Eleven animals seized from Kid Bauer in the Saint Léger Park: the investigation continues!
On Wednesday 20 April a confiscation took place at the Saint Léger Park as part of our complaint for mistreatment. An extensive inspection was arranged by legal authorities on the property and with staff and also carried out animal by animal with the help of veterinarians. We have organised for the animals seized to be cared for as an outcome of this inspection and entrusted to us.
We could not say anything about it on D-day, especially as nothing was guaranteed until the last minute. But now that the Beauvais public prosecutor’s department have spoken, we can tell you that eleven individuals have been seized and put under One Voice’s protection by the deputy public prosecutor who led operations. Two muntjacs (tiny deer), a porcupine, a swan, the two macaws (parrots), four tortoises, and the python left the Saint Léger Park as soon as the decision was made and the papers were signed.
Eleven animals are safe with our partners
Arriving on site in the refuge of our partners, the animals were first of all placed in quarantine. They will soon be able to get comfortable in much bigger and more secure enclosures than at the Saint Léger Park where, for example, the tortoises were frequently trampled on, as evidenced by the signs reading ‘do not step on the tortoises’ which we took photos of several times over the years, and there were low fences surrounding the space reserved for them. As for the swan, its wings were clipped which prevents it from flying away if it were to be attacked…
The animals still on the premises
The lions and tigers from this settled circus are subjected to training and must perform in shows each day that the park is open to visitors. Members of the public are invited to enter the wild cats’ cage… not to mention the tiger cubs exhibited and passed from one person to another at the end of the show… The lemurs as well, who were filmed a few months ago trying to climb on children, licking hands, risking being trampled on… We will never give up on them. And this is not a persecution of the park owners! We have nothing against them, but a settled circus cannot confine wild cats to a life in a lorry. Who can still believe that that is an acceptable habitat for them? It is clearly the animals who pay the price.
Either way, it is about a provisional placement. We will therefore obviously wait for the end of the investigation and to obtain the magistrate’s final decision, but we are confident for the future of these eleven animals. We will do everything we can for the others, whose futures remain uncertain, especially as the park is up for sale.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice