Tag Archives: UK Government

Sunday Express on British Government’s animal circus licensing failure

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Excellent piece in the Sunday Express today, about the failure of the Government’s “interim” inspection/licensing regime for circus animals. We looked at ADI’s photographs of these camels in 2009, 2012 and 2013. Their facilities are just the same. So is it just that the Defra team that has been so lauded by the circus industry for helping them, has set up a scheme to legitimise the use of wild animals in circuses? We think so. We are impressed that the Sunday Express decided to speak up for the poor camels, so often ignored in these debates. In our experience, they frequently suffer brutality and get a hard time because they are seen as slow to respond and stubborn. But they like to explore, stretch their legs, stand under the sun, feel the wind, just as all animals do. But they can’t in the circus. See the Sunday Express piece by the excellent James Fielding at:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/384873/Circus-camels-are-still-facing-life-of-misery

New claim about Great British Circus

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Following the announcement of his retirement and closure of the circus in Horse and Hound, Great British Circus owner Martin Lacey, has quickly corrected the story to say that he plans to continue with the circus, but without animals. Ahh. Let’s wait and see whether this is all about publicity.

Great British Circus sees the writing on the wall

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Finally, Great British Circus owner Martin Lacey has seen the writing on the wall – people don’t want to see archaic shows where miserable animals plod around being beaten, poked and prodded.

Rather than turn his show into one of the successful human-only shows, Lacey announces the sale of his animals in Horse & Hound magazine, saying that he is to retire.

No retirement for his poor tigers though, which one of his workers told an ADI investigator are to be sold to another circus, maybe in Italy.

We have exposed GBC several times now, most recently in 2009, when three elephants from Germany were beaten mercilessly by their handler and trainer; water was put out of reach behind an electric tape fence; a claimed “six” welfare inspections by local authorities, police and RSPCA, did not discover the abuse. But the UK Government still claims that inspections can protect these animals.

Good news to hear that circus impresario Gerry Cottle – who moved to human-only circus shows some years ago – has recently announced his belief that the presence of animals gives circuses a bad name. Quite right.

However, will the UK Government see the light? The public and parliamentary support for an end to the use of wild animals in travelling circuses has never been higher. Will they bow to the nation’s wishes, and bring in a ban before the next election? Now is the time!

Meanwhile – the ADI Peru team has been in meetings with government officials on implementation of the ban there.