Tony Zavatta circus: the same suffering for “domestic” and wild animals
Tony Zavatta circus: the same suffering for “domestic” and wild animals
05.06.2025
France
Tony Zavatta circus: the same suffering for “domestic” and wild animals
Exploitation for shows
After receiving several reports in April of the very worrying condition of a camel at Tony Zavatta Circus (Gougeon production), and dispatching investigators to the site in May, One Voice lodged a complaint of mistreatment, which was closed almost immediately, which is a disgrace. These practices involving animals considered domestic will continue for a long time to come, as they are not affected by the legal ban on traveling circuses scheduled for December 2028. And yet, as their suffering is the same, we defend them too.
On May 7, we posted images from a whistle-blower showing a camel held by Tony Zavatta Circus, then based in Luçon (85). Constrained to three meters of chain as its only radius of movement, without water or shelter, with humps in very poor condition, he moved on the spot, displaying abnormal and stereotyped behavior, a clear sign of malaise among captive animals. But he’s not the only one affected by the deleterious conditions of detention in this circus.
Endless detention with appalling consequences
A few days later, in La Chaize-le-Vicomte (85), we filmed the same camelid, still tethered. Lacking sufficient freedom of movement, he tramples aimlessly for hours on end, as if lost in a mirage where he’s crossing vast lands, as his nature predestined him to do, or circling his post, reproducing his training routine ad nauseam. At times, he explodes, struggles, desperately trying to free himself.
A little further on, a younger camel is restless, clearly having nervous breakdowns. Full of the energy peculiar to his age, he would certainly prefer to leap and gambol, but that’s impossible for him as it is, as his makeshift cage isn’t twice his size. His only possible stimuli: licking a knotted cord or chewing on a billboard, hung on one of his prison’s metal gates.
Surrounding him on this construction site are llamas, ponies and dromedaries, kept in scandalously similar conditions. These other companions are also chained very tightly, confined among stocks of materials or along a path accessible to anyone. When some of these captives have the “luxury” of having a household bucket as a water source, their tie, the length of which is decided by the circus workers, systematically prevents them from drinking from it!
How difficult it is to have such suffering legally recorded…
On May 16, One Voice filed a complaint for mistreatment of animals by professionals, which constitutes an aggravating circumstance. We have also requested an urgent inspection by the local authorities of the owner of Tony Zavatta Circus, one of the members of the indescribable Gougeon family.
This is not the first time (far from it!) that the brothers and cousins, who are also at the head of the circuses Italiano and Idéal, as well as of Nouveau Cirque Triomphe – the list goes on – have found themselves concerned by our complaints. Among the most recent cases to date, we’ve already had those of the Paris Circus convicted of abusing Jon as well as Patty, Céleste, Marly and Hannah.
Following up on our alert, the Vendée prefecture replied, assuring us of their “vigilance in this matter”. While we were pleasantly surprised that the gendarmerie and municipal police were dispatched to the site for “administrative checks and an inspection of the animals”, we regret that no institutional service trained to analyze animal behavior was also asked to carry out ethological observations. What immediate corrective actions were ordered on site? A veterinary inspection? The seizure of camelids in poor health? No, the circus owners were simply asked to increase the length of their ties!
To add insult to injury, while dismissing our complaint, State officials confirmed the stereotypical behavior of certain captives. Worse still, this suffering is trivialized by invoking their fatal destiny, doomed to “circus exploitation”. An admission of insufficient human resources and institutional complacency towards abusive circus practices. The real distress of these sentient individuals is negated by lacunary legislation.
Even if our complaint was unsuccessful this time, we won’t give in!
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Non-wild animals, the great forgotten of the law
Let’s not forget that these living beings are, in the eyes of the legislation dated November 30, 2021, considered as domestic and will therefore not be affected by the forthcoming ban of December 1, 2028. So many lofty ambitions had taken seed, and now this law is missing its initial objectives, leaving room for a variety of interpretations to the detriment of those first concerned, many of whom will continue to be trained, exploited… or others simply forgotten, as here, due to a general lack of controls, or which are clearly only in name. Meanwhile, circus owners will even be compensated with public money to continue subjugating sentient individuals over and over again!
There’s only one solution: a total ban on animals in circuses. Help us change the law by signing our petition.