A court hearing against the Prefect of the Drôme to release Jumbo!

A court hearing against the Prefect of the Drôme to release Jumbo!
22.10.2019
Drôme
A court hearing against the Prefect of the Drôme to release Jumbo!
Exploitation for shows

A new hearing at the Administrative Court of Grenoble for Jumbo. It will be held on October 29th as part of our appeal against the Prefecture of Drôme. Rather than facing up to the reality of a hippopotamus being mistreated the Prefecture prefers to hide his face.

It is with the upmost patience that we continue our fight for Jumbo. On October 29^th, we will be at the Administrative Court of Grenoble to denounce once again the living conditions of this hippopotamus, sequestered by the Muller circus and the unacceptable sit back and do-nothing attitude of the administrative authorities vis-à-vis its torturers.

A new appeal against the prefecture of Drôme

Already two years have passed while we have waited for this hearing… they now intervene following our appeal, going back to 2017, an affair which has opposed us from the beginning, the Prefecture of the Drôme being the biggest hindrance. For the record, we filed a law suit against this institution for « excess of authority » after it refused to place Jumbo into a sanctuary, despite flagrant evidence of abuse that we have presented. Our proof is damning… It shows that the most basic needs of this hippopotamus, sequestered for 30 years now, are not respected and that his life, one that is deprived of water, is a living hell.

Inspections and illusions

But the Prefecture has preferred to hide behind inspection reports not mentioning any particular problems. It must be said that the visits by veterinarians are usually announced or even made at the request of the circus when it suits them! An inspector told Le Point magazine in 2017 that she had not performed a clinical examination of Jumbo, that she had not carried out a clinical examination of Jumbo, that she had not even touched him at the time when the hippos « owners » had urged her to establish a health status of the animal! She also acknowledged that she could not know if the “conditions were satisfactory” she had observed where the circus had parked up in the cities where the touring show was performing… We suspect that in honouring the planned visits of the veterinarian, the Muller circus had for once observed decorum and deployed all its resources to persuade the outcome of the inspection…

On the side of reality

On our side, we followed Jumbo tracing every movement of the circus. And we know the realities of his ordeal. Our investigations, the reports from our experts, attest to his immense distress. As for his torturers, we have had many opportunities to have witnessed first-hand their violence, both verbal and physical, from those who do not think as us: our teams have largely paid the price. Witness the screenshots on their Facebook page, included in the article of the newspaper Le Point, where we see their high degree of reflection and argumentation… It is of upmost urgency that Jumbo be removed from their clutches; his survival is at stake. In the wake of our appeal against the Prefecture of October 29^th to the administrative court of Grenoble, the lawsuit we filed against the circus Muller for ill-treatment – the first of its kind in France – will be held a month later in Valencia.

Please continue to support our action for Jumbo by signing our petition !

Mina and Kamala, still struggling within the circus

Mina and Kamala, still struggling within the circus
10.10.2019
Gard
Mina and Kamala, still struggling within the circus
Exploitation for shows

Criticized for its actions with wildlife, the Medrano circus has released their big game this summer. With a great deal of communication, he opened the doors of his business to the public to prove how happy « his » animals were. Many visitors were seduced by his polished speech. And the austere place of detention of the elephants Mina and Kamala has emerged as an idyllic vacation spot for some. Some clarification required here.

It is well known: « The bigger it is, the more it makes ». Propagandists of all kinds have understood this for a long time. Circassians exploiting wild animals in the worst conditions are no exception to the rule. Some do not hesitate to proclaim their love for their four-legged « teammates », their will to act for the protection of species and respect for other living beings! … Cirque Medrano is one of them. Behind this false façade are the charming smiles and beautiful speeches, he prides himself on being very caring for his « residents » and contributing to a better world.

 

In the paradise of the Camargue « jungle »

 

Thus, last summer, during its traditional annual break, the troop decided to open the doors of its business – located in Aimargues (30) – to the public and the media. « We had the idea of organizing some guided tours so that people would enjoy approaching the animals, but also that they would find that they were healthy and happy, » said the director of the establishment at one of the visits. And hey, it works! From May to September, young and old were able to access this « Jungle Park » and its « Ark » to admire llamas, dromedaries, yaks, cows or ponies « in near freedom » according to the referent of the site, quoted by Midi Libre. For an hour this was skilfully orchestrated, tourists also had the opportunity to be moved by the hugs of a tamer towards her “big babies” the tigers and to attend one of the “five daily showers” of elephants Mina and Kamala, the former co-detainees of Lechmee… The latter, also captured as a child within her free family in Asia, is finally retired after 40 years of slavery, thanks to the pressure that we exerted on this circus. But the establishment affirms today, without blushing, to have decided by itself to give respite to the old lady … Because at Medrano, « we love animals!  »

 

Mina and Kamala are in danger

 

Unfortunately, Mina and Kamala are still subjected to forced labour and ridiculous acrobatics obtained by the use of pikes. Both in their 50s, they have sacrificed their lives enough to the whims of their captors. When will they taste a life of peace and tranquillity? For the moment, it is enough to observe them, to measure their immense distress. When they are at rest, not summoned to parade through the streets or hoist their bruised bodies upon stools, they sink into lethargy. Their muddy baths only show a slight change to an uninformed public. Their daily reality is quite different. In a paddock devoid of enrichment, without the slightest place to take refuge and privacy, watered with a garden hose that they suck like a rescue straw, they are exposed to the eyes, their own eyes empty of hope. Like metronomes they swing their trunks backwards and forwards to every second, they have nothing to do but follow the tempo of their continual boredom.

 

Outlaw Circus

 

By opening its menagerie to onlookers, the Medrano circus says it wants to be transparent, but in fact only sprinkles glitter on its business. Worse, it acts illegally and puts both humans and animals in danger. As we immediately informed the Prefecture of Gard, the operator has neither the necessary authorization nor the criteria required to meet the regulatory obligations of the facilities of zoological establishments presenting wild individuals to the public. Regarding Mina and Kamala, they are kept away from children by a simple low intensity electrical tape! What will happen if one or the other decides to escape one day?

Following our alerts, the Prefecture of Gard ended up revoking its circus permit to open before the start of the summer season. Alas, at the start of this fall, the itinerant spectacle resumed the road towards Brittany with, this time, the approval of the Prefect of the Côtes-d’Armor. We have just ordered him to report the operator’s offenses again. Will our call be followed up by an answer? If not, we will take them to court! Whatever happens, we will continue to fight so that Mina and Kamala get out of this hell hole as quickly as possible!

In battle for Boulie, the « circus » hippopotamus

In battle for Boulie, the “circus” hippopotamus
08.10.2019
France
In battle for Boulie, the “circus” hippopotamus
Exploitation for shows

Boulie is along with Jumbo the other hippo who is currently being used by a French circus. If it benefits from a more sophisticated communication than that of the Muller circus, its existence is of course of the same order: solitary slavery. We file a complaint for Boulie.

We can’t deny that: William Kerwich, director of the Royal Kerwich circus, the general delegate of the Circus Collective, has understood how much our fight has been for the liberation of Jumbo, held by the Muller circus. More over for circuses in general to be without animals. So, he deploys “communication” as a smoke-screen around “his” hippo Boulie…

« What happiness! »

The images posted on his circus Facebook page should not be misleading: Boulie is shown there in a temperary pool and also in a muddy water hole at the edge of the field which must be her winter quarters. In fact, many Internet users congratulate the circus on the good care given to animals, one even going so far as to conclude: « Adorable! Animals love to play and show off! Reality! What happiness. » Objective achieved, finally with those who believe in it, and who want to believe in it at all costs.

Because the place of a hippopotamus will and must never be in the cages of an itinerant circus or under the crushing sun of the Côte d’Azur and where none of them should exist. Even when out of water and if watered from time to time, this fundamentally gregarious animal is found here, in the presence that is Boulie, the only representative of its species. Alone and kept captive in an environment that has nothing to do with her essential needs: swimming freely, which relieves her joints, free fodder, the calm of the nights in the thickets bordering the river, and a permanent communication, in and out of the water, with its congeners…

Abusive messages

So do not confuse good « communication » with reality, because between the two the gap is large. Boulie is thus present on certain recent posters of a circus with a totally misleading dialogue. One of them entitled: « Closer to the animals », and even boasts an intuitive educational and cultural show: « with animals from a breeding and preservation program for species monitored by state veterinarians », a program we would love to know all about! It sounds like social work, a humanitarian action, when it comes to a wild species which is over exhibited and lugged around from pillar to post. A true work of wildlife conservation, without a doubt! It goes without saying that the circus obviously does not have a permit to be a zoological park, any more than for it to be a « day care centre« . Furthermore, the newly opened winter quarters which are open to the public do not comply with the regulations of a zoological park.

In an article about this “really” Royal circus, we see a photo showing a trainer feeding Boulie and which is captioned: “Rodolphe Kerwich (eighth generation artist) and Boulie. They are both 21 years old and grew up together.” One would almost cry in front of so much love, but the first character here, the trainer, is free and the second, the hippo, is held and exhibited to the public, before and during a show, without any particular artistic interest what so ever (to climb upon a platform, oh such a beautiful affair!). The impact of such shows is totally counterproductive in terms of teaching, especially for children who should never be led to believe that an animal, wild by nature, can ever be happy in a circus.

A prisoner, that’s all she is, strolling along the roads then to be thrown into a pasture full of noisy and hilarious audiences, over and over again.

Boulie, Jumbo: the same fight

The fight for Jumbo will soon arrive on the judicial front: indeed, the trial for ill-treatment will finally take place. We are not fooled by the reality which is that of Boulie and we file a complaint for ill-treatment, ill-treatment committed by a professional. Placement or maintenance of a captive wild animal in a habitat, environment or installation that may be the cause of suffering and exploitation. Improper holding of non-domestic animals, violation of the conservation of non-domestic animal species… We hope that the judges will hear the argument that the life offered to such an animal, protected, can only be suffering , even in disguise… and of which we cannot laugh either, when Boulie escaped the circus in 2018 to go for a walk in the vegetable patch of a local person living near the marquees as in our video of this summer 2019. An unusual variety of facts revealing in fine detail all the lack of seriousness with which one considers the life of a living being and the way in which in reality only shows suffering and loneliness of this hippo.

Support the fight for Boulie by sending a message to the Prefect of Var:

• via Twitter @ Prefet83

• via the contact form on the Prefecture website

• via postal mail, taking inspiration for example from the letter download it here, at: Préfecture du Var boulevard du 112ème Régiment d´Infanterie, 83070 Toulon, France

Please continue to sign and share our petition for #CirquesSansAnimaux.

A lion cub on the dancefloor

A lion cub on the dancefloor
02.10.2019
Calvados
A lion cub on the dancefloor
Exploitation for shows

Getting close to a lion cub in a disco… For those who dreamed of it, the Deauville « Le Chic » nightclub has done it. We are filing a complaint against the Prefecture of Calvados who has overlooked this scandalous act when it is up to them to enforce the law!

Having fun with a wild baby lion in a nightclub is so chic, isn’t it? For those who lack original ideas, the disco “Le Chic” in Deauville turns a corner (Since November 2018, the management of the disco has thankfully changed. The new owners have contacted us: their work and investment does not involve animals). On March 24th 2018, the previous owners proposed to their nightclubbers to come dance and sip cocktails with a lion cub. Named as the star of the evening against its will, the little feline was “fittingly” welcomed: delirious fans crowd around it, multi-coloured spot lights full of plums, loud music in its ears… There is no doubt that a small lion sets the atmosphere for sure!

Obvious abuse

The problem is that a baby lion has nothing to do with a night club whatsoever… Is it necessary to remember that its place is near its mother and that being exposed to unknown hands, deafening din and blinding neon lights represent so many extremely traumatic sources of stress? Well yes. Once again, we had to mobilize to remind them that to exhibit a lion in such a place constituted an act of mistreatment affecting, moreover, the conservation of its endangered species. Furthermore, the « Le Chic* » nightclub did not hold any authorization for the presentation of wild animals to the public. It was a circus that was in the region, they were the holders for the lion cub and who had « illegally » obtained it for club.

Who is incriminating?

But filing a complaint against the circus is not easy. In this case, as in so many others, formally identifying the person in charge involves painstaking investigations in the heart of the jungle of itinerant establishments and numerous approaches to the authorities supposed to supervise them. On March 28^th 2018, we sent a letter to the Calvados prefecture to ask them to take up the file and obtain the withdrawal of the certificate of competence from the « owner » of the lion cub and his mother. It was a wasted effort. While it was their duty and, in their power to intervene, the institution did not feel it was necessary and did not care to answer us… It is therefore against them that we are launching a legal proceeding today. Decidedly unconcerned by the animal cause, they have already declined their presence at the hearing that will be held at the administrative court of Caen on October 3^rd at 9:30 am. But of course, we will be there to defend the rights of this little cub!