Elyo needs us more than ever!
One Voice leads a nonviolent fight to defend animal rights and respect all life forms. The organization operates independently and is thus free to speak and act freely.
Despite our many actions to defend the cause of Elyo, the circus people still hold him. So far, the authorities have remained deaf and blind to our repeated complaints and the great distress of this lion. We don’t give up and demand the High Court of Laval that the suffering of this animal on the verge of madness is finally recognized.
Seven
steps in one direction, turn around, seven steps in the other and
seven steps in another direction … This is the incessant ballet of
Elyo, from one end to the other of his ridiculous cage. It’s this
preoccupation of walking aimlessly around that kills time and which
marks his desperate existence. The poor lion is still a hostage with
these circus people. Since we began our efforts to free him, he has
seen more than 365 additional days go by … Each minute, each
second, are all like incessant blows upon him which kill him a little
more.
Expert advice
We
sought the advice of Donald Broom, a retired professor in the
Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge. His
glance at Elyo’s situation is clear. He denounces the cruelty of
those who impose such an ordeal on him. For this world specialist in
animal welfare, the beast obviously has an abnormal behaviour and his
stereotypical movements are the blatant expression of his distress.
He also points out that Elyo also spends a lot of time sitting around
doing nothing. “He may be unconscious and listless during these
times, which is another indicator of very poor living conditions.”
Thus, languishing at the bottom of his cramped trailer, without the
slightest social contact, inconsolable since the mysterious
disappearance of his brother Chirkane, Elyo is on the brink. He rubs
against the bars of his cage until the blood flows as others would do
to open a vein to finish it all.
Immobilization of the authorities
The
assessment by Donald Broom coincides with another report by a
veterinarian mandated by the Public Prosecutor of Dunkirk at the time
of our first complaint against the circus in April 2018. In his
report, which we managed to obtain a copy of, he attests black and
white that Elyo suffers from serious shortcomings in care and that he
presents a marked malaise. Suffering from an immense distress and
suffering. An observation as explicit and as alarming as this, should
have moved the authorities! And yet, no … Not an inch! Worse still:
the case has been closed ! We are astonished by this obvious disregard
for the suffering of an ill-treated lion, as much as by we are with
that of the law, which is supposed to regulate the detention of
circus animals ! Will it silence us ? On the contrary ! We are more
determined than ever to save this big cat from hell and have their
rights recognized. This time, we have filed a complaint with the High
court of Laval, the hearing will take place on June 7th
at 9 a.m. And we will roar as hard as it takes to finally be heard !
We
will be there on June 7th
at 11am in front of the Prefecture of Mayenne, place Jean Moulin,
please join us ! Find the information on the Facebook page of the event.
For Elyo, as well as all the
other felines sequestered in circuses, please sign our petition !