Maya’s second life

Maya’s second life
07.11.2018
Italie
Maya’s second life
Exploitation for shows

Freed from the circus thanks to the mobilization of citizens, Maya has started a new life, in Italy, under our attentive gaze and that of our local partners. She remains in captivity and fragile … but she is always in our hearts.

Free from the chains of the circus! No more caged trucks, the never-ending stop overs in parking lots, the silent but very real pain endured by this tired body. While noting her release, the French State did not hear of our association’s organization for the relocation of her into semi-liberty at a sanctuary located in France. The circus that held Maya was able to freely choose what will no doubt be her last home, an Italian zoo, close to circus networks and of which organizes shows with animals.

We are of course happy for her, we decided to follow Maya, to make sure that she was comfortable, refusing to forget her and the distance. Maya now lives in a Safari Park in Pombia, near Novara (Piedmont). The establishment proposes a concept of « safari » on this 45-hectare site with a network of paved roads from where the visitors can circulate by car to approach and view animals of the savannah in a semi-free state or visit the enclosures of some of other animals. This is now the case for Maya.

Our investigators were able to observe her and found that she was better off. Arriving exhausted back in the early part of summer, malnourished, crippled, with osteoarthritis and suffering from an infection on the right hind quarters, Maya has now more going for her. Fed by fresh hay, she can wander freely in her « domain », 5 000 m2 of sloping ground, equipped with a roof to protect her from the sun (but the climate of Lake Maggiore, nearby, is not that of Asia!). A concrete pool that gives her access to water. Maya plays with the earth she takes from the floor with her trunk and delightfully sprinkles her back with it. Yes, earth and no longer tarmac!

We observed a kind of pathway of large raised stones which reduced the space available, without much enrichment and especially that of the access to the stalls (a shed of 220 m2), where Maya could rest out of sight of prying eyes, but which is closed during the day.

The Safari Park of Pombia has welcomed on the Internet the arrival of Maya, its unique elephant, which accredits the usefulness of its association « SOS Elefanti Onlus », claiming an activity to safeguard Asian elephants. Entrance tickets are thus clearly intended to help finance this program … of which it is impossible to obtain concrete information. Claudio Aimone, its scientific director, has never answered our requests for information, any more than about the reason for barring access to the stalls during the day, a common practice in zoos, although it does not comply with the requirements of an animal’s welfare.

So, ever vigilant and supported by our Italian partners of the LAV, we will act to be enlightened on the choices of the type of framework for the second life of Maya. We asked an eminent veterinary expert, Dr. Willem Schaftenaar, adviser to the European Association of Zoological Parks, who had watched the videos recently filmed by our teams at the Safari Park. This is also the case for Prof. Donald Broom of the University of Cambridge, who found the conditions good and without any comparison with those experienced by Maya for decades in the circus. The opinions of these two experts have been attached to the letter we sent to the Italian Minister of the Environment. So that, both here and there, we should be better informed of the fate of these circus convicts becomes a common cause and not just the facts from the owners.

Maya suffers the consequences of a stolen life, exhausted by repeated transportations, the exhibitions in different places and the unsuitable facilities. While now she can regain a taste of the gestures that had been forbidden for decades during her circus life, she obviously had to rehabilitate herself, but especially to be surrounded by appropriate care, including her diet and her physical exercise. A very enriched enclosure, a floor full of sand where she can rest, a real possibility of tranquillity and out of sight in the opinion of specialists, is important to restore Maya, to soothe the physical and mental evils (stereotypy) which weigh heavy on her after a life that has been so hard. All this was relayed to the minister of a country that officially banned wild and domestic animals in circuses. Hope in Italy? here, we have to monitor, interrogate, debate and even fight …

Nevertheless, let us reflect and without moderation on this happier episode, which will not erase a life of misery, but for so many elephants, big cats and other wild animals having nothing to do whilst on the road and behind the bars of the animal circuses is a reality. Professor Broom and Dr. Schaftenaar both explain that stereotypical phycological damage is extremely difficult or impossible to cure. So even if the transfer to this park was not ideal, it will have made it possible to significantly improve her conditions of detention and even more to eliminate the trauma of homelessness: incessant transportation and changes of places. Our mail follows our close watch of Maya.Our letters of correspondence follow our close watch on Maya.

One Voice remains with Maya, will not leave her alone and will give news about her as soon as possible. Because her nature is remarkable: broken by 40 years of imprisonment she is now showing obvious, simple signs of new joy. A real sense of well-being after so much suffering is the least, we can offer her…

Femke, the last shows before closing for winter

Femke, the last shows before closing for winter
05.11.2018
Plailly
Femke, the last shows before closing for winter
Exploitation for shows

The last shows of the 2018 season at the Asterix park dolphinarium took place this weekend of November 3rd and 4th. It was only a few degrees above zero, and we are only in the autumn. Guama, Baïly, Beauty, Femke, Belize, Bahia, Aya and Cécil and the sea lions Gonzo, Kaï, Santo and Smack will find themselves locked up all winter in their tiny pools. In the freezing cold, Femke staring at the walls of her pool will stay there with the other dolphins and without Ekinox, her beloved son.

Saturday, November 3^rd, 5 ° C at Plailly. It’s eleven o’clock in the morning, and Femke and her companions who are in this misfortunate situation must participate in one of the last shows of the season. Exhibited thus, there to amuse the public and to perform for fish.

At the end of the season at the Asterix park, Femke seemed like « supercharged  » for the show, just to deceive the public who are unconscious of what is actually being played out before their eyes. The dolphinarium tells us about « handling ». For this last opening weekend of the year, Femke was put to work, solicited as ever before the stands, on which the freezing families sat trying to keep as warm as they could, the children bundled up under hats and scarves. But soon the show finished: the curtain. Once again, Femke became almost motionless on the surface, fixing her gaze sometimes on a plastic bottle or sometimes on the walls, her sadly sagging dorsal fin, a reflection of her life…

This year again, we never stopped to give warning about the personal story of Femke: her capture, her placing into a pool between four walls, her health problems, the separation from her little Ekinox, which is now two years, and her depression that followed… The management of the dolphinarium denies this evidence.

Yet since the spring, we have filmed her many times. The reports from internationally renowned scientific experts are alarming. She seems to have given up living in the full sense of the word. Out of sight, since last year, no sign of improvement of her psychological state. We launched a petition to have her reunited with her son, whose exploitation has just been recognized as illegal and that both are being transferred to a marine sanctuary. More than 113,000 people support us in this fight! We even went to the Prefecture of Oise to Beauvais so that the image of Femke are on display in front of the offices of the one person who has the power to remove her from the park. Our intervention in this public park at the end of a show this summer has made known her fate to a multitude of people and families who come to have fun. Children should not be made to believe that the place of extremely intelligent sentient beings lies in tiny pools and that their purpose is only to entertain us.

The Greek zoo Attica Park fined 44360 €. Let’s demand its closure!

The Greek zoo Attica Park fined 44360 €. Let’s demand its closure !
27.10.2018
Grèce
The Greek zoo Attica Park fined 44360 €. Let’s demand its closure !
Exploitation for shows

In Greece, trained animal shows are forbidden. But at Attica Park, dolphins and including Ekinox sold by Parc Astérix after being torn from his mother Femke, were forced to perform under the hot sun. The zoo has just been fined 44360 €. We must go further and ask the authorities to close this park.

It took two years of campaigning and several complaints against shows using captive dolphins in the Attica Zoological Park in Greece for state inspectors to officially find that the park was in complete violation of Greek legislation with regard to these representations.

The report is without appeal. The park has worked without any authorization for 4 years between 2013 and 2017! But why would they stop there? Thus Article 13 of the Greek Law N.4039 / 2012 stipulates that « keeping animals in parks is allowed on condition that no show is organized with the participation of animals« . What would the inspectors note during their visit on November 3, 2016? And although for an additional € 3, visitors to the zoo could watch a dolphin show at 11:00 for 20 minutes. What could be more logical…?

Already, just a simple respect of the law did not seem to be a strong point of Attica, it was not necessary moreover to ask them to follow the
evolution of the law! Thus in 2014, when articles 12 and 13 of the law N.4039 / 2012 were modified, with article 12 thus taking the title of « It is prohibited to use any animal in any kind of exhibition and similar activities » , one should not expect the zoo to read the following prohibitions:

• 1
  – It is forbidden to keep any animal in a circus or variety show if the animals are used in any way whatsoever and for any reason in their program, during shows or when a walk or in front of an audience.

• 2
  – It is forbidden to use any type of animal in entertainment companies, car shows, music festivals, folk festivals or any other artistic or entertainment event if the animals are used in any way whether in their programs.

• 2a
  – Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 7, it is forbidden
  to present animals to the public for economic gain.

And besides what did the park say after the inspection? That the inspectors had « a misinterpretation of the law, and were biased » and provided « efforts to create negative impressions » and that in doing so there was no violation. The park also claims that since January 2017, no fees have been charged for the dolphin show, but only the price to enter the zoo. They should really have read the articles of law that concern them because this statement shows the for-profit nature of their activity and therefore the violation of presenting animals to the public for economic gain.

On our side, we congratulate Parc Astérix for tearing Ekinox from his mother, Femke, to be sold with another dolphin, little Naska, to this establishment that is trying so hard to break the law.

The Dolphinaria Free Europe coalition, of which One Voice is a member, will continue to support all attempts to get the Greek authorities to enforce the law banning shows with animals.

Demand the closure of Attica Park.

Send e-mails to the following person as well as to the Greek Embassy in Paris to urge them to enforce the law with immediate effect:

Mr Giorgos Stathakis

Minister of the Environment

secmin@ypen.gr

The Greek Embassy in Paris

Ambassador: Aglaia Balta

gremb.par@mfa.gr

This article is a free translation of the article published on the website of Dolphinaria Free Europe.

But where is Martinha, the dolphin saved then held in a tiny pool for a decade?

But where is Martinha, the dolphin saved then held in a tiny pool for a decade?
26.10.2018
Portugal
But where is Martinha, the dolphin saved then held in a tiny pool for a decade?
Exploitation for shows

A coalition, of which One Voice is a member of, made up of marine mammal advocates and experts, is asking for answers from the Portuguese government and an NGO to find out where Martinha is, a dolphin saved and then locked up in a private pool for ten years.

Martinha, a female common dolphin, was stranded on the Portuguese coast in September 2007. Her rescuers left her languishing in a swimming pool, whose water was reaching her waist for ten years. They have repeatedly promised Martinha’s rehabilitation and release to the sea, but there is strong reason to believe that she is still detained in conditions that seriously affect her well-being.

In 2014, Dr. Ingrid Visser, a New Zealand marine biologist and cetacean specialist, and Alexander Sanchez, a Spanish expert on cetaceans, including the rescue of dolphins, conducted an inspection. The report, following this visit, has raised many concerns about its living conditions. After these revelations, many scientists, marine mammal and conservation scientists, as well as NGOs from around the world, formed an informal coalition dedicated to Martinha’s well-being. The coalition demanded information on the release of Martinha and offered to help the authorities responsible for her care.

« In studying Martinha’s situation, we learned that the NGO Sociedade Portuguese da Vida Salvagem (SPVS) that had rescued him, had a second common dolphin named Barra, who shared the same pool as Martinha, » Alexander Sanchez said, member of the coalition.

« Unfortunately, Barra died after barely three years in captivity. This same NGO had, in the past, already saved a pilot whale, which was then transported to the Lisbon Zoo to perform in a show alongside larger dolphins. He too is now dead.  »

« This kind of intervention is extremely disturbing, » said Alexander Sanchez, « it’s not really about rescues, on the contrary, these animals are doomed to suffer for years. »

Martinha was not born in captivity. It is therefore the responsibility of the Portuguese Government. The Portuguese authorities and the NGO SPVS refused to reveal the exact location where she was detained. They did not confirm that she was still in the private pool, despite requests from the coalition.

Since August 2014, the coalition has continued to offer support to the NGO SVPS in order to independently assess Martinha’s well-being. They also proposed to provide a relaxation program and solutions to promote general well-being and improve the living conditions of Martinha.

In August 2016, despite many efforts to establish a dialogue, the NGO SPVS stated that the coalition had no reason to raise such doubts and certified the welfare of Martinha link to SPVS statement. However, to date, the SVPS has not provided any evidence.

« I have visited more than 30 structures around the world holding dolphins in captivity and the pool of Martinha ranks among the worst, » said Ingrid Visser. « Given the appalling conditions in which Martinha and Barra, who I myself witnessed, were detained, I was very disappointed to learn that the SVPS rejected all the help offered by world-renowned experts. »

The coalition is making continuous efforts to help Martinha. They contacted the Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF), the Portuguese CITES Management Authority, as well as the body legally responsible for protecting Martinha and supervising her care. In February 2017, the ICNF responded that Martinha had the best possible medical care and conditions of detention in a newly built releasing facility. However, to date, no other information, including the location of this establishment, has been provided and all other requests have been rejected by the ICNF.

Martinha is a dolphin born in the wild and currently hidden by its « rescuers ».

« Today, we do not know where she is, what her physical and psychological condition is, whether she is held alone in captivity, let alone whether she is still alive, » Alexander Sanchez said. « For all these reasons, we have decided to make public our concerns, hoping that the public will lobby the ICNF and / or SPVS for more information on her condition. Of course, we continue to offer our expertise to improve the situation of Martinha and give her the most enjoyable life possible. Please sign and share this petition!

To receive information and news:

• Follow #WhereisMartinha (Twitter)
• Visit the site

Decree “circuses”: One Voice against the Ministry of Ecologically and Transition, hearing to be held at the State Council on 25th October 2018 at 9:30 am

Decree “circuses”: One Voice against the Ministry of Ecologically and Transition, hearing to be held at the State Council on 25th October 2018 at 9:30 am
22.10.2018
France
Decree “circuses”: One Voice against the Ministry of Ecologically and Transition, hearing to be held at the State Council on 25th October 2018 at 9:30 am
Exploitation for shows

In view of the evolution of scientific knowledge and animal rights, One Voice attacked the inter-ministerial decree of 18^th
March 2011 called « circuses » before the State Council. One Voice demands that this decree be rescinded, that the possession of any wildlife be prohibited in these establishments and that these animals be transferred immediately to sanctuaries. The hearing will be held on Thursday October 25^th at 9:30

The questioning of this decree « laying down the conditions for keeping and using live animals from non-domestic species in itinerant shows » is based in particular on the fact that animals kept in captivity have a new status¹ which defines them as sentient beings, and as such have fundamental rights such as:

• the right to a life compatible with the biological imperatives of the species concerned, whose well-being is an integral part;
• the right to dignity or to life (unless otherwise required);
• the right not to be abused, tortured or abandoned;
• the right not to be abused.

The One Voice association has been defending the interests of animals for nearly twenty-five years and was the first in France to bring to court the case of an animal held in a circus. They have saved many who, under their responsibility, now live a life in semi-freedom in sanctuaries.

Before attacking the text in front of the State Council, the association had met the Ministry of Ecologically and Transition and Solidarity and had written to him and to the minister of Agriculture and Food, asking them to cancel the text. But without a response from them, One Voice had to seize the corresponding jurisdiction. What was surprising to them when they learned that the Ministry of the Ecologically and Solidarity Transition, who is supposed to be defending the interests of nature and animals, had expressed himself in a written brief submitted on March 1^st, 2018 to the State Council, requesting to reject the demands of One Voice!

There are only eight countries in Europe that have not yet legislated, France is one of the latter, which continues to blame its municipalities for this responsibility. Children are the first spectators to witness the misery of these animals that are part of our common heritage. How will they protect them if they have this vision of them, when these animals are already experiencing a 6th mass extinction?

Muriel Arnal, president and founder of One Voice says:

«Many countries adapt their regulations to the scientific knowledge and the evolution of their society. Will France be the last to progress by ending the captivity and transportation of wild animals? We know that animal shows in circuses prevent the normal development of empathy in children. However, the Ministry of Ecology allows the circuses to continue presenting wild animals as prisoners and trivialising the violence. We are talking about tigers, lions, elephants here, animals in great danger of extinction. Their place is not in a truck on a road, nor in the circus ring with loud music.»

1.
Article 515-14 of the Civil Code, which states: « Animals are
living beings endowed with sensitivity ».

Map of French municipalities refusing the exploitation of animals by itinerant circuses

Map of countries refusing the exploitation of animals by itinerant circuses

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