UPDATE: Circus Malta: Petition Supporting Animal Circuses Gains 5,000 Signatures

Thursday 9 January 2014

Most animal charities & the public want to see a ban worldwide of wild animals being used in circuses. Now the owner of this circus is circulating his own petition to keep his Malta circus open. So please if you don’t agree with animals performing degrading tricks, kept behind bars & of course the cruelty that has been documented in circuses: PLEASE SIGN THE PETITIONS BELOW. We can’t let this circus continue, if it does through its petition, the flood gates for circuses using wild animals may open again; that would be tragic after all the hard work has been done to stop them!!

Circus promoter says 2013 could be last year for animal circuses in Malta due to the proposed ban.

But circus promoter Silvio Zammit has collected 5,000 signatures as part of a petition to overturn a proposal to ban animal circuses.

The circus has now moved to Ghajnsielem, Gozo, where Zammit hopes to continue collecting more signatures. The petition will then be passed on to the competent authorities.

Zammit, who has been bringing circuses to Malta for the past 16 years, said he could not allow the banning of animal circuses from Malta without taking any action.

“It was a personal initiative after finding out that the government had moved on to publish a White Paper proposing to ban animal circuses,” he said.

See all the animals, such as, Long horn cattle, Donkeys, Lama, Camels, Lions, Tigers, Zebra, Elephant, Giraffe, Baboon, Horses, Ponies, Donkeys performing pitiful & degrading acts; acts they would never do in the wild. The animal acts stop at 12 mins; then the human artists perform!I believe the only thing not seen is the Hippo; but is in a video below!!

Circo Orfei Floriana Malta 1st January 2012

Uploaded on 2 Jan 2012 – By levelone12

He argued that only 390 persons took part in the consultation process initiated by the government, of which 49% said they were against such a circus.

“We know that the majority of these were NGOs, and NGOs do not reflect popular opinion. I am doing this petition on my own. I know that there are many others who would like to sign it, but I have neither the time nor the manpower to go on a nation-wide petition,” Zammit said.

He said he was “very happy” with the number of signatures collected: “This shows that the Maltese do love the circus. They won’t flood the streets of Valletta with placards to support the circus.”

He also said that a number of MPs from both sides of the House visited Circo Orfei this winter. “Some came with their children while others accompanied their grandchildren. They thanked me for the level of the show and all said they had fun,” Zammit said.

He however refused to name them.

The debate as to whether Malta should ban animal circuses for good has been going on for a number of years, with animal rights NGOs insisting that circuses solely operate to maximise profits while completely disregarding the safety of the animals and the adverse effects they may impose.

Animal Rights Coalition said veterinarians only attend to the animal’s physical needs and as a result, the psychological issues brought about by the circuses are not being addressed.

With a number of countries moving to ban animal circuses for good, Zammit said in Italy alone there were 800 circuses. He said the UK was one of the countries which will stop animal circuses as from next year. “But this was the result of many circuses caught mistreating their animals,” he said, adding that the circus he brought to Malta did not see animals performing any tricks and only a minimal part of the show was dedicated to animals.

Zammit argued that the circus animals were born in captivity “and therefore they do not know otherwise. Their trainers threat them like their pets”.

He said Animal Welfare Department officials and veterinarians made regular checks to verify that the animals were well-kept.

Circo Orfei’s travelling team is made up of 60 people, whose living depends on the shows, Zammit said.

“This is their life. They are a community who live on the road and have been doing so for years on end. This is how they earn a living… their bread and butter,” he said.

The Animal Rights Coalition has also called for a full ban on dolphinaria and aquaria. The coalition has said it was unjust to deny dolphins the right to roam free in their natural habitat and called for the ban on dolphinariums as these restrict the creatures to a mere pool.

The Coalition also said that this should extend to aquaria as in this case, animals are likewise being “confined to cages and restricted from roaming in their natural habitat”.

Protesters outside circus. Image from http://www.timesofmalta.com –

But Zammit feels that two weights and two measures were being applied when talking about animal circuses and aquaria.

He also said that circuses gave people the opportunity to see animals which would otherwise require them to travel abroad to zoos or safaris.

He insisted that a proper discussion was required and said he agreed that animals like elephants, pandas and monkeys should be banned. “What we have in our circus are horses, ponies, donkeys and tigers,” he said, adding that tigers in captivity lived for an average of 25 years while those in the wild lived for 12 years.

Circo Orfei also has a hippo and an emu as part of their travelling repertoire. 

News Link:–http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Petition-supporting-animal-circuses-gains-5-000-signatures-20140108

Petitions to ban wild animals in circuses:-We must get the ban in place before this circus succeeds with their petition to continue

• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/114/712/149/ban-animal-circuss-in-malta/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/971/361/878/ban-the-use-of-wild-animals-in-us-circuses/
• http://www.change.org/petitions/dolphins-don-t-belong-in-traveling-circus
• http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/animalslavery/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/112/127/279/stop-brian-boswells-circus/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/903/573/553/no-bears-at-the-bolshoi-circus/
• http://forcechange.com/91545/commend-ban-on-wild-animals-in-circuses/
• http://www.stopcircussuffering.com/ – Petition is within the link

Published on 7 Jan 2013 – This video shows the hippo in the ring, but its towards the end of the video, after the trapeze act! What the hell is a hippo doing in a circus? Bloody outrageous!! Search Circo Orfei on You Tube to see all the animals when not entertaining  :-http://youtu.be/GEMx3YVIRmg 

Published on 10 Jan 2013 – Tiger & Lion Act:-http://youtu.be/aHeMPaW_d20

Published on 6 Sep 2013 – This is about the lions & tigers in the outside enclosure plus RARE WHITE LIONS & TIGERS?? Are they interbreeding??:-http://youtu.be/K40RjOFsX4c

My previous posts on circus in Malta etc.:–

• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/last-two-animal-circuses-in-malta-before-ban-imposed-petitions-to-sign/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/animal-circuses-may-be-banned-in-malta-by-end-of-the-year-petitions-to-sign/

Last Two Animal Circuses In Malta Before Ban Imposed : Petitions To Sign

There will be two circuses featuring animals in Malta this Christmas season, with Circo Viviana ORFEI being set up on Manoel Island and Circo Acquatico in Marsa, just weeks before the ban on animal circuses is expected to come into force.

As well as jugglers, magicians, clowns and acrobats, Circo Viviana ORFEI, brought to Malta by promoter Silvio Zammit, has tigers, horses and ponies, a hippopotamus, camels, donkeys, a zebra, a lama, and ostrich and an emu, among others.

In their advertisements, the promoters of both circuses are saying that they will be here for the last time.

In a statement to the media on Friday, Mr Zammit said the Manoel Island Circus will be giving two or three shows a day between 13 December and 5 January. He points out that Circo Viviana ORFEI is established in Italy and has, for generations, respected tradition and animal rights. All the animals have been born in captivity and the circus owners treat them as other people treat their pets.

Shows by Circo Acquatico, the marine animal circus, were planned to start yesterday evening. Circus Malta, the company owned by Johann Said, is promoting the shows on Facebook and has been selling tickets in Valletta for the past few weeks.

Penguins, seals, pelicans and dogs were seen in Youtube videos of the 2011-2012 show by the same company and snakes, a crocodile and fish were in their 2009 promotional video.

The draft legislation to ban circuses was published early last month and the public was given until 1 December to make comments on it. It was presumed the ban would be in place for this year’s festive season, but organisers managed to bring the circuses to Malta just in time.

The draft regulations address a long-standing bone of contention and seek to prohibit the use of “wild animals” for performances, exhibitions and shows, and also ban the training of animals for such a purpose. It is also proposed, logically enough, to ban the advertising and/or promotion of animal circuses.

The draft regulations – Prohibition of Wild Animals in Circuses Regulations, published by the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change – define a “wild animal” as “an animal that is a member of a species not normally domesticated in Malta”.

According to the draft regulations, anyone contravening the regulations will be liable to a prison term of up to a year and a fine of between €30,000 and €50,000, the cancellation of their permit and the closing down of their circus.

Moreover, upon conviction the court will also have the power to order the treatment and the relocation or forfeiture of wild animals that have been used in circuses, with related costs to be borne by the convicted party.

The absolute majority (94 per cent) of those who submitted their views as to whether or not a ban should be introduced replied positively. Some 398 individuals and NGOs participated in the public consultation, which was held in the summer.

News Link:-http://www.independent.com.mt/mobile/2013-12-08/news/last-two-animal-circuses-in-malta-before-ban-imposed-3410853894/

Petition to sign against using animals in circuses:-

• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/114/712/149/ban-animal-circuss-in-malta/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/971/361/878/ban-the-use-of-wild-animals-in-us-circuses/
• http://www.change.org/petitions/dolphins-don-t-belong-in-traveling-circus
• http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/animalslavery/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/112/127/279/stop-brian-boswells-circus/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/903/573/553/no-bears-at-the-bolshoi-circus/

Animal Circuses May Be Banned In Malta By End Of The Year: Petitions to sign

Animal circuses may be banned in Malta by the end of the year if MPs give weight to what people had to say on the matter.

An overwhelming 94 per cent of the 398 people who took part in a public consultation exercise believe all animals should be banned from circuses, a spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights said.

Only 21 people, or five per cent, said animals should be allowed to perform in circuses. Four people said the ban should only apply to wild animals and that domestic animals, like dogs and cats, should be allowed to perform.

Despite the result of the consultation exercise, the final decision will be taken by MPs who will be debating the subject in Parliament later this year.

Over the past years animal rights activists have protested whenever an animal circus came to Malta.

NGOs insisted that using animals for entertainment purposes constituted abuse and argued that animals were often beaten during the training process.

Local circus organisers have always insisted that the animals were not ill-treated.

The two-week public consultation, launched by the secretariat, closed on July 28. The public was invited to share views online or by sending a letter through the post. Some also called the offices of the secretariat to have their say.

Participants where asked whether animals should be banned outright, whether there should be restrictions (such as a ban on wild animals like tigers and elephants) or whether animals should remain part of the circus.

Over the past week the feedback received was compiled and it emerged that 373 people wanted an outright ban on all animals.

Most said the training process was abusive and were concerned about small cages and the trauma animals went through while travelling.

One of the 21 people who believed in keeping animals in circuses pointed out that circuses had helped in the protection of dying species.

So what happens next?

The spokesman explained that a White Paper was being drafted and had reached its final stages.

It would then be presented to Cabinet before being discussed in Parliament.

Once this process was completed a legal notice would be published by the end of the year.

News Link:–http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130806/local/Last-roar-for-circus-animals-.480977#.UqjaQ9Lud86

Petition to sign against using animals in circuses:-

• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/114/712/149/ban-animal-circuss-in-malta/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/971/361/878/ban-the-use-of-wild-animals-in-us-circuses/
• http://www.change.org/petitions/dolphins-don-t-belong-in-traveling-circus
• http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/animalslavery/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/112/127/279/stop-brian-boswells-circus/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/903/573/553/no-bears-at-the-bolshoi-circus/

Graphic Video: Animals Are Not Ours To Use For Entertainment : Petitions to sign

Most people go to circuses, zoos, or marine parks because they “love animals” and have no idea what happens behind the scenes or how unnatural it is for animals to be captured, confined, and forced to perform for our entertainment.

Viewer Discretion Advised

Read

Undercover investigations have shown that elephants, tigers, and other animals on the road with Ringling Bros. and other circuses are electro-shocked, beaten with long metal rods called “bullhooks,” and denied proper veterinary care. Animals used in circuses spend most of their lives chained inside boxcars and never get to live freely with other animals, as they would in the wild.

Life in a zoo isn’t much better: Animals often live in barren enclosures—hundreds of times smaller than their homes in the wild. To make money, zoos breed animals in order to have babies to showcase, and sometimes older or less popular animals are even shipped off and replaced with cuter ones.

Even under the best of circumstances at the best of zoos, captivity cannot begin to replicate wild animals’ habitats. Animals are often prevented from doing most of the things that are natural and important to them, such as running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a partner, and being with others of their own kind.

Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to interfere with animals and keep them locked up in captivity, where they are bored, cramped, lonely, deprived of all control over their lives, and far from their natural homes.

Similarly, marine parks like SeaWorld give orcas and dolphins nothing more than what is essentially a concrete bathtub to live in. Forced to perform for large, noisy crowds, orcas become frustrated, bored, and aggressive.

If zoos, circuses like Ringling Bros., and marine parks like SeaWorld really cared about animals, they would let them live freely in the wild and wouldn’t force them to suffer for profit. You can show these industries that YOU care about animals by never purchasing a ticket to a zoo, a marine park, or a circus that uses animals and by spreading the word to your friends and family

News Link:-http://www.peta2.com/issues/animals-are-not-ours-to-use-for-entertainment/

Petition to support ‘last animal circus’

( If this petition is launched & you love animals; please don’t sign it)

The promoter of what is being billed as “the last animal circus” in Malta is planning to launch a petition in favour of the genre.

Pressure to ban animal circuses from the island has grown over the years. Last summer an overwhelming 94 per cent of those who took part in a public consultation exercise said they believe all animals should be banned from circuses.

Animal rights activists have staged repeated protests arguing that animals are often beaten during the training process.

And in the last Budget it was announced that a White Paper would be issued on banning circus animals.

Local circus organisers have always insisted that the animals they use in their shows are not ill-treated.

In the face of this trend, two circuses – an animal and a marine one – will be set up in Malta in the coming weeks.

The Viviana Orfei circus, featuring tigers, horses, hippos, zebras, camels and ostriches, among others, is at Gżira this weekend. Its promoter, Silvio Zammit, said in a statement that this was the last opportunity to see an animal circus in Malta.

However, on Facebook he said a petition would soon be launched in favour of animal circuses, in reply to one person who thought they had already been banned.

In his statement he said the animals were born on the circus and formed part of the circus family. Animal cruelty, he added, was totally condemnable.

News Link:–http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131209/local/Petition-to-support-last-animal-circus-.498170#.UqjScdLud84

Petition to sign against using animals in circuses:-

• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/114/712/149/ban-animal-circuss-in-malta/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/971/361/878/ban-the-use-of-wild-animals-in-us-circuses/
• http://www.change.org/petitions/dolphins-don-t-belong-in-traveling-circus
• http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/animalslavery/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/112/127/279/stop-brian-boswells-circus/
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/903/573/553/no-bears-at-the-bolshoi-circus/

Circus tigers give birth on way to Malta

Animal circuses are accompanied by controversy every time they come to Malta at Christmas time.

But this year’s circus at Gżira came with a twist after two female tigers gave birth to six cubs on their way to Malta. 

The cute twist is unlikely to fend off criticism from animal lovers who feel animal circuses are wrong. But as the cubs whine under the watchful eye of their mothers the Viviana Orfei circus owners insist the birth of the cubs is proof of the good care they give animals.

Born in captivity, the owners argue the animals know no better. “They are part of our family,” they insist.

Video & News Link:–http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131211/local/tigers.498545#.UqjVHNLud84

Page full of petitions to sign: WE MUST HELP THE VOICELESS:–

https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/more-up-to-date-petitions-that-need-your-signature-please/