Animals in the Franco-Belge Circus still being exploited... We are writing to the Mayor of Péronnas
The Franco-Belge Circus is in Péronnas for a few days. Let's write to the town's Mayoress for circuses without animals!
For months, reports have been coming in thick and fast concerning the Franco-Belge Circus that we went to visit just two years ago in Milly-la-Forêt. On 1 March, they were in Villelaure, in mid-February in Digne-les-Bains, and last summer in Villefontaine, Tour du Pin, or even in Meylan. Once again, this time on the outskirts of Bourg-en-Bresse, the public are rising up to see animals behind bars, shut in lorry-cages, and having to perform destitute acts on stage under coercion. We need you to write to the town’s Mayoress!
On Thursday 31 March, the Jackson Muller Circus was reported to have been in Ain, in Péronnas, a small town neighbouring Bourg-en-Bresse. In addition to ‘classic’ domestic animals, ponies, and camels, the Circus also exploits zebras, monkeys, lions, and tigers, including a white tiger (a ‘loss leader’ for circuses, always fond of novelties) coming from a cross-breed which carries a genetic disease often leading to these animals having sight, respiratory, and cardiac issues…
Stressed animals who are intensely bored and a danger for locals
The footage filmed by the whistle-blower shows that the tigers are going round and round in the lorry-cages, a symptom of discontent linked to being kept in captivity. Indeed, in the wild, wild animals can remove themselves from everyone’s sight and keep moving as they see fit.
Additionally, the Circus does not guarantee any surveillance of the animals, even though they represent a danger for anyone who does not respect the barriers or signs.
A law still not in force
The decrees for implementing the law on animal mistreatment in relation to travelling circuses are not always published. Yet the deadlines voted on and written in by law are already long before the ban on reproduction (two years) and on straying (seven years). But they will only take effect once the said decrees are published. It is high time that the mayors, independent from the government in power (contrary to the prefects), forcefully get their point across. They can act and no longer allow it to happen by refusing to welcome these mobile establishments of suffering in their area.
The shows start from this Friday 1 April and will take place until Sunday. Let’s all write en masse to the Mayor of Péronnas so that we can ask her to no longer welcome circuses that exploit animals.
Address and email for the town:
Mairie de Péronnas
Place de la Mairie, BP 20
01960 PERONNAS
Example letter/email:
For the attention of Madame Hélène Cedileau, Mayoress of Péronnas
Dear Madame Mayoress,
I am outraged that your local authority welcomes a circus into our area which exploits animals, among which there are wild animals, whose place is not in lorries, submitting day after day to the terror of training, a lack of privacy, and travelling.
The Franco-Belge Circus, currently settled in Péronnas, exploits tigers, which are largely solitary, as well as lions which in the wild rule over areas that are hundreds of square kilometres. Monkeys and zebras also need to live in natural spaces and not behind bars or chained up, being threatened with a whip. The place for circus animals is in sanctuaries, not behind wire fences on display to everyone, nor under spotlights, harassed by cheers from spectators or circus artists’ blaring music.
Not to mention the great danger that these animals represent for locals, knowing that no surveillance is guaranteed by circus staff.
I ask that you accept my warmest wishes, in the hope that in the future you will not renew the authorisation for the Franco-Belge Circus to set up in your town, nor any other circus keeping animals; in the hope that you will also speed up a visit on site from the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) or, in the absence of this, the DDPP, before they depart.
Signature
Translated from the French by Joely Justice