A good day for the animals, a wake-up call for the circuses!

One Voice has been impatiently waiting for this day. Circuses are now obliged to comply with the legislation covered by the 18
^th of March 2011 decree. As well as being pushed out of a growing number of towns, circuses are finding it increasingly difficult to pursue the exploitation of animals. One Voice is continuing to offer assistance to circuses to help them to convert to non-animal status, as it has done for the last fifteen years. In parallel, One Voice investigators will work even harder to obtain evidence to assist in the numerous legal procedures which will follow!

Some of the following important points established by the decree:

A list of authorised species has been established (see the box at the bottom of this article). Other species can only be exhibited if a dispensation is obtained. Importantly, the decree specifies that only animals that currently participate in performances (out of all those in training) can be kept. One Voice investigations have frequently revealed animals confined to their cages, mostly due to their age… From now on circuses are legally obliged to provide them with a fixed home for their retirement…

In addition, the decree bans animals from participating in performances if:

• they have a health impediment;

• the nature of the performances represent a danger to their health (for example, elephants and other animals who are required to adopt unnatural positions for performances);

• the security of the public and personnel cannot be guaranteed, due to animal comportment or inadequate handling of the animals (although reports conducted by our experts clearly indicate that public security cannot be guaranteed…)

Following on from this, animals in poor health must be excluded from any presentation to the public, even outside of performances. In other words, they mustn’t be visible in their pens if visiting is possible…

The following text is particularly important, stipulating that the
“animals must be kept and trained in conditions which endeavour to satisfy their biological and behavioural needs, in order to guarantee their security, their well-being and their good health […] The animals’ accommodation must meet the minimum requirements set for each particular species, in annexes I and III of the current decree.” Incidentally, animals must be allowed to go outside, out of their enclosures, except in cases of bad weather…

On all of these points, One Voice investigators are going to increase the number of related inspections, and will take legal action as often as necessary!

Get involved: let us know if any circuses may be violating the law, and share this information!

Together, we shall end animal slavery in circuses!

The following species are subject to regional authorisation:

– Mammals: Macaca spp. (macaque), Papio spp. (baboon), Puma concolor (cougar), Panthera leo (lion), Panthera pardus (panther, leopard), Panthera tigris (tiger), Otaria byronia (South American sea lion), Zalophus californianus (Californian sea lion), Arctocephalus pusillus (South African fur seal), female specimens of the species Elephas maximus (Asian elephant), female specimens of the species Loxodonta africana (African bush elephant), Equus burchellii (Grant’s zebra, Chapman’s zebra);

– Birds : Psittaciformes (parrots, parakeets), Accipiter spp (goshawks, sparrowhawks), Buteogallus (buzzard), Parabuteo spp. (buzzard), Buteo supp. (buzzard), Aquila spp. (eagle), Hieraaetus spp. (eagle), Spizaetus spp. (hawk eagle), Falco spp. (falcon), Bubo bubo (eagle owl), Struthio camelus (ostrich);

– Reptiles: Python regius (royal python), Python molurus bivittatus (Indian python), Python reticulatus (reticulated python), Boa constrictor (boa constrictor), Crocodilus niloticus (Nile crocodile), Alligator mississippiensis (Mississippi alligator);

Other species could be subject to exceptions.