Hearing in Vannes on February 12, 2024 for a lion and two lionesses held by the William Zavatta circus
One Voice will be at the judicial court in Vannes to demand the seizure of a lion and two lionesses from the William Zavatta circus.
On July 17 and 22, 2019, in search of Sultan, we had investigated the William Zavatta circus and found that it was keeping a lion and two lionesses in semitrailers from which they never got out, considering that they weren’t even taking part in the shows. On their behalf, we filed a complaint against the circus three days later. On February 12, at 4:30 p.m., we will be present at the judicial court in Vannes to demand sanctions against the trainers and to obtain the seizure of the animals.
Update February 13, 2024:
The Vannes judicial court handed down its decision on the day of the hearing.
Justice was once again on the side of the animals, and the two trainers from the William Zavatta circus were found guilty of professional mistreatment of animals. They received a six-month suspended prison sentence, as well as a five-year ban on keeping non-domestic animals.
We’re delighted that animals are increasingly being taken into account in the courts, and we’re continuing to fight to maintain this trend!
Locked up in semitrailers in direct sunlight, without litter under their paws or water to hydrate themselves… During the two days we spent observing them in the summer of 2019, the lion and two lionesses held by the William Zavatta circus never once had access to the outside, condemned to bake in their gaol, without the slightest enrichment on which to focus their attention and get them out of boredom.
Not content with making these big cats live in indecent conditions, the circus performers hadn’t even bothered to secure their cages, exposing anyone, including children, to a potentially fatal accident. To get to the cages, anyone could have moved the removable barriers placed there. These were flimsy measures for animals that the establishment was not even allowed to keep. In fact, it did not comply with the “circus” decree, since they did not take part in the shows… as they were kept in their cage-trucks to attract customers.
A circus that revels in illegality and a missing lion
Between 2016 and 2018, we had already filed two complaints against this circus, for Sultan. At the time, he only came out of the trailer in which he was completely isolated to be exhibited during parades, a practice that was also illegal. Since then, he has disappeared without a trace, probably sold or “naturalized” by one of the taxidermists at the heart of the trade in which many circuses engage…
For the lion and two lionesses held captive there in 2019, we have filed a complaint for placing animals held in captivity in an environment likely to cause suffering, mistreatment and illegal exploitation.
And we have another procedure underway against the same circus for different animals…
On February 12, 2024, at 4:30 pm, almost five years after the event, we will be present at the judicial court in Vannes to demand that the lions be seized and handed over to us.