people keeping Alaskan wolves on their property for breeding, and she was involved with the seizure of 76 cats and dogs from a pet shelter in Williamsburg County, N.C., where The Post and Courierreportedthat cats had pus oozing from their eyes and dogs had faeces in their cages.
If you are aware of a situation where an exotic animal is being mistreated, contact Animal Relief & Rescue via e-mail at arrinc@yahoo.com. Donations for the organization can be sent to PO Box 13477,Charleston, SC 29422.
Memphis can be seen every other day at Charles Towne Landing (1500 Old Towne Road) in the Animal Forest, where he and another male black bear named Tupelo take turns in the public viewing area. The Animal Forest is also home to elk, bison, river otters, mountain lions, brown pelicans, and egrets. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is $7.50 for adults, $3.75 for S.C. senior citizens, $3.50 for students age 6-15, and free for children age 5 and under.
“Bears like other wild animals do not belong in captivity, please sign the petitions below to stop this & bear baiting; the horrific blood sport where dogs attack a tethered bear for fun & entertainment.”
Bear Baiting or baying is alive & well in South Carolina; it is the only state in the nation to allow this cruelty.
The following video show’s just how cruel this is, this video is in South Carolina
Bear baiting, also known as “bear baying” by some, is a cruel spectator event where participants release their dogs to attack a tethered, captive bear, who has had her claws and some of her teeth cut off, leaving her defenseless
A pack dogs rush the bear, barking, biting and lunging at it. Frightened, the bear rears up on it’s hind legs, and has to use its strength to fend off the dogs, swinging at them.
The bear suffers bites and gashes, but the real trauma is the psychological trauma of a ceaseless set of attacks that last for hours.
In fact, some bears are prone to attacks for four hours as nearly 100 teams of dogs are set upon the bear in rapid succession. The bear…may endure this treatment every weekend throughout much of the year.
Surrounded by throngs of onlookers, many who travelled hundreds of miles to take part in the despicable spectacle.
Contact the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SC DNR). Let them know that you are a South Carolina resident and that you oppose the practice of bear baying. Ask them to use their power to prohibit the practice. A reasoned and respectful plea, in your own words, will have the greatest impact.
The SC DNR can be reached by phone at 803-734-3886.
A letter can be addressed to the following:
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
P. O. Box 167
Columbia, SC 29202
Attn: John Frampton, Director
Contact your legislators in the statehouse. Whether bear baying is active in your community or not, our state leaders need to hear a clear message from their constituents – South Carolinians do not agree that bear baying should be legal.
Bear Baiting is a cruel bloodsport in which pairs of dogs are set upon a tethered bear. Although it has been declared illegal in Pakistan for quite some time now, it continues unpunished to this day. For more information on bear baiting, visit WSPA’s website http://www.wspa.org.uk
In rural Pakistan, up to 2,000 spectators will assemble to watch a tethered and clawless bear set upon by trained fighting dogs.
WSPA is working hard to permanently stop what we believe is one of the world’s most savage blood sports.
The brutal but lucrative contests are organised by powerful local landlords. They own and train the dogs, which are also victims of this ‘sport’, encouraging ferocity in attack situations.
The bears are owned by Kalanders – traditional bear owners –who are paid by the landlords to bring the bears to fight.
Bear baiting is banned by the Pakistan Wildlife Act and contravenes Islamic teachings, which forbid the baiting of animals.
The ‘contest’ lasts for three rounds. As the dogs are encouraged to attack, the bear will tire and weaken, until it is unable to remain upright.
This is when the bear’s face and neck become vulnerable to the dogs’ teeth. They hang from the bear’s mouth and lips as they try to drag it to the floor. If they succeed, the dogs ‘win’ the round; if the bear stays on its feet, it has ‘won’.
Bears sustain more injuries than dogs in these savage stand-off’s, suffering ripped noses and mouths. The dogs’ jaws, clamped around the bear’s nose, are prized apart using sticks.
Most bears are permanently scarred, but the killing of either animal is avoided – they are too valuable. The bears live on to suffer further at the hands of their owners.
New facility offers special care for baited bears:-
An up-to-date clinic made possible by a generous supporter is now enabling staff at a WSPA-funded sanctuary in Pakistan to give rescued bears the very best care and treatment.
The Kund Park Sanctuary, run with member society the Bioresource Research Centre (BRC), is located between Punjab and North-West-Frontier Province where the Indus and Kabul rivers meet. It currently provides veterinary care and a safe haven for 22 bears formerly used for baiting.
NEAR SANDSTONE — Getting to the Wildcat Sanctuary is like trying to find a classified government facility. It has no publically listed address, takes at least an hour to get to from the nearest major city, and is surrounded by thousands of acres of farms, fields, lakes and hunting land. Once there, chain-link fences line the 40-acre compound, with signs warning “No trespassing” and “Not open to the public.”
“So many of them have been through a lot of abuse,” said Tammy Thies, founder and director of the Sanctuary. “We just want them to do what they were meant to do.”
Many come from living situations that may be indicative of thousands of exotic pets kept in homes, backyards and traveling exhibitions nationwide. The World Wildlife Foundation estimates there are 5,000 captive tigers in the U.S., compared to 3,200 in the wild in their native Asia.
Many exotic animal owners, Thies said, take on the cats and later realize they can’t keep up with caring for them.
“We (recently) got a call from people in Wisconsin who are in over the heads,” she said. “All these animals are together breeding, and unfortunately by the time the sheriff gets there, instead of 20 animals, they’re going to have 40.”
Some of the animals at the Wildcat Sanctuary still show signs of abuse and neglect from their previous owners, as well as hints of the black market exotic animal trade.
Tigers’ teeth have had to be removed after they gnawed away at their cages, while some arrivals show the effects of malnourishment. Other big cats are cross-eyed — a sign of in-breeding, Thies says — and many have been declawed.
“The problem hasn’t gone away”
The growth of the facility may indicate that despite a 2005 Minnesota law to restrict exotic animal ownership, people are still doing it — and aren’t always able to keep up with the animals.
“The law helped,” said Thies, noting that it shut down many of the state’s breeding operations. “But the problem hasn’t gone away.”
It has loopholes, and it’s not fully clear just who is supposed to enforce it. Exotic pet owners before the law took effect could be grandfathered in, so long as they registered their animals with the “local animal control authority,” according to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.
But just who is the “local animal control authority”? The News Tribune asked representatives from the Duluth Animal Shelter, Animal Allies Humane Society and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, none of whom could say who the authority was. The newspaper also asked the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, which is charged with overseeing parts of the law, and requested the number of exotic pets statewide. The agency did not respond to the request for comment.
Sanctuaries vs. ownership
Those developments are partly why the Sanctuary is starting a fundraising campaign, “No more wild pets,” Thies said.
Asked if anyone — even a responsible pet owner — should be allowed to keep a tiger, Thies says no; calling that person probably “one in a million.”
“We want people to see these animals for what they are — wild. And let them be what nature intended,” she said. “Most people that want a pet tiger, they don’t really want a pet tiger. They want a tiger that acts like a dog. It’s a false notion. What we’re trying to explain through this campaign is that’s not what they are. They don’t belong in your backyard. It doesn’t benefit the animal.”
ANIMAL rights activists have vowed to come out in force to protest against the use of exotic animals for entertainment at the Queanbeyan Showgrounds this month.
The circus, including the animals, trainers and a host of human entertainers, will call the Queanbeyan Showgrounds home until May 6.
Wamboin resident Jessica Ferry will join about 40 activists from Animal Liberation ACT at the showground gates on opening night tonight.
The group will be armed with banners and costumes as they protest against the confinement and regular travel the animals undergo as part of the circus.
‘‘Forty other municipalities in Australia have actually banned the use of exotic animals in circuses. The ACT banned them in 1992,’’ Ms Ferry said.
‘‘Basically we are asking the council why they still think it is appropriate when so many studies show that circuses are not great places for non-domesticated animals. They can’t live out their natural behaviour.
‘‘We aren’t actually saying [Stardust Circus] treats these animals badly, we are saying the use of these animals in entertainment is not appropriate.’’
Ms Ferry said the campaign was aimed at both Queanbeyan residents and their ACT counterparts who came across the border to see the circus this school holidays.
‘‘We want to get the message out there that there are other forms of entertainment,’’ she said.
‘‘There are other circuses that can survive using human-based skills. What does it say to our children that they learn about lions and monkeys by seeing them locked in their little yards before they come out for a show and do tricks before going back into their yards?’’
Ms Ferry said the protest at the showground gates would help to raise public awareness about the use of animals for entertainment.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
You can find out more about me & this blog by reading "ABOUT THIS BLOG" on the menu (when i finish it) lol
PLEASE NOTE.....
Not all of my posts will be current news, or even about animal abuse! I do like to share other animal news, uplifting stories or videos; some that are funny or just touch the heart!
If I have anything to say on any post, you will see it in bold blue writing. I try to remain a lady, but it's hard to contain my anger & emotions at the some of the stories I post; I don’t have a heart of stone, tears stain many articles I write!
Lastly, my apologies for any errors; I am learning whilst posting, so if you find anything that doesn't work or a broken link, sorry, I'm only human!!!!
ABOUT THESE POSTS
I would just like to make readers aware, that I search for stories on the internet; regards animal abuse etc. I copy stories etc. from the internet; assuming these stories are correct at time of publishing. Having said that, sometimes the press get it wrong! So I just want to add that at the time of me posting a news story, I presume all the facts seem present & correct.
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We can not hope to achieve better laws, to protect animals, unless we unite as one, to speak up for those who are voiceless!!
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DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE 
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