News Archive - One voice

For Camille and the wolves of the Saône-et-Loire region, a new inter-association request

For Camille and the wolves of the Saône-et-Loire region, a new inter-association request
16.07.2025
Dijon
For Camille and the wolves of the Saône-et-Loire region, a new inter-association request
Wildlife

One Voice and its partners, ASPAS, FERUS, LPO Bourgogne Franche-Comté and Pôle Grands Prédateurs, are once again standing up for the wolves in the Saône-et-Loire region. We call for the immediate suspension of the umpteenth decree organizing the shooting of these animals. The hearing will take place on July 22 at 10 a.m. at the Dijon administrative court.

The Saône-et-Loire prefect signs shooting authorizations with a certain ease. Together with our partners, we are urgently challenging the latest one, dated May 15.

No cohabitation envisaged in the Saône-et-Loire region

In this region, the authorities’ only response is guns. Cohabitation? It’s not in their vocabulary.

In their eagerness to please the lobbies of hunting and a certain type of livestock farming, the authorities are handing out permits to kill a protected species at the drop of a hat. Every wolf unfortunate enough to pass through or settle in the Saône-et-Loire region ends up being killed. Camille, the most recent arrival, saw a torrent of hatred pour down on him. As for his predecessor, he was found dead in suspicious circumstances… We filed a complaint at the time.

We are taking legal action on behalf of the wolves in the Saône-et-Loire region

With regard to the decree we are contesting, the prefecture relies solely on the mention of a “significant risk of damage”, referring to 18 ovines attacked in neighboring villages, without providing any details on the protection devices used. This vagueness is unacceptable: the authorities cannot justify shooting when there is no guarantee that the flocks were effectively protected as required by law.

We reject this retrograde and destructive vision of wildlife. As well as being precious in their own right, wolves are essential to biodiversity and the proper functioning of ecosystems. Rather than trying to exterminate them, farmers should be encouraged and supported to set up electrified parks, and to monitor and guard their flocks.

It’s scandalous that some farmers are now lamenting the loss of ewes they refuse to protect, when they have no hesitation in sending thousands of them to slaughter without the slightest hint of compassion.

We’ve already achieved victories in the Alpes-Maritimes region last March. This time, we’ll be in the Dijon administrative court, as well as in front of it, on July 22 at 10 a.m. for Camille and all the other wolves in the Saône-et-Loire region. To show your support, sign the petition.

Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves Sign to demand an end to the slaughter of wolves

Animal experimentation: the State seals the fate of thousands of monkeys in less than two months

Animal experimentation: the State seals the fate of thousands of monkeys in less than two months
16.07.2025
Animal experimentation: the State seals the fate of thousands of monkeys in less than two months
Animal testing

In less than two months, from March 27 to May 19, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research approved six projects condemning 3,046 monkeys to endure all sorts of tests from virus inoculation to cranial implants. As always, there is no lack of stress and pain. We lift the veil on these cruel practices and their victims.

Harsh regulatory tests

To test the toxicology of drugs, no fewer than 1,120 marmosets and 1,120 long-tailed macaques will undergo experiments categorized as “moderate” and “severe”. What is merely a regulatory routine for the laboratories is a real ordeal for the animals. For months on end, they have to endure blood, urine and deep fluid samples… and even organ biopsies. And when it comes to sampling, this means restraint, sedation and several hours’ isolation in individual cages… These horribly invasive procedures generate intense stress, pain, lesions and infections, with risks of paralysis, lameness and arthritis. Not to mention the effects of the products tested, which can immediately cause neurological, immune, inflammatory or metabolic disorders in the animals. 2020 of the monkeys used in this way will be put to death after these procedures.

Hundreds of tormented individuals…

Not all toxicology tests are compulsory. For a non-regulatory study, 256 cynomolgus macaques and 46 rhesus macaques will be administered substances both orally and by injection every week, if not every day. They too will be immobilized for long periods, certainly in “restraint chairs”, including for infusions lasting up to four hours. And those who are not killed at the end of this ordeal will be kept alive only to relive similar torments…

Hundreds of other animals will be used:

400 macaques will be injected and sampled over a three-year period, and subjected to up to 10 vaccinations.
70 marmosets will be deliberately infected with the H1N1 influenza A virus, then subjected to repeated blood and nasal sampling. All will be put to death to prevent contamination of humans. The very people who made them sick, that is…
For tests on Alzheimer’s disease, scientists will operate on 13 long-tailed macaques to insert implants into their brains, which will remain there for weeks. This painful procedure will be supplemented by repeated injections of streptozotocin. And the misfortunes of these individuals don’t stop there, as they risk oedema, infections, inflammation and hallucinations… until they are slaughtered.

… and babies torn from their mothers

21 young rhesus monkeys will be “used” to study the consequences of early negative experiences on behavior. Half of them will be separated from their mothers at birth and raised without their social group. For a week, they will be deprived of their loved ones, disoriented, in a foreign environment, with, once again, restraint cages… An extremely stressful experience, since that’s the whole point of this “staging”. And their suffering will continue, since their return to their group will itself be a source of stress and potential injuries…

We will continue to shed light on what happens to the animals on the scientists’ cold benches. Sign to demand an end to these practices on primates!

World Horse Day: let’s live up to the bond that unites us

World Horse Day: let’s live up to the bond that unites us
11.07.2025
France
World Horse Day: let’s live up to the bond that unites us
Domestic animals

For World Horse Day, One Voice is reminding us of the many forms of suffering that we humans, our society and our laws impose on these animals, which have been some of our oldest companions since prehistoric times. Shows, circuses, racing, experimentation, tourism, slaughterhouses, hunting with hounds… we are definitely not living up to the faithful and extraordinary partners they have been and continue to be for the development of our species.

The United Nations General Assembly declared July 11 “World Horse Day”, calling for a celebration of their role in the evolution of the human species: “Few animals have contributed to the progress of humankind as profoundly – and unobtrusively – as the horse”. Unfortunately, this historical link is a one-way street. In France, horses and ponies are still subjected to countless forms of mistreatment, and their final destination is almost invariably the slaughterhouse. These practices, disguised as habits, trivialize the unacceptable.

“Man is the horse’s poorest conquest”

This quotation from Belgian linguist Jules Feller sums up the failings of our species towards equines.

Regarded as disposable, interchangeable objects, some are subjected to nothing but programmed suffering and death in animal experimentation, despite the fact that these opaque practices maintained by laboratories are condemned by public opinion. Others are mistreated, dragged from town to town without respect or dignity in shows or circuses. When they’re not tied up, far from meadows of fresh grass and access to water, they’re forced to wander around in painful postures. Others are forced to give up their lives to the applause and laughter of spectators at bullfights, where the violence is so omnipresent that their eyes are masked.

Whatever their health or weather conditions, humans exploit them to entertain tourists or feed gambling addiction, pushing them to the limit on the racecourse. Let’s not forget the individuals exploited in horse-riding events, hunting with hounds, or those who figure among the many collateral victims of hunters.

Abuse is everywhere, including in equestrian centers that cater for children and teenagers, claiming to offer “experiences rich in sharing and emotion”. Behind the pretty signs, how many cramped, dirty, dark stalls, beatings, loneliness and lack of care? Acts of abuse are sometimes committed in front of the youngsters.

Equidae are also used by certain humans as a means of venting their frustrations, and are victims of acts of cruelty by some, often following on from ill-treatment inflicted in the privacy of people’s homes. One Voice has been working to have this link between animal mistreatment and domestic violence recognized since 2007.

Denounce to better defend them

There is no exploitation of equines by humans that is not unworthy of their sensitivity, empathy and intelligence, and motivated by money.

Long gone are the days when tarpans roamed the plains and forests of Eastern Europe. Today, Przewalski’s horses, galloping across the Kazakh steppes, and mustangs, returned to the wild in the American West, remain the last free horses on our planet.

For more than twenty years, One Voice has been fighting for them, defending them while revealing the unacceptable practices to which they are subjected, and which are deeply rooted in our daily lives.

Denouncing these cruelties also means calling attention to the urgent need for a paradigm shift. If we continue to slaughter our faithful friends for non-essential, commercial food purposes, how can we collectively move towards a world without violence towards animals? How can a law that claims to “combat animal abuse and strengthen the bond between animals and humans” still consider that a stall life fulfills their essential needs as long as it allows them to “lie down”? Where is the consideration we owe them in the legality of their captivity and exploitation in traveling circuses, or their live disembowelment in bullfighting arenas?…

Let’s fight for them, for the recognition of their fundamental rights in our society.

Join us in demanding that horses and ponies no longer be classified as livestock, and that they be granted pet status so that they enjoy the same protection as dogs and cats.

Emmanuel Macron, the wolves’ gravedigger: another retrograde stance in Roquefort!

Emmanuel Macron, the wolves’ gravedigger: another retrograde stance in Roquefort!
04.07.2025
Emmanuel Macron, the wolves’ gravedigger: another retrograde stance in Roquefort!
Wildlife

Emmanuel Macron’s latest major project for animals? To “prevent the establishment of wolves where there is pastoralism”, even if it means “removing more wolves”. In order to promote, instead, the establishment of destructive agriculture, fuelled by pesticides, each more toxic than the last. We intend to call to mind a few truths about wolves, who do far more for the balance of our ecosystems than our public authorities and those who claim to “love” nature.

What a disgrace! President Macron’s second five-year term is a war on biodiversity to the bitter end, even in the wake of an unprecedented heatwave. Throughout his terms of office, he has behaved like the gravedigger of wolves and all wild animals, pandering to the livestock and hunting lobbies. His trip to Roquefort and his speech there on Thursday, July 3, 2025 are only the most recent expressions of this.

Death as the only solution… Spoiler: it’s not even effective!

The prefect coordinating the National Action Plan on wolves has already expressed her concern that an “unprecedented number” of wolves have already been killed in France at this time of year. The Head of State, on the other hand, chose to add fuel to the fire.

“We mustn’t wait until it [wolves, editor’s note] has settled in, until you’ve made all the investments, before we can harvest”. Using a filthy technocratic vocabulary (“to harvest”, he says…), Emmanuel Macron assumes the role of leading proponent of the eradication of wild animals, wolves in the first place. With these words, he is admitting his own failure: making farmers believe that culling is the only solution, not cohabitation. Killing has been made easier for several months now, with ministerial decrees each more hypocritical than the last.

A stupid and wicked policy

Systematic shooting does nothing to resolve the anger of breeders! Scientists are unanimous: in Spain and Michigan (USA), they found that shooting led to an increase in predation in subsequent years and in the surrounding area. In France, this ineffective and deadly policy has been practiced for years…

Wolves are our allies, like all living creatures

Political power’s disconnect from reality is reaching new heights. Emmanuel Macron is a bad pupil and a good demagogue: he claims that the wolves have been reintroduced, an appalling lie from a president. He would do better to listen to the eight out of ten French people (Ipsos/One Voice poll, November 2024) who believe that wolves have their rightful place in the wild. Though their detractors may not like it.

Tracking down every newcomer in the departments, like Camille in the Saône-et-Loire region and Milo and Mina in the Corrèze region, will solve nothing.

State rhetoric is largely inspired by the nauseating rhetoric of lobbies. Hunters in the Alpes-Maritimes region claim that wolves threaten wildlife. You can’t make this up, coming from those who slaughter wild animals at every turn. Are they afraid that wolves are much better than they are at their so-called mission of “regulation”?

The facts are there: in the Netherlands, it has been shown that wolves prefer wild ungulates such as roe deer and wild boars. Around Mont Ventoux, they have helped to regenerate forests. In Poland, they are a welcome sight, “regulating” deer and wild boars in the fields.

Fires and soil erosion, the consequences of unbridled pastoralism

The main culprits in the degradation of nature are intensive activities, of which unbridled pastoralism is one. The lobbyists have certainly done their homework! Emmanuel Macron seems to ignore the basics: the source of imbalances in ecosystems never comes from nature itself! When nature reclaims its rights and regains its health, it should be welcomed as a blessing.

Join us in refusing to let wolves become the expiatory victims of a deadly outdated system that is driving us into the wall at breakneck speed. Sign to put an end to their persecution!

Animal experimentation: the European Commission draws up its roadmap

Animal experimentation: the European Commission draws up its roadmap
02.07.2025
Union européenne
Animal experimentation: the European Commission draws up its roadmap
Animal testing

Committed to building a Europe without animal testing, and represented on this occasion by ECEAE and Cruelty Free Europe, One Voice took part last June in the 3rd and final workshop organized by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki. The aim: to draw up a roadmap for ending animal testing in the evaluation of cosmetics, cleaning products and medicines, all of which come under the same regulations.

This roadmap is in response to the European Citizens’ Initiative “Save cruelty – free cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing”, launched in 2021 in 22 countries. Spearheaded in France by One Voice, which was also a member of the organizing committee, it collected 1.2 million signatures in just one year.

This is a crucial step. On June 16 and 17, animal rights activists were once again present, as well as industry, academia and the authorities representatives for the third and final workshop organized by the European Chemicals Agency. Around the table, 550 people were united by a common objective: to put an end to animal experiments in chemical safety assessment, while ensuring a high level of protection.

Following the speeches, the European Commission outlined a roadmap for rapidly reducing the use of animals.

In particular, it plans to:

eliminate redundant tests on two species, generally rodents, then dogs, primates or pigs;
actively promote alternative methods such as artificial intelligence or modeling;
scientifically justify the number of animals used.

This action plan will require the prior creation of operational tools such as:

a structure to coordinate its implementation;
the identification of experiments that could be replaced in the short, medium and long term.

In the longer term, alternative methods will need to be developed, standardized and harmonized across the European Union.

Let’s not forget that millions of animals still suffer every year in laboratories throughout the European Union. Nearly 8.5 million uses recorded in 2022… To change course, the action of associations and citizens is essential. As part of these two coalitions, we’re in the best position to act as advocates on behalf of animal victims of experimentation. Together, let’s keep getting things moving!

Animal experimentation: what our report on laboratory inspections reveals

Animal experimentation: what our report on laboratory inspections reveals
25.06.2025
France
Animal experimentation: what our report on laboratory inspections reveals
Animal testing

One Voice has obtained and carefully analyzed no fewer than 567 inspection reports drawn up between 2013 and 2023 in 67 French departments where animals are experimented on. Massive irregularities, projects implemented before even receiving the necessary authorizations, sanctions not applied… These documents reveal the reality of animal experimentation: in addition to suffering under the scalpels, the animals used are not even adequately protected by the rare safeguards provided by regulations. We are calling for firmer checks on laboratories and greater transparency, as obtaining these documents has been a struggle in its own right*.

In France, laboratories must undergo mandatory prefectoral inspections every three years on average, and even every year for those using primates, dogs or cats. This should enable the identification of any breaches of the regulations governing these practices, and force the offending establishments to rectify them… in theory. The reality is quite different.

Endless irregularities

To gain access to these 567 inspection reports, we had to fight, claiming through the courts what the authorities should have provided on simple request. Faced with the conclusions of these visits, often scheduled in advance, it is easy to understand why the animal experimentation lobby defends its opacity tooth and nail, and rubs its hands at court rulings limiting this transparency.

Quarantine periods not respected when animals arrive in laboratories, cages too small, stress not taken into account… What happens to victims in these establishments, even before they undergo the slightest experiment, clearly deviates from current “welfare” standards. Is this really that surprising? When we know that the staff who work there don’t even meet the meagre obligation of instruction to which they are bound? With years of missed training and out-of-date skills tracking charts, it’s hardly surprising that the suffering of individuals destined for tiled lab benches is also taken lightly…

Find out more about the report Find out more about the report Find out more about the report Find out more about the report Find out more about the report Find out more about the report Find out more about the report Find out more about the report Find out more about the report Find out more about the report

Without sanctions, nothing changes for animals

What happens when such violations are detected? The vast majority of the time, absolutely nothing. Animals coming from unapproved farms, without the slightest derogation? No problem. In several cases of non-compliance of this kind, we have not found the slightest trace of a conviction. Some laboratories lock up more than five mice in a plastic box the size of half an A4 sheet? No matter! They won’t be punished for it, just like the Institut Pasteur.

So the illegalities continue… as we denounced, for example, in the case of the monkeys exploited at SILABE. When the certification of the Strasbourg primatology center was cancelled, the unspeakable conditions in which they were held were ignored… It was the procedural error that tipped the scale…

France must finally catch up

With far fewer inspections than other European Union countries, and unannounced visits revealing more violations than planned visits, France confirms its position as one of Europe’s bad pupils. When you consider that many projects are implemented before being validated by the Ministry, and without even having received the opinion of an ethics committee – an entity largely lacking in impartiality and independence – you can only measure the aberration! This cruel farce, for which animals are paying the price, must stop.

We demand:

The introduction of two controls per year, with a minimum of 50% unannounced inspections, and real sanctions.
That the French inspection system be monitored by the European Commission.
A ban on the “euthanasia” of animals by any method other than overdosing with anaesthetic, except in exceptional cases justified on veterinary grounds and strictly in the interest of the animal concerned, with a detailed report.
Prohibition of killing for practical reasons without any experimental interest, except in the case of medical euthanasia, whether the animals are used or born and kept without having been experimented on.
Inspection reports to be made available on request, as already provided for by law.

Sign and share our petitions for animals that are victims of animal experimentation!

* We would like to extend our warmest thanks to Nicolas Marty, our former colleague (from 2022 to 2024), who made available to One Voice numerous documents obtained after procedures he had initiated prior to his employment. He has since founded the Animal Experimentation Observatory.

One Voice, with AVES and other partners, attack the umpteenth ministerial anti-wolf decree

One Voice, with AVES and other partners, attack the umpteenth ministerial anti-wolf decree
25.06.2025
France
One Voice, with AVES and other partners, attack the umpteenth ministerial anti-wolf decree
Wildlife

Yet another ministerial decree published on June 21, making it easier to kill wolves… The French Ministries of Ecological Transition and Agriculture continue to claim that no protection measures are feasible for certain herds, while publishing a list of so-called “measures”… which are precisely that. This crude manipulation calls for a firm response. One Voice, together with AVES and other partners, are once again taking legal action to overturn this unjustifiable text.

Shameless ministerial duplicity

In February, a first decree modified the legal framework surrounding the shooting of wolves, introducing the fiction of the “non-protectability” of cows and horses. This concept, undefined at the time, has now been “clarified” in a decree published six months later. The result: these famous “vulnerability reduction measures” are protection devices, already admitted for sheep and goat farms, for example.

In other words, the ministries have deliberately twisted reality in order to get their project through. The deception is obvious, the intention crystal-clear: to disguise a culling scheme under the guise of “management”.

We denounced this diversionary tactic during the public consultation. We are now fighting it in court, as we did with the previous text. The government cannot continue to manipulate texts with impunity, to better delegitimize any attempt at coexistence between humans and wild animals.

Why not go all the way and finance these new measures, recognizing them as real protection? Because it’s much easier to feed the hatred that breeders have for wolves than to find real solutions for coexistence. Do we need to repeat once again that lethal shooting is not effective? The National Assembly’s report on pastoralism, published last April, demonstrates as much, in line with our own study on the same subject.

A circumvention strategy to better slaughter

Let’s make no mistake: this is not about improving herd protection. These measures will be neither officially recognized nor financed. They serve only one purpose: to provide administrative justification for shooting. Farmers, left to their own devices, will find no concrete help. On the other hand, they will be granted the right to kill.

Since the Council of the European Union approved the downlisting of wolves, the most brutal rhetoric has been unleashed. Some MPs, galvanized by this setback, no longer even try to hide their desire for extermination. Deputy Pierre Cordier put it bluntly in the Assembly: “Fences are useless; we have to shoot!” Not a single voice was raised to contradict this chilling statement.

Towards systematic elimination

These are not mere aberrations: this is a deliberate policy of elimination. The prefect in charge of the national wolf action plan expressed surprise at the “unprecedented number” of wolves killed. Not because she was alarmed, but because she feared that the annual quota would be reached too soon. Her main concern was how much room for manoeuvre there was left to continue bowing to the injunctions of the agro-pastoral lobbies.

We resist

In the face of this methodical offensive against a species native of our part of the world, we will not bend. We call on all those who reject this logic of extermination to mobilize. On July 2, especially for Camille, Milo and Mina, we’ll be in Mâcon and Tulle respectively, where we’ll be speaking out loud and clear for the wolves. If you can’t join us, please sign and share our petition. Together, let’s stop this policy of annihilation.

Stop the pig trifecta at Vabres-l’Abbaye: animal distress is not entertainment

Stop the pig trifecta at Vabres-l’Abbaye: animal distress is not entertainment
24.06.2025
Aveyron
Stop the pig trifecta at Vabres-l’Abbaye: animal distress is not entertainment
Exploitation for shows

Every summer in Vabres-l’Abbaye (Aveyron), young pigs are chased, lifted and manhandled for the amusement of the public in an aberrant “race” known as the “pig trifecta”. This practice, which has been going on for over forty years, is attracting increasing criticism. In 2022, One Voice had already sounded the alarm with an open letter to the local authorities. The festival, which takes place over four days from July 4 – and offers a variety of convivial activities, including pétanque competitions, refreshment stands, catering, concerts, face painting and inflatable games – can do without this disgraceful race. It’s time to put an end to it. It’s possible to have fun without terrorizing animals.

Forced to run and jump over obstacles, pursued by humans who frighten them by clapping their hands and pushing them over metal kegs or haysacks, frightened piglets, pushed to the limit, are treated as objects of entertainment, their cries and distress ignored in the name of an outdated and cruel “activity”.

Animal suffering denied in the name of entertainment

This practice, even if it may seem harmless at first glance, is in fact a form of animal abuse. It inflicts intense stress and unnecessary torment on these sentient beings, who deserve respect and protection, not to be used as toys to entertain the crowd. It teaches our children that it’s okay to laugh at the suffering of others. Tradition can never justify this kind of degrading treatment.

It’s time to break the silence surrounding this outrageous “game”. More and more voices are denouncing this brutality and calling for an immediate end to this cruel trifecta. What happens to these little pigs after the race? Are they crammed into a truck bound for the slaughterhouse? Are they sent back to an intensive breeding farm to be fattened first?

For a festival that respects and promotes values

The village of Vabres-l’Abbaye, with its rich cultural heritage that should be highlighted, must put behind them this disgraceful practice that tarnishes its image. We call on the festival committee, local councillors and the general public to put an end to this suffering and adopt respectful alternatives, festive activities without violence or animal exploitation.

We must pass on to future generations the values of empathy, respect and compassion. Cruelty has no place in our traditions, festivals or society. The pig trifecta must end, and it’s only together that we can achieve this, in the same way that our collective mobilization has made it possible to put an end to the “goose neck” game in Lesmont in 2025 and Saint-Bonnet-près-Riom in 2024.

Saône-et-Loire: a new wolf, but the same old hatred

Saône-et-Loire: a new wolf, but the same old hatred
19.06.2025
Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire: a new wolf, but the same old hatred
Wildlife

Since 2019, wolves have been making timid attempts to return to the Saône-et-Loire region. Each time, the same story repeats itself: the animal settles in, triggers the fury of the agricultural lobbies, and is then shot. In 2020, 2021, 2023… all were killed. While we should be investing massively in means of protection, on May 15, the prefect decided to reduce the protection measures that farmers in six villages are required to implement in order to obtain public subsidies. Because cohabitation between humans and wildlife is the only viable option, we are challenging this decree before the Dijon administrative court.

Photo : OFB-SD71

Camille, the latest wolf to have settled in Morey, targeted

In December 2023, in the Saône-et-Loire region, a wolf was shot in the thigh. After surviving for months in excruciating pain, he was found dead in February 2025, in suspicious conditions that prompted us to lodge a complaint. We had offered to transfer him to a sanctuary in Italy. We were met with silence from the authorities.

A few weeks ago, a new individual, Camille, was spotted in Morey, in the same town as his injured predecessor. Images captured by a camera trap were authenticated by the prefecture on May 12. This simple observation was enough to rekindle tensions. In an open letter, the FDSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs 71 immediately called for the wolf to be purely and solely eliminated.

The prefect gives in to the lobbies’ pressure

For the representatives of intensive agriculture, Camille’s slaughter was not enough. They have only one objective: to eradicate wolves at any cost. They’re not interested in protection measures, and they strongly influenced the prefect with a simple message: fewer protection measures, more money for farmers. In short, they want to have their cake and eat it too.

Welcomed on site on May 13 with sheep carcasses in protest, the prefect gave in two days later. From now on, in the six villages concerned, in order to be subsidized, farmers will no longer have to implement two protection measures (“circle one”), but only one (“circle two”).

Faced with this renunciation, we have made a request with the Dijon administrative court to have the prefectoral decree annulled. Killing Camille won’t solve anything. Rather than give in to retrograde lobbies, it’s high time to invest massively in protection measures, which are the only way to ensure harmonious cohabitation between wolves and humans.

Join us in front of the Mâcon prefecture on July 2 at 10am, for Camille. Sign so that wolves can finally live in peace.

Illegal sale of a lion to a taxidermist: the Gougeon family reoffends

Illegal sale of a lion to a taxidermist: the Gougeon family reoffends
19.06.2025
France
Illegal sale of a lion to a taxidermist: the Gougeon family reoffends
Exploitation for shows

In the spring of 2025, we received documents indicating that a trainer well known to our association had sold a lion to a foreign taxidermist, who in turn sold the stuffed animal to a Parisian company. The only snag in this system, which still allows animals to be “stuffed” on top of their lives of misery, is that the circus had no right to own the animal, and even less to sell him to enrich itself at his expense. Faced with this shameful and illegal transaction, we filed a complaint with the Paris public prosecutor’s office.

Wild felines treated as objects even after their death

Teddy Gougeon must really enjoy appearing before the court… In 2024, we already had him convicted for his illegal exploitation of non-domestic animals, for which he had no certificate of competence, and for mistreatment by a professional. The verdict: a six-month suspended prison sentence and a 5-year ban on keeping wild animals for William Zavatta Circus’ trainer.

We now know that the circus trainer didn’t stop there, as he sold to a taxidermist the remains of a lion he had no right to own or sell to anyone. How was this lion killed before being put in a tanning bath, like Dorian before him? Did he even have a name? After a lifetime of exploitation, his tormentors did not hesitate to benefit from him one last time, engaging in a totally prohibited form of trafficking. They have even managed to obtain a permit to export the body to Indonesia from the Direction régionale et interdépartementale de l’environnement, de l’aménagement et des transports (DRIEAT Île-de-France) in December 2024. Everything seems to be going swimmingly for the animals’ enemies…

Towards a botched law… and unbridled traffic?

This isn’t the first time we’ve denounced these actions. In 2021, we had already uncovered the maneuvers of a trainer from the same family, Joseph Gougeon, who had used the services of an unlicensed taxidermist, whom we had investigated. A juicy trade that can bring in over 10,000 euros for each individual whose skin is greedily plucked… and which has enough to entice circus performers. Now that the ban on wild animals in traveling circuses is about to come into force, and the French Ministry of Ecological Transition has definitively given up on funding sanctuary places, what are they going to do with the animals they can no longer whip under their big tops? True to form, it’s a safe bet that they’ll choose the most profitable option, to the detriment of the animals and in defiance of the law… Will the State also wash its hands of the matter, if wildlife trafficking shoots up as a result of its incompetence? We won’t allow it!

On behalf of the lion killed and sold for shipment abroad, we have filed a complaint against Teddy Gougeon and the taxidermy company involved, and are calling for an investigation. Add your voice to ours by signing our petition: Say no to animals in circuses!