Jumbo needs us!

Jumbo needs us!
09.02.2019
France
Jumbo needs us!
Exploitation for shows

For three years we have been publicizing the desperate case of Jumbo. Many towns and villages have seen the truck which holds this amphibious hippopotamus, ignoring his pain and suffering. But we have never lost sight of his suffering or stopped our actions. Today, our pressure on the Muller circus is at its maximum. Join with us by signing the petition to release him!

The miserable life of Jumbo

The darkness of the inside of a truck, the incessant noise, time which stretches on and on, the loneliness, the inadequate food … That’s his life. Three years ago, when we started our investigation about Jumbo, we noted his time out of the truck: 30 minutes a day. To be lightly sprinkled with water from a garden hose, drinking and then to be photographed.

Jumbo is presented to the public as “the largest hippopotamus in Europe”. His routine after the show is to be paraded in front of the customers and their children, this serves to ensure the show continues. Without this photo shoot, he would never get out of the confines of his truck.

Faced with this situation, we seized the services of the Prefecture and lodged a complaint for ill-treatment.

A swimming pool was opportunely assembled during the inspection by the authorities

Like all amphibious hippopotamuses, Jumbo should spend his days in the water, to relieve his joints. If the circus stays in the same place for more than 3 days, which is almost never happening, maybe it would be possible for him to swim. Because the “pool” dedicated to Jumbo needs to be put together and then be filled, the water must be heated and after swimming, emptied, dried, dismantled and stored. In other words, this is not done often enough!

In August 2017 as part of this appeal an inspection – whose circus had been warned upstream! – took place. The firefighters had been called to fill the basin with the communal waters so much needed. Who can believe for a moment that they are solicited at each installation of the circus? The height of cynicism, the inspection had nothing to say about the conditions of life of Jumbo, and we had been rejected.

Three years of investigation, meetings and legal proceedings

In August 2017, as part of this appeal, an organised inspection took place – the circus had been notified upfront! Firemen had been called to fill the pool with water from the community, as much as was necessary. Who would believe for a moment that this would be the case every time the circus stops and sets up camp? To add to the cynicism, the inspection found nothing wrong with Jumbo’s living conditions and our complaint was rejected.

Our complaint of ill-treatment against the circus holding Jumbo, filed at the same time with the prosecutor of Valencia is still ongoing, supported by many factors and expert opinions.

Animals held in circuses who have become sick or who have lost their minds due to living conditions which have contributed to the psychological and physical suffering. We have asked the Ministries of Agriculture and Ecology to cancel the 2011 decree regulating the detention of animals in itinerant circuses. Our demand is unanswered, we appealed to the Council of State, which ruled … and has upheld the order.

Faced with violence, we were able to flee, but not Jumbo

On September 2, 2018, just over a year after the sad anniversary of our battle in court to have him urgently rescued from the circus. It was difficult for us this day to place right in front of the Muller circus, at the location authorized by the prefecture. We were attacked physically by an extreme force of aggression, treated to blows and a hail of stones. But on this occasion, we were able to go home, find comfort with our loved ones, when the captive animals of this circus and especially Jumbo, remained at the mercy of the trainer.

We will never give up Jumbo

Following the aggression towards our team, we suspended our gatherings and reinforced our investigations and the monitoring of this circus along with the accumulation of evidence. The reports from our investigators are edifying.

As we did for Maya and Lechmee, please sign the petition to remove this hippo from the circus, so he can live in a sanctuary. To live a true life of a hippo and all he needs in terms of care and well-being, safe from exploitation!

Victory: The State Council suspends the decree authorizing the hunting of wild geese in February!

Victory: The State Council suspends the decree authorizing the hunting of wild geese in February!
06.02.2019
France
Victory: The State Council suspends the decree authorizing the hunting of wild geese in February!
Wildlife

In 2018, Nicolas Hulot had stood firm against the National Federation of Hunters: the hunting period of wild geese had not been extended in February. Yet this year, the new Minister of Ecological and Solidarity Transition, François de Rugy, gave them this mortifying gift. The number of advanced geese is only a false pretext to allow hunters to indulge their past time.

The European directive, respected by all European countries except France, requires that the authorized hunting season stops at the end of January. More than 10,000 wild geese are killed in flight. By what right does France arrogate to itself the right to slaughter 4,000 additional individuals, who are only migrating through our skies?

After hearing the arguments from One Voice during an emergency hearing on February 5th, the State Council decided: that it suspends this order today, Wednesday, February 6^th, 2019 !

Muriel Arnal, Founding President of One Voice, says: «What joy, what a relief! Geese migration should be a source of wonderment and respectful observation. Yes, we won this time but this situation should not happen again. We expect the Minister of Ecology to defend Nature, already so vulnerable from the rifles. Not the opposite.»

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Mark Randell tells us about the training on the Link carried out by Greek and Ukrainian police

Mark Randell tells us about the training on the Link carried out by Greek and Ukrainian police
06.02.2019
Grèce Ukraine
Mark Randell tells us about the training on the Link carried out by Greek and Ukrainian police
Domestic animals

In Greece and the Ukraine, the police are trained in the theme of the Link. Mark Randell shares his perspective as Operations Director at Hidden-in-Sight.

The Panhellenic Federation for the Protection of Animals

Many animal welfare associations and other stakeholders are now talking about “the Link” and “the Cycle of Violence “. Police officers recognize that animal abuse and violence against humans are intertwined, but many opportunities have been missed for decades because this awareness has not been translated into action. Lives have been lost, and unfortunately, violence and crime have occurred while they could have been avoided if the early warning indicators had been taken into account.

I became acquainted with a very professional organization, active in Greece, the Panhellenic Animal Protection Federation (PFO), which enjoys a very good reputation in professional circles and whose strategy can truly advance the protection of animals in Greece. This strategy includes the training of NGOs, police personnel and prosecutors whose responsibility is to enforce the law.

It’s not just about raising awareness of animal welfare issues, but also about how to identify the “Cycle of Violence” and how to
solve the problem. In November 2015, the launch of this program took place at the Benaki Museum in Athens. He was well received and gave a powerful boost to the process. Over the next eighteen months, many negotiations took place, considerable planning took place, and much convincing evidence was introduced.

In September 2017, the next phase made a sensational debut in the Greek police training program. Very well organized and innovative, this initiative has largely overshadowed the application of the law as it is observed in Europe, which is remarkable for a country facing significant financial and political problems. «In the space of two weeks, 200 police officers from mainland Greece and the Greek islands were trained on the” Violence Cycle “and the link between animal abuse and human abuse.»Mark Randell, Director of Operations at Hidden-in-Sight

This is a very remarkable result, and this sharing of knowledge makes it possible to consider the possibility of making a real difference for animals and for society.

Avant-garde Ukrainian police on the theme of the Link

The awareness of the hitherto neglected link between animal abuse and various anti-social activities such as murder, child abuse and domestic violence is spreading across the European continent today and is increasing, authorities in various countries, apply this concept to improve the quality of life in society. This week they reached the Ukraine, the first training in the “Link” activities in the Ukraine took place in Kiev in 2018.

It was a structured training program for animal welfare associations, municipal officials and Kiev police officials. This program highlighted what we already know and the positive impact that the fight against animal abuse would have on current strategies and priorities, as well as on community relations. He was very well received and the Ukrainian police are very avant-garde in their approach.

«This training is about to be given also to the 2,000 policemen of the municipality of Kiev.»Mark Randell, Director of Operations at Hidden-in-Sight

It will focus primarily on police patrols and animal welfare NGOs, and will also focus on how to respond quickly to animal abuse, taking into account the possibility of a relationship with others, offences or crimes that are “hidden”. For the new police services formed since their independence, it will be necessary to take charge of the establishment of a constant practice in the recognition of the Link. Knowing that these representatives of the order will be the first responders to the crime scene, we consider it essential that the training be focused on this side. We thank the Ukraine for its foresight in adopting this approach to address animal welfare issues and the prevention of violence.

This training has already been provided to the police officials of Kiev, it must also be provided to the 2,000 patrol officers, and it must extend to a wider audience. Training was also provided to municipal officials, who are now developing new processes in the field of animal welfare, and to some of the most motivated animal welfare associations. It basically explains why it is important to deal with animal abuse, what are the links with other forms of delinquency and criminality? How rare is it that it is exercised independently of anything else, and how to prevent crimes related to this? Treating these issues professionally is also a way to build trust with the public.

It is not uncommon at all to see cases of extreme violence against people, which might have been avoided if the warning signs had been identified and if had been followed up. This is one of the reasons why crimes and crimes against animals are now part of the FBI’s indicators.

In the Ukraine, for example, a group of young men who tortured and hanged stray animals then murdered 21 people one after the other. Knowing that the organization fighting for animal rights can bring back 50 000 euros and that this activity can be in connection with drugs, firearms and even child pornography, it would be advisable for the police to see their possibilities of prevention rather than an extra charge.

The rescue of three surviving “decoy caller” ducks

The rescue of three surviving « decoy caller » ducks

The rescue of three surviving “decoy caller” ducks
04.02.2019
France
The rescue of three surviving “decoy caller” ducks
Wildlife

This Saturday, January 26th 2019, we rescued three ducks who were used as decoy callers, they were found in a frozen paddling pool. To obtain their release, we had to overcome many pitfalls. But now their ordeal is over!

Five abused ducks used to kill others

Last September, a whistle-blower reported the presence of ducks in a difficult situation in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Our investigator was dispatched immediately, discovering this miserable place of life for these wild birds.

In a rudimentary enclosure four poor ducks were found, the corpse of a fifth was lying there, and a few pieces of bread in the mud. They had been torn from their life of freedom, caught probably by traps used for nutria, the hunter had intended them to be « decoys callers ». In short, the life of these ducks would have been to call to their own kind, for the sole purpose of being killed. The most upsetting: a male duck, sat looking over the boards of its confine towards the pond where free ducks swim in the distance.

Our attempt to go through the justice system to save them

We immediately filed a complaint. As always, these cases take several months to go through. As part of the process, the gendarme went to the site and our investigator was interviewed. And … the complaint has been dismissed. The only thing raised by our investigation was that the ducks were not legally ringed. We know how difficult hunting is on wildlife, especially in France, where almost anything is allowed. Despite the ranking of this complaint, we still managed to get the gendarmes to save these ducks.

The rescue of Marguerite, Lilas, and Pivoine

When we arrived at the spot-on Saturday January 26^th2019, the enclosure was fully flooded. The poor birds had no access to land. They can but swim only in icy water.

«Mallards, of course, need to swim. But in nature, no mallard spends all its time in the water. They also need to rest on dry land. To keep a mallard in a small aviary by depriving it not only of being able to fly but also of landing on the ground is obvious abuse.» Pierre Rigaux, Naturalist

There are only three now, a small female died because of the terrible conditions … We then immediately took them to the Wildlife Conservation Centre « Volée de Piafs », where from our support they were examined and benefited from all the necessary attention. They are very thin and need to regain their strength.

«It is quite possible, of course, that weight loss is directly linked to the obligation for the duck to remain in the water permanently in the winter cold, because mallards lose more weight in winter when they are cold…. a normal phenomenon but not when weighing just 650 g!» Pierre Rigaux, Naturalist

Most of the time, hunters trim the wings of ducks used as decoy callers. Fortunately, this is not the case with Marguerite, Lilas, and Pivoine, so we will have the opportunity to release them in an area free of hunting in a short time! And for these three there is only freedom, real freedom.

For a radical reform of the hunt, please sign our petition!

No to silent death!

No to silent death!
02.02.2019
France
No to silent death!
Wildlife

This Monday February 4th One Voice returns in audience with the Council of State, to cancel the text restoring the use of silencers on hunting weapons. An umpteenth free gift to hunters, against biodiversity and the security of our forests.

No, we have not forgotten. A decree dating from 1986, which framed various hunting processes and the so-called « harmful » prohibits various technical devices facilitating their capture or destruction. By an order issued on January 2^nd2018, the Ministry of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition has, almost on the sly, at least without prior consultation of the citizens, removed without replacing this provision, allowing in fact the use of any « silencer » on guns for hunting of all animals.

Acoustic comfort?

The lobby for hunters, of course endorsed by the National Council for Hunting and Wildlife and therefore of course by the ministry are not in the shade here: When they shoot it is likely they could become deaf (which harms not only their ears but good communication between each other during the hunt). Hearing protectors (helmets, earplugs) are effective for reducing gun shots, but are restrictive.

The more techno “silencers” which are legal in other European countries would offer better acoustic comfort to shooters and also less nuisance to residents living near to hunting areas and even “better preservation of wildlife in the vicinity, with less noise disruption.” In short, a softer, almost peaceful hunting…

An insecure drift

For us, this argumentation borders on ridiculous: since the decree of 1986, with a clearly protective vocation for the wildlife, trophy pictures pile up, bellies well full and the « art of hunting » lasts in all its tradition.

This removal of a protective provision not only distorts the spirit of the texts in place, but opens the door to tragic consequences, largely underestimated: quieter hunts will be more deadly for animals living in groups, this can only encourage poaching (silenced gun shots will be undetectable to the ears of the game warden) and this will not diminish the statistics on hunting accidents (15 dead and 200 injured per year) because walkers, joggers, mountain bikers of our forests are precisely warned of a hunt in progress by the noise of the shooting … Faced with the fears of urban pedestrians, the manufacturers of electric cars are preparing sound warning devices. In our forests, death will become silent again, omnipresent. Unacceptable!

A battle of decibels

Here we can see all the harm of an adjustment to a regulation negotiated in the golden rooms of the ministry. Despite significant consequences for the environment, security and public order, the Ministry did not conduct any public consultation before signing the decree of 2^ndJanuary 2018. However, its publication has led to many reactions from civil societies, who are massively worried about these technical drifts (let’s not forget the existence of subsonic bullets, much less noisy), which only reinforce the destructive character of the hunt under cover of litigious arguments. The risks here are much higher than the expected benefits for a minority, which is certainly an active one, but which for more than 30 years has been doing very well. If the French fear the hunt, it is not by making it less noisy that they will be reassured!

The National Federation of Hunters will certainly lead the high jurisdiction on a technical field, arguing that even though equipped with silencers costing several hundred euros, the shots will be audible to all hairy targets. Indeed, it is time to present a real study, which could motivate ministerial decisions; there are on the market (and this will be amplified) rifles equipped with an integral sound moderator that can reduce the noise of combustion gases to 45 decibels at a distance of one hundred metres, the equivalent of a wind breeze in deciduous trees. Identifiable and locatable I hear you say?

This damage to the environmental balance and animals, which is conducted for some overequipped Rambos, is unbearable to us. We hope that this time the justice administration will hear us, through our voice, that of our angry citizens. Please sign our petition to reform the hunt!

Winter has fallen on the whale prison

Winter has fallen on the whale prison
01.02.2019
Russie
Winter has fallen on the whale prison
Exploitation for shows

Winter fell suddenly on this whale prison. A grey ice field now encloses the floating pens of the 11 orcas and 87 beluga whales locked in Srednyaya Bay, on the borders of the Russian Far East. We must act urgently before the cold kills them all!

UPDATE: This is Cyril, he’s the next Orca most likely to « escape » (i.e., die) from the Srednyaya Bay « Whale Prison. » Cyril is completely inactive and just drifts at the surface while ice freezes to his body. He’s lost a lot of skin, most likely to frostbite, & may have pneumonia. pic.twitter.com/K7OZWUFqit

— Quad Finn (@Quad_Finn) 25 janvier 2019

In the shadow of a shed, the orca Cyril floats quietly, his snout stuck to the net that encloses him. Alexandra and Vitas, his fellow companions in misfortune, come and go, very agitated. He does not stir anymore, raised only by their movements in the water. Little by little, frost covers his body bruised by ropes and infections. His breath is slow, almost inaudible. This very young male will probably not survive the pneumonia that troubles him.

Furthermore, the beluga whales fare better in their open-air crates drifting from large ice cubes. Swimming under the ice is one of their talents. But the noise of the workers breaking the ice with shovels and the passing of paying visitors who caress them without washing their hands, inflicts an incessant stress on them.

These terrible images that have circulated the world, we owe this to the obstinacy of a handful of Russian activists. After endless trials, they finally got a delegation of scientists and veterinarians to inspect the detainees of the Marine Mammal Adaptation Centre, the official and pompous name of this « Whale Prison ».

Everyone had known since September that when the ice freezes the bay, cetaceans would be in danger of death. Plans that were easy to implement had been proposed without success. It would have been possible to take this small world to the open ocean in huge rectangular nets pulled gently by tugs. The Russian fleet was ready to cooperate and Vladimir Putin himself was worried about this tragic situation.

Fears Orcas held Captive in Russia will Freeze to Death as Winter Seas Ice Over: Srednyaya Bay is now frozen and will not thaw until late February. Many of the 11 orcas in the « Whale Prison » suffering from frostbite & pneumonia may not last until then.https://t.co/6WXRVcxMLD pic.twitter.com/qYenxe1sHl

— Quad Finn (@Quad_Finn) 27 janvier 2019

But we are in Russia, where the very slow bureaucracy escapes neither pressure nor bribes. While the capture of these unfortunate cetaceans has been declared illegal by the Attorney General of Russia and their export banned in April 2018, the local authorities seem not to care and continue to protect the 4 commercial companies,’ the owners of these captives.

Today, nine Russian orcas are already performing to the sound of a whistle in front of the stands of the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, near Macao. More than 200 belugas, traded for Taiji dolphins, have died one after the other in the overheated waters of Japanese and Chinese dolphinariums. What will become of the detainees in Srednyaya Bay? There is so much money at stake! If they do not go to China, everything leads us to believe that they will end up like Narnia, the first orca captured in 2012: to finish in the hell of Russian dolphinariums!

We cannot let this massacre unfold without reacting. We cannot accept that Russia continues to sell these unfortunate cetaceans. One Voice urges you to sign the petition online or write directly to Vladimir Putin via the Free Russian Whales campaign website! We must save these orcas and belugas from this whale prison!

Hunting: what a sinister goose game!

Hunting: what a sinister goose game!
31.01.2019
France
Hunting: what a sinister goose game!
Wildlife

The hunting lobby has dreamed of this and the state has done it! A ministerial decree has just extended the hunting period for wild geese, a quota of 4,000 additional levies during the month of February. An intolerable attack on the biodiversity under the fallacious pretext of « adaptive management » of three protected species.

Edit of February 1st:

The hearing will take place at the Council of State, Tuesday, February 5^that 11am.

They have named the White-fronted goose, the Greylag goose and the Taiga bean goose… These geese are now a grey area. For several years, French hunters have been curious about these birds, immortalized by Michel Delpech or Raymond Devos, so they can be killed in greater numbers legally, … Yet protected by the international conventions of Bonn and Bern, by the Birds Directive of the Union European Union, they are the subject of a custom-made order prepared for this purpose by our Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition. One Voice rebels against this!

An irresponsible decision

Nesting or stopping over in France on their migratory routes leading them to Scandinavia and Siberia, these geese already heavily impacted by legal hunting see today the killing spread out in contempt of their reproduction cycles. Nothing justifies this extension of slaughtering on our soil (except Alsace), the opposite is true!

The state of knowledge on the populations concerned indicates that it is irresponsible to extend hunting periods. There are nearly 20,000 butternut geese in our country wintering every year. Half of them are shot down during their migration. Today, one wants to kill 4,000 more by extending the period of authorized shooting. Why? In the name of an international management project prepared for several years, which reports “nuisances” in other European countries, and would allow the hunters of France to remedy this problem… by shooting «French» geese, which have nothing to do with this so called problem!

Adaptive management?

The problems posed yesterday at Amsterdam airport by migratory flights of geese nesting in Holland, damage to local cultures (very little documented evidence) … this thread is a bit big to justify a surplus of ducks in France: there are not the same populations of geese, and here they are already in decline!

We speak of courageous and intelligent birds. Despite the vagaries of the weather, wild geese preserve their way of life, the notion of life-time couples, provide infinite help to their young, spending hours of learning on their lands of passage and within their broods, from the south to the north of the Europe. All indications are that their numbers are decreasing, like that of many birds, and February is decisive in their reproductive cycle. Any adaptive management of these species would require that hunting periods be shortened, not extended.

Connected killing

The ministerial decree whose legality we challenge is in no way based on figures or specific cases justifying the extension. On the other hand, and it is a shame, while allowing additional shootings, it clearly mandates the federations of hunters in the precise counting of the 4,000 announced victims (« hunting app » (chassadapt) an app for smartphones will record the animals slaughtered up to the quota, after, it’s too late, the animals are already dead, but do not ‘enter’ more because you are theoretically in violation). The balance of the consolidated hunting charts is expected in the summer and in November. An expected assessment report will certainly ensure that the additional shooting did not affect the conservation status of the birds, and that overall international cooperation is satisfactory. So, one has delegated to the hunters, now unified and connected, the management of their victims. Bravo!

We must act!

For several years now, European hunters have been tracking these migrants as targets, not being able to see these vast and magical wild birds flying around them without opening fire. Cynically, the French decree states that these additional shootings are in the end “non-recreational”. For geese we suspect.

One Voice has appealed to the Council of State, so that this measure is suspended to save the 4,000 already convicted and judged on merit… Wednesday, February 6th, 2019, we also call for a protest (appointment at 12 o’clock, place de Paris City Hall) against these new hunting rights and for the defence of the biodiversity. These geese are not those of the Capitol, but they are just capital! #LaissonsMigrerLesOiesSauvages

In court against the lack of clarity of Marineland and the State

In court against the lack of clarity of Marineland and the State
31.01.2019
Antibes
In court against the lack of clarity of Marineland and the State
Exploitation for shows

Since dolphinariums keep cetaceans, protected animals (and CITES-listed animals) captive, they have an obligation to prove that they are acting to protect wildlife, by submitting a summary report to local prefectures every three years. Marineland has not transmitted this report and the Prefecture pretends not to know what we are talking about. We started legal proceedings to obtain this document. For dolphins and orcas, we do not relent!

A trampled legal framework

The dolphinariums have responded in particular to the same ministerial decree as the zoos. As such, they must contribute to the preservation of wild, free or captive animal species and the conservation of biological diversity. These actions are all the more important as it is now established that dolphin and orca shows are devoid of any educational value and endanger the populations of free orcas and dolphins.

In this context, dolphinariums must, for example, participate in:

research for better knowledge and aimed at the conservation of species,
training about conservation,
the exchange of information,
and restocking and reintroduction of species into wild habitats.

All of this, ensuring the welfare of the animals concerned. In addition, a report describing the actions undertaken must be sent to the Prefect at least every three years.

An endless game of changing goal posts to obtain justice

In order to obtain the closure of dolphinarias and in addition to our actions raising-awareness, we wish to show that their true intentions are commercial, especially as captive cetaceans are never released into the wild. For that, we must get hold of the activity reports of the parks. At the end of October 2017, we asked the departments of the prefectures corresponding to each French dolphinarium for a copy of these reports.

For Parc Asterix, the Prefecture has the report and in perfect knowledge of the legal obligations, we were forwarded this document. For Planète Sauvage, the report was not sent to the Prefecture which cannot transmit it to us, but however, it is aware of the obligation of the dolphinarium and therefore the legal framework applicable to zoos.

Marineland and the Alpes Maritimes Prefecture pretend ignorance

For the Prefecture of the Alpes Maritimes, on the other hand, not only has Marineland not transmitted a report, but the state services are making themselves the force behind this masquerade by trying to make us look incompetent. Pretending that we still don’t know what report we’re talking about after we’ve gone to the CADA (the Access to Administrative Documents Commission) to force them to send us this document. This is a bureaucratic exercise. This is also worrying and serious! This just shows the contempt that some of our state representatives may have for these sensitive and intelligent individuals.

We are suing for orcas and captive dolphins!

We therefore appealed to the Administrative Court of Nice to obtain this report from Marineland, particularly on the orcas they hold captive in Antibes. There have already been too many deaths so far. Held in the tiny pools in comparison to their size and their need to swim and dive, Wikie, Inouk, Moana, and Keijo go around in circles, they must still perform in the show and above all to obey. Shouka, the last of the five French orcas is isolated abroad. What did they do to deserve this? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

All these actions take time but progress. Our fight for dolphins and orcas held captive in dolphinariums is the right way to go. The hearing will take place on February 7^that 11:30 am in the Administrative Court of Nice.

We will never give up, no matter how powerful our opponents are. In the northern hemisphere North America, Russia, the Far North and even the southern hemisphere Japan, or closer to home, in Spain, Portugal or even Greece. We are present all year-round regarding captive and suffering cetaceans, we participate in financing actions abroad and establish international partnerships. Dolphins, belugas and orcas do not know borders, we must protect them and defend them. We have filed an appeal to the Council of State for misconduct by the French State to adopt a new order identical to the precedent, cancelled for a technical detail, and they claim 500 000 euros for this deficiency. Please sign our petition to end dolphinariums in France.

The creation of the European Link Coalition: a major change in direction for research into the Link

The creation of the European Link Coalition: a major change in direction for research into the Link
29.01.2019
Europe
The creation of the European Link Coalition: a major change in direction for research into the Link
Domestic animals

It has been shown that in Western Europe and the United States, pets are generally considered family members. There are, however, countries in Europe where domestic animals are multiplying unchecked in the streets, so they have come to be regarded as pests and treated as such.

The study “Making the Link” (21), the first ever conducted in these countries, explores the links between endemic maltreatment of animals and abuse of humans. The study of certain factors revealed that the deterioration of the status of an animal in society has led to a
« transfer of aggression », with animal abuse also being correlated with violence and abuse towards people and families. A decrease in empathy has also been observed among abusers.

Empathy is the ability to penetrate the emotional world of others. It has been shown that its absence predicts an insensitive response to exposure to violence and abuse. This evokes a Cycle of Abuse learned from exposure to violence and the experience of violence, exerted and doubled against homeless animals, with degraded status and easy access, and when the problem is not resolved, it’s passed on to the next generation.

The European Link Coalition

Organizations from various European countries have now come together to form the European Link Coalition (22). A forum has been set up in which each country can share information on the latest developments in the application of the Link, and other countries can learn from these experiences. Given the rich diversity of cultures in Europe, the possibility of unification of strategic programs is increased.

The nations have come together to create the « European Link » coalition and as a new awareness is emerging among the people and authorities in Europe, animal abuse is no longer an isolated issue.
It is becoming more revealing as a deeper discomfort affecting society, and the study of this association breaks the cycles of abuse; the abuse of individuals is revealed more and more with the abuse of animals, by association, it becomes a socially detestable thing.

«The story of the » European Link « Coalition is a bit like a river, it starts with a quiet brook, which gets stronger and stronger as the countries come together, until it becomes a river wider and powerful. An ocean of change is waiting …»

And before the « European Link » coalition?

While previous initiatives in Europe, for some 20 years, revolved around the identification by veterinarians of indicators associated with human violence and abuse, success has been limited in this area. The reasons given are the confidentiality and concern of veterinarians of their commercial interests. As Nathalie Norden of VOOV in Sweden suggests:

«Veterinarians and other veterinary clinic staff are generally very motivated to participate, but they are still reluctant to take action. They are not sure which injuries to detect, how to intervene, and what the consequences will be for those at risk, whether human or animal. This is the goal of our project: to train veterinary clinic staff and implement an action plan for the whole establishment (before, during and after a suspected case). Unfortunately, veterinarians are relatively less likely to report suspected cases of animal abuse due to financial concerns. This situation is highly dependent on the management of each animal care centre and their attitude towards the reporting of animal welfare problems or animal abuse in general.»Nathalie Norden

Today we are seeing a change of course: now, the first responders in cases of animal abuse are carrying out research on possible associated cases of abuse on human beings.

In the United Kingdom, an agreement between the RSPCA * and the NSPCC * helped advance child protection through the reporting of potential associated cases. Earlier, 86% of these cases of abused children remained unknown to the authorities. In referring to the link between animal abuse and abuse, these cases regarding children had previously been « hidden ». This process is currently being improved, and expanded allocations identify a potential « danger » associated with a case of animal abuse. It can be hoped that a large number of cases of children and vulnerable adults, hitherto ignored, can now be reported and taken care of.

*RSPCA : Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruety to Animals
*NSPCC : National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Sources

21 Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
22 European Link Coalition

Tragic revelations about Ula, Morgan’s daughter

Tragic revelations about Ula, Morgan’s daughter
26.01.2019
Tenerife
Tragic revelations about Ula, Morgan’s daughter
Exploitation for shows

Ula, whose birth was celebrated with fanfare by the Loro Park dolphinarium, is now probably between life and death. The small orca seems to be beset by infections of all kinds. One more tragedy unfolds before the public eye, lulled by the lies from the managment of the Spanish dolphinarium.

Morgan was rescued in 2010 on a beach in the Netherlands, treated, but never released. A capture announced… Contrary to the current law on free-born orcas, Loro Park allowed Morgan, barely pubescent, to become pregnant, giving birth to Ula. In nature, she could have counted on the help of her aunts, sisters and mother. The baby would have been surrounded by the affection from her siblings in their pod, a family group guided by the matriarch. There, locked in a pool, there is nothing that allows for a maternal attachment, northe least of support for a young mother from her family in these important moments.

According to Loro Park, mother and daughter were very close in the first consecutive days at birth, and Morgan reported exemplary maternal instincts, not leaving her little one, Ula swimming at her side. Shortly after, however, the park separated the mother from her daughter, first of all on the pretext that she had too little milk, then it was for safety reasons… After only three days! Ula is isolated from her mother, bottle-fed by a human in a position that is unnatural…

Ula was photographed by a whistle-blower from the public stands. The images, which we also received, were analysed at the request of One Voice’s partner Voice of The Orcas by specialists, including Ingrid Visser, who has been working with us for many years. Not surprisingly, they all confirm what we were dreading.

Currently, Ula is kept in a separate pool, under a tent that protects her from the sun. She has photo-toxic lesions on the skin, a malformation of the head, and a sick left pectoral fin. On her tail, we can distinguish injection marks, probably antibiotics.

«I have never seen anything like it in nature, such as the deformation of the skull and the pathologies along the body are what we can see on this poor baby. I’m really sad for her and her mother, Morgan. This underlines how much the detention of these animals in places like Loro Park are a mistake.» Ingrid Visser, marine biologist at the Orca Research Trust

One Voice is a long-time partner of the Free Morgan Foundation, and a member of Dolphinaria-Free Europe, a European coalition that fights for dolphins and orcas held by dolphinariums. In France, we continue our fight against these water parks and to attack the state for failing to publish a new order prohibiting captive breeding and cetacean exchange between dolphinariums.

Please sign our petition to close the dolphinariums and allow the transfer of these captive animals to marine sanctuaries.