Will Micha, Glasha and Bony be left to their jailers?

Update 15.09.19 

Friday September 13^th, Elisabeth Borne Minister of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition issued a decree forbidding Micha to participate in any shows. She has ordered that he be treated within five days, beyond which if he did not get better, he would go to a medical facility to be treated. But from Saturday September 14^th, his torturer was driving the dying bear to a zoo / a refuge called La Tanière, where Micha was taken care of immediately.

We are worried about Micha’s future, his paws and lungs are the area for infections and it is a worrying analysis, but we are happy that he is finally far from his dungeon. It’s a huge victory, and an incredible satisfaction to have changed his destiny for the better.
For Glasha, Bony and Mina the little monkey and all the other animals exploited by the Poliakov couple, the fight continues! This is our fourth complaint against Poliakov, we will not let this go: no animals should remain in their hands any longer. As for the trainers, they will have to answer for their actions.

Backed up against the wall in the face of our images, the Ministry proposes insufficient measures

Words are missing to explain how the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition is trying to pull the wool over our eyes with its decree published this morning.

What does the order say?

Firstly, the ministry issues a ban on performing. This was already the case! And obviously not respected or at least circumvented by the Poliakov’s. Micha was filmed by Aves France, on display in Racquinghem on Sunday September 8th, at the same moment that we revealed the images of his suffering when he was exhibited last year on Valentine’s Day, two exhibitions for which we have filed a complaint.

Animals left to their torturers

Micha must be treated within 5 days, this is good, but we entrust him to his torturers who have to have him treated! And who will verify that he is getting better? The same services that concluded last year that everything was going well! 

On the other hand, Bony and Glasha are ignored – not even mentioned in the ministerial decree – while they too are in great psychological and physical distress: malnutrition, with suspicious looking body weights, their dentition is bad and very worrying according to the experts, showing signs of stereotypical behaviour… 

In the end, what will happen?

These bears remain in scandalous conditions, just like the horses and camels, Mina the little monkey, parrots and all totally invisible, while for them the ordeal continues. We are preparing a complaint for all of these animals who are suffering.

Following the publication of our images, witnesses have made themselves be known. This is how we know that during the heat wave of 2018, the 3 bears remained for 8 days locked in their dungeons without any decent ventilation and in stifling conditions. There are just holes by way of the windows for ventilation and not even by means of a door to this black-roofed building. In other words, they lived in an oven without drinking water.

One Voice prepares its fourth complaint

Of the animals held by the Poliakov’s, we have denounced these conditions of detention for more than fifteen years and the images of their shows are not enough: are these cells necessary. We’ve just got the proof. 

Because for the statutory visits by the agents of the State, the procedure requires that the circus is warned in advance, which gives the trainers the time to do a big clean up before their arrival. No more cobwebs in the dungeons, no mouldy fruit in the fridges, no longer maggots on the legs of the animals, fresh water made available and the exploitation can continue unchallenged.

That’s what happened last year, and that’s why our complaint was about to be dropped.

Meagre measures, despite the obvious

What would have happened without our images? Nothing. As we see our biodiversity dwindle from day to day, and everywhere in Europe the movement is accelerating for a more humane continent for animals (twenty countries have already banned the exploitation of animals in traveling circuses).

What happens in these circuses where we do not have access to their trucks and what of the winter quarters for animals?

Experts continue to analyse more than 200 hours of video footage of the bears in their dark, dirty jails and in their rat-infested enclosures. These images, the first edifying their suffering, we have sent them to justice and the Ministry. We thank Elisabeth Borne for having answered us, but ask her to go further and to act also, in particular, for Bony and Glasha.

We also expect justice to be done, and plan to bring the Prefecture of Loir-et-Cher to justice (as we did successfully for the breeding of dogs Mézilles) if it is necessary to get them to save all the animals left in the hands of these keepers. Please continue signing the petition for Micha, Glasha and Bony.