News Archive - Page 5 of 143

After the flames, bullets? Calling for a ban on hunting in the Aude region

After the flames, bullets? Calling for a ban on hunting in the Aude region
02.09.2025
Aude
After the flames, bullets? Calling for a ban on hunting in the Aude region
Wildlife

The year 2025 was marked by record-breaking fires. In the Aude region, a woman lost her life. Thousands of hectares of vegetation were reduced to ashes. And how many animals, trapped by the flames, lost their lives? Yet, as if nothing had happened, hunting season is about to open in the region. One Voice is officially asking the prefect to take action by suspending hunting for the coming season.

Year after year, a veritable massacre

They are already bearing the brunt of the effects of heat waves, climate change, agriculture, and rampant urbanization. Now they must also face massive fires that recur year after year, such as those that ravaged the Aude region this summer. Birds, mammals, batrachians, insects… Disoriented by the smoke, they are unable to flee and suffer the unbearable assault of the fire.

Those that do not die will have no shelter in which to recover and heal their wounds. No more water or food, only dead tree trunks as far as the eye can see. Despite this heartbreaking situation, and while volunteers on site are trying to rescue them, hunters are preparing their guns, just a few days before the opening of the 2025-2026 season.

Sign to ban hunting in disaster areas!

We do not accept that bullets should follow flames. Nearly nine out of ten French people (87%) are in favor of banning this activity in forests affected by drought (Ipsos/One Voice survey, October 2023), a common-sense measure that is nevertheless opposed by the authorities, who are too busy defending the interests of trigger-happy people.

To demand an immediate halt to shooting and give the animals a little respite, we invite you to sign the petitions launched by Futur Asso and a committed citizen calling for a truce. And we are writing to the Prefect of the Aude region: Mr. Prefect: ban hunting this year!

Bird trapping with glue, illegal possession and release of wild animals… Two men brought to justice

Bird trapping with glue, illegal possession and release of wild animals… Two men brought to justice
01.09.2025
Var
Bird trapping with glue, illegal possession and release of wild animals… Two men brought to justice
Wildlife

In Carcès (Var), two men were questioned for possessing about twenty turtles and wild birds, some of which belonged to protected species, without any authorization. In addition to keeping these animals in captivity, several of which were seized in a worrying condition, they are accused of capturing them in the wild, in particular using glue traps, and of releasing individuals of invasive alien species. We hope for an exemplary verdict at the end of the hearing, which will be held at the Draguignan legal tribunal on September 4 at 8:45 a.m.

Just as others collect stamps, these residents of Carcès kept around twenty wild animals in their home. A complaint from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Bird Protection League (LPO) prompted the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) to launch an investigation into what was going on in this house. The search carried out on site in November 2024 speaks for itself: no fewer than 22 Hermann’s tortoises, two Asian rose-ringed parakeets, a grosbeak, a European greenfinch, and a song thrush were seized. And they are not the only ones to have fallen into the hands of these individuals.

Abuse and irresponsibility

How did all these animals end up in their captivity? Although the defendants deny having captured any birds in the wild, explaining that they “found them […] on the ground, injured or in poor condition” and took them in to care for them, the findings of the investigation formally contradict their statements. Traces of glue were found on the birds’ feathers, an undeniable sign that they had struggled in birdlime, an extremely cruel hunting technique which, in addition to injuring its targets, is completely non-selective. One might also question the so-called care they were supposedly given, given their dire condition at the time of the search. One had wounds above its beak, a second had a locked up shoulder and a large bruise, and a third had all the quills on its right wing broken, among other injuries. This calls into question the qualities of their “caretakers”…

Did they also think they were doing the right thing by releasing rose-ringed parakeets and red-eared sliders, classified as invasive alien species, into the wild, which is strictly prohibited? What became of them, left to fend for themselves in an environment that was not their own and whose ecosystem they would inevitably disrupt?

These are sentient beings, not trophies or commodities!

For more than ten years, one of the defendants had been posting photos of himself on social media with a kite, squirrels, falcons, and many others. Once again, humans have messed around by subjugating wild animals on a whim, like Akilla‘s “owner”, and at the risk of their lives. While the birds and turtles locked up in Carcès over the years do not appear to have been victims of trafficking in addition to everything else, this is far from always being the case in these dark affairs. Wildlife trafficking is one of the most lucrative illegal trades, along with drugs and weapons. And it is the animals that pay the price. We will not tolerate them continuing to suffer this fate with impunity.

We will be present as a civil party at the hearing to be held at the Draguignan legal tribunal September 4 at 8:45 a.m. We expect the judges to defend all wild animals that have been illegally captured, transported, confined, and released.

In Paris, the horse-racing lobby is advertising to young people at the expense of horses

In Paris, the horse-racing lobby is advertising to young people at the expense of horses
29.08.2025
Paris
In Paris, the horse-racing lobby is advertising to young people at the expense of horses
Other campaign or multi-campaigns of One Voice

The Place de la Concorde is set to become a place for promoting horse racing to children. With attendance levels declining, the sector is trying to charm young audiences in particular in order to inspire vocations—which remain professional animal abuse—and win new addicts. By authorizing this event, the capital is moving far away from the principles of its “Charter for Animal Welfare”. One Voice reminds us that behind the illusory promises of profit, there is still just as much animal and human misery. We are calling out to the city council.

An unacceptable charm “offensive”

On September 5 and 6, France Galop, race organizer and co-owner of the PMU, will offer a promotional event in the heart of the capital, disguised as a “big popular festival open to all and completely free”.

This lobby—which is very active, with programs on channels targeting young people or specializing in sports, and confident of its protection—openly announces its ambition to “win over new audiences”. It has support in high places, as we recently condemned, with even the government mobilizing, concerned about the risk of a decline in betting.

It is inconceivable to organize “fun” activities and demonstrations to recruit young minds into this environment that exploits living beings pushed to the extreme. Finally, what can be said about such promotion of gambling, a source of addiction and excessive debt?

The methods of horse exploitation: a carefully maintained opacity

Submission and pressure to perform are constant. Scandals involving doping and mutilation for profit are legion. In this environment, there is no consideration for these sentient beings, from their forced conception to their premature death.

The industry, with a turnover of ten billion euros, does not want citizens to be aware of the heavy toll it takes on horses.

The proof is that the only figure available, obtained “through insistence” by the newspaper Libération, is as follows: in 2019, 135 horses died during competition. This figure has remained stable for thirty years, representing approximately 4,000 deaths over this period.

Added to this are the horses slaughtered after races, those injured or exhausted, those that are unprofitable, which disappear into the food sector (representing 52% of those killed for their meat in France)…

One Voice calls out Paris City Council!

Why did the municipality authorize this immoral advertisement in one of our country’s most iconic public squares? This approval clearly contradicts its ambitions as voted on in an explicit charter. We are writing to the mayor and her team.

Join us in demanding that horses be granted the status of pets.

Montpellier Western Bypass: how many animals sacrificed for a pointless project?

Montpellier Western Bypass: how many animals sacrificed for a pointless project?
22.08.2025
Montpellier Western Bypass: how many animals sacrificed for a pointless project?
Habitat naturel

Between Saint-Jean-de-Védas, Montpellier and Juvignac, the government is about to authorise the construction of 6 kilometres of new roads linking the north and south motorways. Behind the promises of urban decongestion lies a grim reality: ever more concrete with serious consequences for the local wildlife, the surrounding biodiversity and the quality of life for the residents. Join us in the public consultation to say no to this anachronistic project —whose first victims will, as always, be the animals— when alternatives exist.

Wildlife destroyed to boost car traffic

The stated objective of this project is to reduce the risk of traffic jams in the metropolitan area by connecting two motorways. Is this a sensible idea? Not really. The area crosses several natural habitats and important nesting sites. A particularly rich biodiversity will be decimated: many species of birds, insects and bats —all protected— will bear the brunt of the bulldozers and the urbanisation. Not to mention the increase in greenhouse gas emissions —up to 30% according to the environmental authority, fine particles and hydrocarbons that will degrade the air quality, and noise pollution for animals and residents alike.

More asphalt, less nature and less agricultural land. These are not simply transport links but a completely outdated approach to urban sprawl. Especially since we now know that the primary consequence of building new road infrastructure is… an increase in traffic and car use.

The creation of roads does not promote environmentally friendly modes of transport

However, alternatives to this project do exist: from extending the tram line to improving the bicycle network, a completely new approach should now be adopted. But the authorities do not seem ready for this yet, preferring to rely on outdated models that have previously proven harmful to the environment.

At a time when massive efforts are needed to combat climate change, projects of this kind can no longer be sustained. One Voice opposes this project which will endanger thousands of animals and cause irreparable damage to this fragile ecosystem. Join us and take part in the consultation! You have until 28 August.

No to the culling of 80,000 great cormorants!

No to the culling of 80,000 great cormorants!
18.08.2025
No to the culling of 80,000 great cormorants!
Animaux sauvages

In order to “preserve” fish farming, the Minister for Ecological Transition is preparing to seal the fate of tens of thousands of great cormorants. Although the species is protected in France, 79,698 of them may be killed between 2025 and 2028. The aim of this measure is to protect the aquaculture industry, while the government supports the establishment of massive fish farms where tens of thousands of fish are crammed together. Make your voice heard in the public consultation on the draft decree, and say no to these ever-increasing exemptions: you only have until tomorrow to do so.

Iconic birds… harassed by gunfire

Great cormorants are instantly recognisable. With their black plumage tinged with white, they live peacefully near estuaries, lakes and waterways, building their nests on steep cliff faces or in trees near the coast. In France, these majestic birds are protected. They are bearing the brunt of pollution and warming waters. It is therefore strictly forbidden to disturb them… except with special permission.

A few months after facilitating the granting of these shooting permits, the Ministry, which is supposed to defend nature and its inhabitants, is preparing to define the official number of permits to kill cormorants for the next three years. The figures speak for themselves: 79,698 in France, with quotas of several thousand in some regions. The arguments put forward are, as always, absolute proof that the lives of animals have no value for the authorities who give in without resistance to pressure from the aquaculture lobby.

Accusing birds… to protect farming

To justify these upcoming massacres, the ministry accuses great cormorants of threatening wild fish… even though the National Council for Nature Conservation has debunked the myth of great cormorants as “fish exterminators” in its report!

The sole objective of this measure is to protect the aquaculture industry, while the number of farms where tens of thousands of individuals are crammed together is increasing, as in the case of the Aquafrais expansion project off the coast of Cannes which we recently investigated.

While we have been denouncing the relentless persecution of these large birds for years, the government remains stubborn. Join us in saying no to this draft decree, and make your voice heard for these targeted birds! Even if consultations carry little weight in the face of farming lobbies, the more opinions we gather to oppose the official texts, the more weight we will have in court when we counterattack!

After harassing her for months, her neighbour threatens to kill her and shoots her dog

After harassing her for months, her neighbour threatens to kill her and shoots her dog
14.08.2025
Haute-Savoie
After harassing her for months, her neighbour threatens to kill her and shoots her dog
Animaux familiers

In a town in Haute-Savoie, racist and misogynistic harassment targeting a local resident culminated in a death threat… and a bullet to her dog’s head on 24 July. Although Django miraculously survived, he will have to live with shrapnel in his skull and trauma shared by his human. We are pressing charges against the person responsible for this tragic situation.

“Dirty ni**er”, “cu*t”, “dirty wh**e”. Amelia (name changed to protect her anonymity), who moved back in with her parents three years ago, had been enduring months of racist and misogynistic insults from their neighbour who had gone so far as to threaten to “put a bullet in her head”. These chilling words gave good reason to fear that this escalation of aggression was not over…

An act of unspeakable cruelty

On 24 July, Amelia and her mother were at home when they heard gunshots. Worried that Django, who was also the target of frequent verbal abuse, was missing, they went looking for him, first in the street, then in their neighbour’s garden. That’s where the two women found him: frightened and seriously injured, he had left traces of blood on the ground and had a worrying wound on his face. Amelia immediately took him to a veterinary clinic where he received emergency treatment.

X-rays taken at the clinic confirmed that the young mastiff crossbreed had indeed been shot. Although he miraculously survived, he is far from unscathed. The buckshot fragments were lodged too deeply in his skull to be removed, as this could cause neurological damage later on. Django and his family will need a lot of time to recover from the cruelty they have suffered.

When animal abuse mirrors that against humans

Shocked by the horror Django had been subjected to, and fearing for her own life which had been threatened numerous times, Amelia filed a complaint. When she asked for our help in obtaining justice, we immediately responded. We refuse to accept that individuals can attack animals, sometimes even killing them, and that such acts are not taken seriously. Violence against animals must finally be recognised as such and for the tragic link it too often has with violence against humans.

For Django, we have filed a complaint for acts of cruelty and serious abuse. His tormentor faces three years’ imprisonment and a fine of €45,000. Sign if, like us, you condemn all violence, regardless of the victim.

Investigation in Freneuse: horses left to fend for themselves in a field of misery

Investigation in Freneuse: horses left to fend for themselves in a field of misery
13.08.2025
Yvelines
Investigation in Freneuse: horses left to fend for themselves in a field of misery
Autre campagne de l’association (ou multiples)

Alerted by reports and the mayor of Freneuse (Yvelines), One Voice investigators discovered several horses, including a young foal, deprived of basic care. Their distress is not new. It is evidence of systematic neglect, rooted in the practices of their owner, a professional horse dealer. The residents, who are very concerned, are getting organised to help them. We are filing a complaint.

Under the sun, a daily ordeal. The report we received described emaciated horses desperately trying to drink from troughs that contained more algae than water.

Our investigators, who were immediately dispatched to the scene, discovered animals left in the blazing sun. With high temperatures forecast for the coming days, their ordeal is far from over: they appear to have no shelter or protection from the heat and insects, while the person who trades in them remains completely indifferent. In the yellowed pastures, the only fodder provided is thanks to the generosity of shocked neighbours who are trying to ensure their survival with the means at their disposal.

An orphaned foal, a forgotten mare, a field turned into a tomb

In this enclosure, the decomposing body of a mare remained exposed for several days before the town council finally had it removed –alerted not by the owner, but by residents inconvenienced by the smell.

A frail foal, clearly orphaned, wanders around, agitated. His mother had apparently been euthanised recently (based on what we know about the abandoned carcass, there is some doubt about the relationship between them…) At his age, the lack of mother’s milk or an equine wet nurse seriously compromises his health and therefore his chances of survival.

Further away, another horse is walking around with a broken halter, an additional danger for an already weakened animal…

Maximised profitability: mistreatment as an economic model

This situation is not an isolated case: it is the direct consequence of a commercial system in which equines are seen as a commodity. Reducing expenses is essential in such a mindset. Nothing is maintained, starting with their hooves. Veterinary care? Doubtful! Several reports of stray horses belonging to this horse dealer have been filed in the past.

This trade continues with virtual impunity. Hidden from view, far from legislative concerns, our representatives tolerate it and turn a blind eye. The result: sentient beings are mistreated, exploited, resold, too often in a pitiful state. For them, we shall not remain silent.

Similar cases are all too common: our action to help the victims

While waiting for an operational response from the authorities, once again it is the solidarity of citizens that must be applauded. Village residents and local elected officials are taking turns to bring some respite to these horses.

This case is just the tip of the iceberg. All over France, equines suffer amid almost total indifference. Just a few weeks ago, in another case, we reached out to the courts: one horse had been left for dead tied to a tractor…

Faced with this scandal, One Voice is filing a complaint against the dealer with the gendarmerie in Bonnières-sur-Seine. The courts must prosecute this abuser quickly and formally prohibit her from engaging in any activity involving animals.

Enough suffering! Let’s demand real protection for equines

As long as horses do not enjoy the same status as dogs and cats, as long as their commercial exploitation takes precedence over their welfare, these tragedies will continue to happen. To defend them, join us in demanding a legislative reform.

Traditional wood pigeon hunting has been criticized by the European Commission and must be abolished!

Traditional wood pigeon hunting has been criticized by the European Commission and must be abolished!
12.08.2025
Traditional wood pigeon hunting has been criticized by the European Commission and must be abolished!
Wildlife

On February 12, 2025, the European Commission referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The reason? In the South of France, hunters persist in killing wood pigeons with non-selective “pantes” and “pantières” (nets), the use of which is prohibited by the Birds Directive. We are once again taking a stand and calling for the repeal of the ministerial decrees authorizing these practices in five departments.

In the Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, Gironde, and Pyrénées-Atlantiques regions, wood pigeons, attracted by the cries of other wood pigeons used as decoys, find themselves trapped in nets. When the trap reopens, it is only to allow their tormentors to finish them off. This “traditional” form of hunting is, however, banned throughout the European Union. So much so that every year since 2021, we have obtained from the Council of State the cancellation of the decrees authorizing capture using “pantes” and “matoles” (cages) in the region. The court rulings are clear: these methods are not selective and there are satisfactory alternatives. There is therefore no reason for them to be exempt. The European Commission, which had already issued a formal notice to France in 2019, has just reiterated this by taking further action against wood pigeon hunting.

The State and hunters are swimming against the flow…

Hunting with glue was declared illegal by the Council of State in 2021, and the use of “tendelles” (stone traps) was definitively banned in 2023… Thanks to the dozens of legal actions we have taken, traditional hunting practices are in the hot seat more than they ever were before. Much to the chagrin of trigger-happy hunters, who never tire of crying foul. Trapping wood pigeons, at the risk of injuring other birds, whatever they may say, is “in their DNA”, no less! And their cruel hobby should take precedence over everything else… These whims are supported by the State, which prefers gun owners and their hobby to nature, to the point of inventing the most absurd pretexts to revive these practices from another time…

… against animals already in decline

Birds are threatened on all sides: pesticides, insect increasing scarcity, urbanization, habitat loss… In nearly forty years, a quarter of these animals have disappeared from Europe. In November 2024, we even learned of the first extinction of a continental bird in the geographical area covering Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia: that of the slender-billed curlew. The collapse of biodiversity has never been so tangible. And those who have only one desire, to empty the sky of its survivors, dare to proclaim themselves defenders of nature! This deadly cynicism must stop.

For wood pigeons, which are now the only birds still captured using “pantes” and “pantières” in France, we are asking the ministry to put an end to this practice. If they refuse, we will take the matter to the Council of State. Join your voice to ours by signing our petition for a radical reform of hunting!

CNRS to become national supplier of macaques for laboratories? One Voice opposes the plan

CNRS to become national supplier of macaques for laboratories? One Voice opposes the plan
11.08.2025
Rousset
CNRS to become national supplier of macaques for laboratories? One Voice opposes the plan
Animal testing

The French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) has decided to transform the Rousset primatology center into a national primate breeding facility with a capacity of 2,000 individuals. This project reduces animals to mere tools in the service of a lucrative system, in total contradiction with European commitments to reduce animal experimentation. Faced with this abuse, One Voice is mobilizing to prevent this expansion.

Funded by taxpayers up to €30 million, the future National Primatology Center already planned last fall to “produce 40% of the French academic research needs for cynomolgus macaques”. In its eagerness to turn the current Rousset station into a veritable primate factory, the CNRS has already revised its announced goal upwards. According to the president of the GIRCOR, the experimentation lobby, it now plans to supply 50% of these animals… and 100% of rhesus macaques. This means that three times as many monkeys will have to be bred in Rousset to undergo experiments in France… or be sold across Europe to suffer the same fate outside our borders.

Unspeakable suffering for endangered monkeys

To make this lucrative business work, the CNRS has joined forces with Mauritian farms that capture long-tailed macaques, also known as cynomolgus macaques, in the wild to use them for breeding, as our investigation has revealed. In doing so, it is directly involved in the trafficking of these animals, which are classified as “endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species… and which continue to be the most widely used primate species for testing, with no fewer than 3,077 individuals experimented on in France in 2023. Virus inoculation, cranial implants, endless injections and tests… the list of horrors to which these animals are subjected is endless.

Financial interests come first

Since 2020, France has been responsible for more than half of the monkeys used in European laboratories. And it has no intention of stopping there. Contrary to the recommendations of the European Directive, which unambiguously recommends reducing the number of animals, it is investing heavily in this outdated model. The CNRS intends to perpetuate this under the pretext of national sovereignty. The suffering of animals is irrelevant. The existence of reliable alternative methods, which are simply waiting to be funded, is irrelevant. As long as the laboratories are running, the experimenters persist—against all common sense.

As we successfully opposed the construction of a primatology center in Holtzheim, Alsace, and the expansion of dog breeding facilities in Mézilles and Gannat, we are now mobilizing against the CNRS project in Rousset.

Say no to the national primatology center and join us on August 27 at our information kiosk at Place Paul Borde in Rousset.

Would you like to contribute to the failure of this project at the local level through ad hoc informational actions? Let us know by sending us an email at: info@one-voice.fr

Cirque Muller: still illegal, still just as indecent for animals

Cirque Muller: still illegal, still just as indecent for animals
08.08.2025
Arles
Cirque Muller: still illegal, still just as indecent for animals
Exploitation pour le spectacle

Once again, the circus ‘Cirque Muller’ has set up camp and is flouting the law. Infringements, animal abuse and outdated displays being offered under the hypocritical guise of “entertainment”. Despite the ban, baby tigers have been born, while an endangered monkey is forced to ride on the back of a pony in the ring. Jumbo languishes in a tiny tub of stagnant water, a symbol of the authorities’ inaction. We have once again referred the matter to the authorities, calling for strict controls followed by exemplary punishment.

A circus with a ghostly existence, set up without rights or respect

It was in the car park of a shopping area in Arles that the ‘Grand Cirque Zavatta’ popped up, without authorisation and against the wishes of the local population, for a series of performances from 22 July to 1 August. Behind this false façade, with no legal existence, is the Muller family, infamous for its constant disregard for the law.

Despite a complaint from local shopkeepers supported by the mayor of Arles, Patrick de Carolis, the circus was able to perform. By the time the courts reacted, the circus performers had had plenty of time to dismantle their equipment, flee and start again elsewhere, with complete impunity.

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Illegally born tiger cubs, destined to suffer

In a trailer at the back of the circus, three young tigers, just a few months old. Their very existence is an offence: since December 2023, the breeding of wild animals in travelling circuses has been banned. These cubs were not born by accident: they were born to be trained, exhibited and broken. Like the lion cubs of the Claudio Zavatta circus, they embody a deadly trend tolerated by a complicit State.

In 2028, the exploitation of non-domestic species is set to end. But what about until then? These young felines will have known nothing but cages, coercion and fear. By perpetuating these illegal births, the Muller family is increasing the number of living beings that we will one day have to rescue from exploitation. The State turns a blind eye. The sanctuaries are already overflowing.

generics.video.play

Humiliation in the ring: a Barbary ape, threatened with extinction, harnessed to a pony, Jumbo still being tormented

The height of abjection is reached under the big top. A Barbary macaque —on the red list of endangered species*, dressed in grotesque trousers, is tied to the back of a pony forced to run round and round the track. This scene, which some still call a ‘show’, is a caricature of animal humiliation. Meanwhile, children laugh. They are being taught that causing suffering can be fun.

And then there is Jumbo, whom One Voice has been tirelessly following for ten years. Confinement, isolation: the complaints and reports keep coming in. His living conditions, which are illegal for a hippopotamus, have never changed. Until recently, he was stuck in a tub of stagnant, stinking water under the blazing sun. He is dragged into the ring by force. The director, with chilling irony, boasts of his ability to run at 50 km/h and face crocodiles. Then he mentions the ‘beauty’ of his skin. Is this what we want to convey? That suffering sells, as long as it shines under a spotlight? And that stagnant water is an unknown beauty secret?

The Mullers had already moved back to Uzès at the beginning of August. We have reported these alarming findings and clear violations to the prefectures of the regions of Bouches-du-Rhône and Gard, calling for inspections followed by exemplary punishment.

Let us demand an immediate end to this disgrace.

Let us save Jumbo after 40 years of captivity! Join us in calling for his urgent transfer to a sanctuary.

And let us demand even more: sign the petition for a total ban on animals in circuses. This fight is not a whim. It is a moral necessity.

*Last category before extinction status, according to the global classification established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).