News Archive - Page 61 of 131

The death of Mina and of at least two psittaciformes are now added to that of Micha

The death of Mina and of at least two psittaciformes are now added to that of Micha
22.02.2022
The death of Mina and of at least two psittaciformes are now added to that of Micha
Exploitation for shows

The images of the prison conditions, complaints, a criminal trial, a very light conviction… Since the ruling, we have done everything we can to obtain the inspection report from the Prefecture of Loir-et-Cher — the Departmental Directorate for Protecting Populations (DDPP) — and we have put ourselves before the administrative tribunal to get the animals removed… After a long and rough legal proceeding, we learned that Mina is dead, along with two birds. The Prefecture services were careful not to inform us of this and are still leaving the animals with the Poliakovs! We have filed a request in the meantime to the Orléans administrative tribunal and a complaint against the trainers, specifically for acts of cruelty and mistreatment by a professional alongside the Blois high court. We are calling for the immediate withdrawal of the animals and access to Mina’s autopsy report.

We had to continue the fight. We asked the Prefecture of Loir-et-Cher twice for access to the latest inspection report, carried out at the centre of the establishment managed by the Bruneau-Poliakov couple, in order to understand in particular the state of health and the prison conditions of the animals that justice had seen fit to abandon. As a matter of fact, in the context of an administrative foreclosure, it is possible to ‘seize’ the animals while leaving them where they are, in the good care of their torturers!

A debilitating proceeding before the authorities

Our requests for access to this report have fallen on deaf ears. We then, almost as always, had to apply to the Committee for Access to Administrative Documents to force the civil service to comply. And, unsurprisingly, they were in favour of our request. With this backing, we had to rewrite to the Prefecture services who had finally this month deigned to send us the report dated 2 June 2021… We then learnt that many more animals that they were keeping are dead. And the report, heavily redacted incidentally (even the names of the trainers are ‘concealed’, which is absurd), finds significant non-conformities.

Mina and the birds were prisoners for life

Following Micha, Mina is dead, as well as two of the rare birds… All of them are living in minuscule and gloomy spaces, unlawfully, under the eyes and ears of the authorities who have turned a blind eye for more than a decade. Those who redacted the report, agents from the DDPP, who are cynics and willingly detached, conclude that “on the date the report was published, Mina was dead, lifting the non-compliance”.

The Bruneau-Poliakov trainers would never have needed to have had a proficiency certification for the Barbary macaque, even though they exploited her during very lucrative events. She spent eleven years in a 50cm³
cage with no light, which was rarely cleaned. These facts were known by the authorities. What did they do to get them out?! Ticking boxes, again and again, and setting deadlines that were never met… We had to capture images in these unspeakable places; the spoiled food had to be filmed so that their enclosure could be made bigger and enriched with a measly swing.

The amount of major non-conformities from the report is shocking

According to the very criteria of the DDPP, there has always been an issue at staffing level, an issue with the consistency of proficiency certifications and the species kept, a concern regarding regulations, and dysfunctional follow-up veterinary care. But who are we kidding in this country? When will the Prefectures finally abide by the rules relating to the respect and well-being of wild captive animals?!

In a previous article, we asked ourselves if there truly is any protection for wild animals in France. The answer is crystal clear: it is non-existent.

We are therefore filing a complaint in particular for acts of cruelty, to have access to information on the circumstances of Mina’s death, and above all to obtain the immediate seizure of the other animals, in addition to our interim application.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Wood pigeons in the Pyrenees: migratory birds still in the firing line

Wood pigeons in the Pyrenees: migratory birds still in the firing line
20.02.2022
Wood pigeons in the Pyrenees: migratory birds still in the firing line
Wildlife

Wood pigeons are targeted by hunters. Once again, hunters want to be able to kill animals outside of the official hunting season. To do this, their aim, with the agreement of the Aude Prefecture, is to get them recognised as a species likely to cause damage (previously referred to as pests). The arguments are still misleading; hunters want to shoot them down on their return to the coast from Spain, where these migratory birds by definition do not cause any damage to crops.

In Aude, a prefectural decree plans to classify wood pigeons (Columba palumbus) as a species likely to cause damage from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022. If this decree becomes enforced, these birds will still be, slightly more so, victims of hunters and the like. In fact, they can be killed:

Without formal closure of the hunting season for this species, so from 20 February 2022 in Aude, until 31 March 2022;
Under individual prefectoral authorisation from 1 April to 30 June 2022.

Since a reminder is necessary, let’s clarify: wood pigeons are migratory birds. The European Parliament and Council Directive 2009/147/CE of 30 November 2009 concerning the conservation of wild birds, named ‘Birds’, strictly forbids all hunting during their mating season and their prenuptial migration.

Prenuptial migration (their return journey from the South towards nesting grounds further North) for wood pigeons begins in… mid-February. This is therefore the reason that a ministerial decree (on 19 January 2009) imposes a closure from 20 February in all departments (after local exceptions between 11 and 20 February).

The Directive (a provision included in French law in order to allow the classification of ‘pests’) permits exceptions if:

The wood pigeons are scattered in a symptomatic way across the department;
Their presence is harmful to a protected interest:
- Public health and safety;
- Protection of flora and fauna;
- To prevent significant damage to agricultural, forestry, or aquafarming activities;

No alternative solution to the ‘destruction’ is satisfactory

But where are these exemptions in the decree proposal ?

The consultation on the decree proposal does not specify how these conditions are fulfilled.

In fact, hunting wood pigeons in the month of March is a tradition. The hunters from the Aude region place themselves mainly on the coast in order to await the passage of these birds from elevated firing positions. This zone, mostly made up of forests, heaths, and vineyards, isn’t likely to be affected by wood pigeons. Only the protein (peas, chickpeas), oleaginous (sunflower and rapeseed), and cereal (corn, wheat) crops are sensitive and are only present in the North-West of the department.

According to the whistle-blower in the region who asked us for help, the authorities estimate that there would be more than 1000 occupied firing posts (some days from dawn until dusk) during the Spring migration: 20-30,000 birds are ‘taken’ each season, including around 5000 in the town of Leucate alone.

We are faced with what should be labelled as a misappropriation, a setback of this sordid and pathetic regulation of so-called ‘pests’, with the one and only goal of maintaining this traditional practice of wood pigeon hunting in the month of March in Aude. But what wouldn’t we do, in the prefectures, to please those who claim to be protecting nature with their gunfire ?!

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Penned hunting: the reality highlighted by One Voice in eighteen French towns on 19, 20, and 26 February 2022

Penned hunting: the reality highlighted by One Voice in eighteen French towns on 19, 20, and 26 February 2022
11.02.2022
Penned hunting: the reality highlighted by One Voice in eighteen French towns on 19, 20, and 26 February 2022
Wildlife

In 2021, One Voice published their investigation revealing how animals live during penned hunts, in Sologne and elsewhere in France, reporting on the cruelty of such practices. The association has also published a map of the pens that are publicly promoting, and revealed that some farms more often than not allow a permanent supply of prey in these places where death is everywhere. After our involvement in a hearing regarding fencing in nature on 8 January at the Senate, we are now also taking action on the ground, closer to the public, to raise awareness of this issue, highlighting the issues with our relationship to wild animals, the cruelty towards sensitive beings, and biodiversity.

In eighteen towns in France, our activists will also host stands and will organise audience participation events on 19, 20, and 26 February 2022. In Fréjus in particular, a very audio-visual display will take place (see the description at the end of this report).

Penned hunting: a lucrative trade in death

Penned hunting is certainly a business where hunters pay to kill. In the enclosure, the animals have no chance of escaping the hunt. In fact, they are shut in and have nowhere to escape to. They are shot down by groups with no compassion, day after day, for the pleasure of whom all of this has been organised.
In 2020-2021, One Voice’s investigators infiltrated these places reserved for hunting that charge per day and/or per animal shot.

Hundreds of penned hunts and wild animal farms in France

In France, penned hunting is an all too real drama theatre for the animals. There are hundreds in our country
who advertise on the Internet. In reality, there are many more. Meanwhile, the association has published the results of more than two years of proceedings alongside Prefectures throughout France to obtain the addresses and types of official farms, and has created another map. Wild boars are bred in great numbers for the pleasure of the hunters hunting and killing them. This is also true for deer, fallow deer, squirrels…

Penned hunting: an amusement park for hunters lacking kills

In the morning, the organisers of these days announce to the hunters gathered that all of the animals in the ‘park’ can be killed, even the pregnant sows; the hunters are nothing more than customers and if they do not see any animals or aren’t able to shoot them during a hunt, an opportunity will be provided for them in the next hunt.
At the end of the day, they leave with a corpse in their boot and potentially a trophy. They didn’t come to hunt but to kill, and the hunting tallies are solid in this respect. As many as forty large animals each, or even more so… it is an amusement park for hunters. If they want to slay more, they have to pay more.

A radical reform needed

Hunting must be entirely reformed. Banning penned hunting would be a beneficial first step for wild animals. In our country, given the way that wild animals are treated, penned hunting is a disgrace to human dignity. Not to mention the conditions in which ‘hunting’ dogs have to live… Changing this would show an example to our younger generations.

Our activists will therefore be in Aix-en-Provence, Annecy, Beauvais, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Capdenac-le-Haut, Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, Falaise, Fréjus (where the audience participation event will feature almost life-size wooden animal silhouettes positioned so that they form a target on the ground, with the sound of gunshots and them falling to the floor), La Rochelle, Lille, Lyon, Metz, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg, and Troyes on the 19, 20, and 26 February to raise awareness of this issue to the public.

Our campaign website on penned hunting: https://www.stop-chasse.fr/

Our petitions:

To put an end to penned hunting, farms, and spearing

For a radical reform of hunting

Our events are subject to change up until the last minute, due to reasons related to times or permissions. You can visit the link of the event before going. We update them live.

Department	Town	Event	Place	Time & Date
04	Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban	https://www.facebook.com/events/990629784871523	Place Péchiney	10:30am to 1:00pm on 27/02
10	Troyes	https://www.facebook.com/events/242468718090574	Rue Émile Zola	3:30pm to 5:00pm
13	Aix-en-Provence	https://www.facebook.com/events/498337068382307	Allées Provençales	11:00am to 12:30pm
14	Falaise	https://www.facebook.com/events/1793333367522923	Falaise Market	9:00am to 12:00pm
17	La Rochelle	https://www.facebook.com/events/1021928432095682	Place de la Caille	3:00pm to 4:00pm
33	Bordeaux	https://www.facebook.com/events/687189779386539	Place de la Comédie	2:00pm to 4:30pm on 20/02
44	Nantes	https://www.facebook.com/events/1279671242527430/	Place Royale	2:30pm to 4:00pm
46	Capdenac-le-Haut	https://www.facebook.com/events/487320572917510/	Capdenac – Figeac Biocoop	2:30pm to 5:30pm
57	Metz	https://www.facebook.com/events/472425484535341/	Rue Serpenoise	2:30pm to 4:00pm
59	Lille	https://www.facebook.com/events/768283697897564/	Rue des Tanneurs	CANCELLED
60	Beauvais	https://www.facebook.com/events/631603144712963	15, rue Carnot	10:30am to 12:00pm
64	Biarritz	https://www.facebook.com/events/7398756483530275	Place Georges Clemenceau	3:30pm to 5:00pm
67	Strasbourg	https://www.facebook.com/events/5068767719810958	Place Kléber	11:30am to 1:00pm
69	Lyon	https://www.facebook.com/events/642199033701098	Place de la République	3:00pm to 4:30pm
74	Annecy	https://www.facebook.com/events/1125613431532942/	Mail centre	CANCELLED
75	Paris	https://www.facebook.com/events/490606322478803	Place de l’Hôtel de Ville	11:30am to 1:00pm on 26/02
76	Rouen	https://www.facebook.com/events/659583362022891	Place de la Cathédrale	2:30pm to 4:00pm
83	Fréjus	https://www.facebook.com/events/1006502586622471	Place Camille Formigé	11:00am to 1:00pm

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

One Voice is in court to fight against the violence suffered by dogs in kennel clubs and to defend their freedom of expression

One Voice is in court to fight against the violence suffered by dogs in kennel clubs and to defend their freedom of expression
11.02.2022
One Voice is in court to fight against the violence suffered by dogs in kennel clubs and to defend their freedom of expression
Domestic animals

After a three-year enquiry into various kennel clubs, in 2017 we published images of violent dog and puppy training. Some dog trainers, feeling concerned or even targeted, and claiming shame was being cast over the whole profession, have sued the association in an attempt to limit their freedom of expression. Despite the resolution proving us right, it is clear that they are looking for something else that ‘clears their names’, which no one has blackened. The appeal hearing took place at 2pm on Monday 14 February 2022 at Grenoble Court of Law.

In 2017, we reported on the violent training practices at the heart of these kennel clubs, aided by images from the investigation by our colleagues who have been infiltrating this domain since 2014. The dogs were strangled with their leads to make them obey, violently shaken… sometimes even hit. For the dogs trained to bite, using ‘defence’ training, it was even worse: they received electric shocks, were decked out in prong collars, and had to endure being whipped… an unbearable suffering.

Following this publication, many dog ‘trainers’ filed a complaint against us, claiming that we had cast shame on the whole of the profession, even though all we did was show the existing practices and methods considered abusive by canine experts (veterinarians, breeders, and trainers), without revealing the names of those responsible.

Fighting against practices and advocating for non-violence towards animals

In fact, our goal is not to fight against people but against practices. These few training professionals feel personally targeted… and they do not represent the entirety of the profession, seeing as many others among them have supported us in this approach, which aims to clean up the methods used in dog training, steering clear of violence. Perhaps it will take a decision under appeal for them to call into question what they do or do not consider to be abuse.

Once again, another case is very enlightening of our opponents methods

A canine behaviourist advocating for communication rather than submission was prosecuted for defamation by the trainer, having recruited other complainants involved in our case, because she spoke about abuse involving him. However, the court in Agen did acquit her on 26 January 2022.
In the context of this case file, a veterinarian specialising in behavioural medicine and a court expert has incidentally submitted a report analysing the video of an event organised by this same trainer, where the dog, who is muzzled and on a lead, finds itself hanging by its neck for a moment in a demonstration of power and being manhandled on stage until it submits. Right from the first few lines, he ponders his “objective, if not that of a public exhibition, intended to abuse the gullibility of the audience”. He then lists the issues and arguments for each: cruelty, ignorance of canine behaviour; and he ends with no uncertainty:

«In conclusion, here we are witnessing an exercise where violence, a lack of understanding of canine behaviour, and a lack of respect for the animal as a sentient being must be considered as mistreatment, given the acts of cruelty and taking into account the perverse aspects of the demonstration, inflicted publicly upon a pet. I find it hard to believe that a demonstration of this kind can still take place in France nowadays.»

The first time, in 2020, justice was on our side against the attacks from these dog trainers, validating our approach and dismissing our opponents’ requests (ruling on 14 January 2020 at the high court in Valence). We have always highlighted non-violent practices, as recommended by the association’s statute. Eighteen of the trainers appealed this decision and put forward a claim for 91,800 Euros in damages from the association. The hearing will take place at the Grenoble Court of Appeals at 2pm on 14 February 2022.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Farming: 9 NGOs take the government, who insist on keeping laying hens in cages, to court.

Farming: 9 NGOs take the government, who insist on keeping laying hens in cages, to court.
10.02.2022
Farming: 9 NGOs take the government, who insist on keeping laying hens in cages, to court.
Other campaign or multi-campaigns of One Voice

Today, in the middle of the presidential campaign, 9 NGOs (the Anti-Corrida Alliance/Animal Cross/CIWF France/L214/the Foundation for Animal Law, Ethics, and Sciences (LFDA)/OABA/One Voice/the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA)/Welfarm) are making a joint request before the State Council against the decree published in December 2021, which limits the ban enacted in 2018 for any new or refurbished buildings for hens farmed in cages. With this decree (obtained with great difficulty), the government effectively limits the ban only to buildings that are increasing their production capacity; existing buildings can be refurbished. By doing this, they are doing the exact opposite of the promises made by the President of the Republic at the beginning of their five-year term and the exact opposite of the cap set by the European Commission: they insist that France keeps its egg production potential from hens farmed in cages.

A five-year term…

In 2017, during his presidential campaign, Emmanuel Macron made “a commitment to banning the sale of eggs laid by battery hens before 2022”.

In Rungis, during his speech as President, he reiterated his commitment and promise that “eggs sold to consumers will only come from free-range farms by 2022”.

In 2018, the Egalim law meant that almost all of the amendments aiming to ban this farming system were wiped out. The only one that remains is the ban on new or refurbished buildings for caged hens. Moreover, this meagre step forward will remain uncertain since the Ministry of Agriculture will not issue an implementing decree.

On 27 May 2021, following a legal proceeding by CIWF France that was supported by the 8 other NGOs, the State Council insisted that the government publish a decree aiming to supervise these refurbishment projects for caged hens before 28 November 2021.

On 15 December 2021, the implementing decree for article L.214-11 of rural legislation was finally published.

… for that !

According to the decree, “a refurbishment of the building comprises:

1° Works or improvements to an existing building to make it suitable for farming using laying hens in cages;

2° Works or improvements to an existing building leading to an increase in the number of laying hens who can be kept there in cages. ”

In other words, the idea of the ‘refurbished’ building is interpreted in a restrictive way, in reality allowing the ban to be limited to only those buildings that increase their production capacity. The existing buildings can be refurbished.

9 NGOs have called on the President of the Republic not to betray his own commitments

This decree, obtained with great difficulty, is unacceptable and incomprehensible.

9 French NGOs, from the coalition that led to the historic success of the European Citizens’ Initiative “for an era without cages”, are filing a joint request before the State Council.

This decree does not conform to the commitments reiterated by the President of the Republic

This decree does not conform to the wishes of the legislator. The 9 NGOs accuse this decree of violating the legislative text passed in November 2018 by restricting its scope.

This decree goes against the wishes of 90% of French people. European citizens are equally as unfavourable to these outdated farming systems. 1.4 million of us have signed a citizens’ initiative to put an end to caged farming.

Finally, this decree opposes the one set by the European Commission, who has listened to its citizens, and anticipates that regulations will be implemented by 2023 to gradually put an end to caged farming (with a target date of 2027).

Is the end to caged hen farming announced by the President a false promise?

Five years after the campaign’s promises, and even though he is about to enter into a new campaign and chairs the EU Council, President Emmanuel Macron does not show the European Union a way forward on cages. We are calling for the current President of the Republic and the one to follow to stop opposing change in France regarding caged farming and laying hens.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Femke, the authorities are still tackling her autopsy report…

Femke, the authorities are still tackling her autopsy report…
07.02.2022
Femke, the authorities are still tackling her autopsy report…
Exploitation for shows

After one year, we still have not received Femke’s autopsy report. After a letter to the Prefecture and an open letter to Parc Astérix, a request to the Committee for Access to Administrative Documents, who authorised us to obtain this document, and a reply from the park, we once again turn to the Oise Prefecture…According to the park, the Departmental Directorate for Protecting Populations (DDPP: the Prefecture’s veterinary services) have supervised all of the dolphinarium’s projects and the autopsy report is at their sole disposition. We request that the death of Femke is fully investigated and for this the Prefecture must be transparent. What are they waiting for?

Mrs Corinne Orzechowski
Oise Prefect
2, Avenue de l’Europe
BP 70634
60 006 Beauvais Cedex

Vannes, 4 February 2022

Dear Madam Prefect,

A year has passed since the dolphin named Femke, kept by Parc Astérix, was euthanised. To understand the circumstances surrounding her death, we requested in February 2021 that you let us have her full autopsy report. Faced with your silence and with the favourable recommendation of the Committee for Access to Administrative Documents, we have made a request to the courts for disclosure of these documents.

As part of this procedure, your services have indicated to us that they do not have this information.

We therefore withdrew our plea given that the law does not actually provide an explicit obligation for the owner to send this report to the Prefecture.

However, keen to understand the reasons for this action and to respond to queries from our members, we addressed the Director of Parc Astérix in an open letter. She responded to us on 20 January 2022, saying that Femke’s autopsy report was available at the Oise DDPP.

As you know, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) belong to a protected species on a national and community level, and are part of our wildlife heritage.

Due to their unique nature in terms of sensitivity, intelligence, and culture, cetaceans are also at the heart of recurring scientific debates on their skills and their status as non-human persons. Femke’s living conditions and her fate therefore transcend the question of ownership.

This is the reason why the data concerning the circumstances of her death must be known by the general public and is in their general interest.

This is why we are asking you once more to show transparency on this issue by sending us a copy of the autopsy report, which only you can be the recipient of.

We thank you for your attention to this letter and ask that you accept the expression of our highest consideration.

Muriel Arnal
Founding President of One Voice

Femke’s autopsy report: response from Parc Astérix

Télécharger

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Justice comes to the rescue of the Muller Circus against Jumbo and us

Justice comes to the rescue of the Muller Circus against Jumbo and us
03.02.2022
Justice comes to the rescue of the Muller Circus against Jumbo and us
Circuses

The decision that came from the Lyon Administrative Appeals Court on 3 February 2022 is surreal. They believe that the Muller Circus was in the right when we requested a repeal of the first decision and they ordered One Voice to pay the 2000 euros requested by the circus, even though the latter had deliberately intervened in the procedure and despite the fact that the Ministry of the Ecological Transition did not make any requests and did not even produce a statement of case. We are lodging an appeal.

The Court reiterated the regulations and the situation, namely that the Mullers have been in possession of an opening permit allowing them to show Jumbo since 24 October 2005 and that this permit could not be taken off them unless they no longer fulfilled the conditions that made it possible to obtain it. Up to that point, nothing unusual.

But then the Court again decided to base its decision on the unexpected visit carried out by the DDPP (Departmental Directorate for Protecting Populations) in Var on 27 June 2017 where they considered whether the conditions conform to the regulations in place. This is why we consider this to be a problem:

A very specific interpretation of the ‘circus’ order

«The report does not mention either the temperature in the facilities and the outdoor pool, or the dimensions of the paddock, and the entries in the report show that, contrary to what the association indicates, the inspector was aware of the statute of limitations specifically provided for the hippopotamuses by Annexe I of the order of 18 March 2011. In these conditions, it appears from the documents in the file that on the date on which the Prefect refused to repeal the opening permit, the Muller Circus was no longer following the reception conditions for hippopotamuses listed in Appendix I. The same applies to the safety regulations which were verified as having been followed by the inspector. »

This is what the Court has shown with its decision and this is where it becomes incomprehensible.

A quick reminder that Annexe I of the ‘circus’ order necessitates in particular that:

The indoor facilities must allow for a space of at least 30 square metres per animal (minimum 3 metre height). And that if this is not possible, that additional facilities in the transport vehicle must be agreed.
The temperatures in the indoor facilities must be at least 16°c with permanent access to a place that is at least 25°c.
There is permanent access to a pool that is at least 30m2 x 1.5m in height with a minimum temperature of 22°c.

The statute of limitations is completely unbalanced by ‘good’ excuses not to apply it

What are we reading now in the report cited by the Court? That the outdoor pool was not set up on the day of the inspection. The inspectors mentioned an ‘expanded pool’, then a dismantled pool, with the operator having to leave the site. Only one indoor pool was installed in a transport lorry and it was 1.7m deep with a surface area of 18m2… The features of the outdoor paddock are only briefly detailed.

Thus, this inspection is good testament to the non-conformities to the statute of limitations of the order, both in terms of the lack of permanent access to a 22°c pool measuring 30m2 and the dimensions of the indoor facilities. Moreover, this report is incomplete: where is the summary of the temperatures, given that considering their values influences Jumbo’s presence in the establishment?

And so an incomplete inspection report by the DDPP, accompanied only by statements from the owner, is sufficient in the eyes of the Court to prove that these operations are up to standard?!

But what purpose does the statute of limitations serve if the inspectors are not required to tick all of the boxes and at the same time ensure that the requirements are respected?

We did say a statute of limitations, not suggestions… and would it therefore be up to the associations to provide proof based on empty reports? Knowing that the reports that they produce are sys-te-ma-ti-cal-ly dismissed for alleged bias or disloyalty…

The opposing views of the DDPP and the OFB

And who is to say in this specific case, when the 2018 and 2019 reports from the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB: Office français de la biodiversité) contradict the 2018 and 2019 reports by the DDPP..? We therefore have two official regulatory bodies who at the same time have opposing opinions!

Evidence in the form of images brushed aside by the Court

Similarly, the Court refuses to consider that the information provided by One Voice was sufficient to prove that Jumbo did not participate in the show in 2017. According to the Court, it is sufficient to state that the circus was the subject of multiple inspections in 2011, 2015, and 2016, and that the Mullers had declared in 2016 that Jumbo the hippopotamus participated.

Who will be responsible for the protection of the animals if not the Prefect?

Finally, the Court denies the Prefect administrative policing powers to withdraw the animals based on the regulations relating to animal protection. According to them, when an animal is mistreated, they cannot remove it without following the successive formal notice procedures outlined in the Environmental Code, except for when the animal is in a state of psychological misery… We are hoping for clarification on this crucial issue; because if the Prefect is not competent and the courts close the complaints, absolutely no one is responsible for the protection of the animals!

The circus’ voluntary action that replaces the competent Ministry

The cherry on the cake is that the Court, despite the Ministry not having produced a statement of case, has welcomed the voluntary action of the owners who state that they are supporting the Ministry’s non-existent statement of case, and worse, has granted their request for legal fees to the tune of 2000 euros!

One Voice is lodging an appeal!

Since then, the association has submitted a new request to the Prefect and then to the administrative court, in view of the criminal convictions, to request the withdrawal of the opening permits and proficiency certifications of these incompetent owners. The appeal will be decided based on two factors: the legal fees and the sensitive issue of the possibility of taking the animals out of a place which mistreats them, in accordance with administrative policy. We will never give up on Jumbo.

Continue to sign and share the petition for Jumbo

I am signing for Jumbo

Our articles on the fight for Jumbo

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

The last years of Jon the lion, discovering a taste for a life out of the circus

The last years of Jon the lion, discovering a taste for a life out of the circus
01.02.2022
The last years of Jon the lion, discovering a taste for a life out of the circus
Exploitation for shows

Everything happened really quickly. We heard some tragic news on the evening of Monday 31 January. Jon died at the Tonga Terre d’Accueil refuge on Saturday 29 January 2022, almost two years after we had saved him and removed him from Cirque de Paris trainer Steve Gougeon’s lorry. Far away from being whipped, far from life on the road, and under our protection, this lion with a ruined mane, who was skin and bone, de-clawed and had canine teeth that were ground down, had regained his strength. We were waiting for the green light of justice to take him to a sanctuary in Italy.

On Wednesday 26 January 2022, Jon started refusing to eat… the autopsy revealed that he had serious intestinal problems, but at that time it was impossible to know this. He died in barely three days, without letting the severity of his condition show, surrounded by love, far from the circus lorry where he had been deprived of food to the point he was only a shadow of himself.

A golden early retirement

He would have spent almost two years away from his torturers, in the presence of Patty, Marli, Céleste, and Hannah, to make the most of the joy of the grass under his de-clawed paws, of the games given to them, and above all, of the protection from exploitation. Without our intervention after months of enquiries and of following the circus, he would have been dead in the cage-lorry.

Since arriving, he had surprised and reassured us all with his incredible weight gain, putting on 70 kilograms in a month and having gone from 107 kilograms four days after his arrival, with his ribs visible under the skin, to being a lion in good health weighing between 150 and 200 kilograms. At the refuge, he had finally been treated and was enjoying life in his well-deserved retirement.

Muriel Arnal, Founding President of One Voice, who is very moved by the sudden loss of Jon stated:

«Only a few more weeks and Jon would have discovered the park that was waiting for him. We had already imagined him basking in the shade of the trees in the mild Tuscan nights. Our only consolation is knowing that he had been treated, treasured, and fed like he never had been before. He had become a real mischievous and confident lion. Jon had no documents; a lion with his identification would have ended up at the taxidermist! What are authorities waiting for to make laws apply to circus animals?»

Waiting on justice’s green light

We were awaiting the final decision from the prosecutor to see if we could send him to the sanctuary in Italy where we had been assured that five spaces were awaiting him and his four companions, for a semi-free life. The transfer had been set for May.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Indonesia must stop capturing monkeys for animal experimentation!

Indonesia must stop capturing monkeys for animal experimentation!
28.01.2022
Indonesia must stop capturing monkeys for animal experimentation!
Animal testing

We are working on a campaign together with our partner, Action for Primates, who have just revealed terrible images of the capture of long-tailed macaques in Indonesia destined to be exported for animal experimentation.

On their site, our partner has distributed the reality of the capture of monkeys living in family groups in the wild in Indonesia, carried out on behalf of renewable biofuel laboratories all over the world. The prospect of cruelty and violence inflicted on these animals during their capture, namely the beatings and knife wounds, is unbearable. Such brutal and barbaric treatment is incidentally a violation of the international guidelines on animal welfare (1).

Harrowing scenes reveal the brutality of these captures

The monkeys are captured inside large nets then manually taken by force and often dragged by the tail. Others are pinned to the ground under the trapper’s foot, grabbed by the neck, and lifted with their front limbs forced behind their backs. They are piled up either head-first in bags or with others in wooden crates. The bodies of some are abandoned on site, while the babies are torn from their mothers’ arms, causing huge distress to the detriment of both. Murder is also committed on a dazed male who, after having been almost beaten to death, had his throat slit with a machete. All of this is of the greatest indifference to the men who are doing this as their job.

Indonesia: well-known for the capture of long-tailed macaques

In 2021, the Indonesian government authorised the resumption of capturing and exporting wild long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) – despite widespread worldwide concerns when it comes to the inherent brutality of this practice (2) and the growing realisation of the vulnerability of this species in conservation plans. Hundreds of wild monkeys have consequently been captured, being torn from their natural environment and from their family, and social groups.

As elsewhere, capturing wild animals is justified by governments and local populations by the supposed inconvenience that the monkeys cause to farmers and residents. In reality, they should tackle the problem at the root, specifically questioning deforestation and food waste disposal which attract monkeys into the villages; because the expansion of human activities and their endless growing encroachment on the natural world tragically lead to negative interactions, which are fully avoidable, between macaques and humans.

France is at the forefront when it comes to primate experimentation in Europe

The monkeys coming from Indonesia are essentially destined to go to China or to the United States (4). The long-tailed macaques are the main non-human primate species used in regulatory toxicology (or poisons) testing, a sector where the majority of non-human primates are exploited. These tests are carried out to evaluate undesirable reactions to medications (or chemical products) and generally entail huge suffering.

«The capture of long-tailed macaques is an outrageous act of violence. Families torn apart, a male looking to defend his family unceremoniously beaten, babies separated from their mothers… How many survive such suffering and stress? And when we know what awaits them in the laboratories… These animals from Indonesia are mainly sent to China and to the United States, but in the European Union, France is the place where most of them die on the laboratory benches, particularly for experimentation which leads to severe pain!»Muriel Arnal, Founding President of One Voice

France is the biggest consumer of monkeys for animal experimentation in the whole of the European Union, and primarily for conducting experiments leading to severe suffering. France is shamefully in first place; we see how the infants are torn from their mothers, these animals on their own land, and when we learn of the legal torture that waits for them after hours or even days of travel, if they don’t die from fear first. In European laboratories there are potentially still some monkeys who have experienced this trauma.

«The capture of non-human primates in the wild unquestionably causes immense suffering for these animals. The way in which they are treated and manipulated, as can be seen in the videos, is brutal and barbaric, and constitutes a clear violation of the international guidelines on animal welfare. Such cruelty – beating and killing alpha males, taking infants away from their mothers, dragging the monkeys by their non-prehensile tails in a way which can cause serious injury to the spinal cord, pinning their front limbs behind their back so violently that they may dislocate or fracture – must not be tolerated. No more trapping wild monkeys. I urge other animal welfare specialists to resolutely oppose the Indonesian authorities and international organisations. »Nedim C. Buyukmihci, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California

We are taking action!

We and Action for Primates are asking the Indonesian government to discontinue the capture and transportation of wild monkeys destined for research and toxicology testing, as well as farms used to export their offspring. We need your help to strengthen this request. We have set out a sample letter that you can adapt and send to the Indonesian embassy to urge their government to stop the capture and exportation of wild monkeys to laboratories.

Letter to be addressed to: Indonesian Embassy in France, 47-49 rue Cortambert, 75116 Paris, France or by email to konsuler.paris@kemlu.go.id.

Download the sample letter

Sign the petition (in English) for the attention of the Indonesian Minister for the Environment

Sign the petition

References

International Primatological Society (IPS) (International Guidelines for the Acquisition, Care and Breeding of Non-Human Primates: Methods of Capture): “The capture of primates from the wild is challenging and potentially dangerous for the animals. Inexperienced handling can lead to significant morbidity and mortality for the animals. Methods used to capture and handle primates, which vary widely between species and countries, should always be humane and cause minimal stress. Institutions should ensure that anyone trapping primates is adequately trained and competent in humane methods of capture.” “Capture methods should not render animals, or their troop members, unduly susceptible to injury or death.” (http://www.internationalprimatologicalsociety.org/policy-statements-and-guidelines/)
Recognising the challenge of the welfare and health of animals as well as the ethical issues resulting from the capture of non-human primates in the wild, the EU has decided to put an end to its participation in the capture of wild monkeys for scientific or breeding purposes. From 2022, the EU will only authorise the use of non-human primates in research if they come from animals bred in captivity (F2/F2+ generation) and from self-sufficient colonies. (Article 10) (Directive : https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/63/oj)
In 2020, an assessment of long-tailed macaques carried out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the most comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of biological species at international level, re-evaluated their status, henceforth classing them as ‘Vulnerable’. We have seen a decline in their population, which reflects the growing worries regarding the conservation status of the species. Eudey, A., Kumar, A., Singh, M. and Boonratana, R., 2021, Macaca fascicularis (modified version of the 2020 assessment). The 2021 IUCN Red List of Endangered Species: e.T12551A204494260 https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUC…
Data submitted to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): https://trade.cites.org/en/cit…

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Wild animal farming in France: a disastrous situation

Wild animal farming in France: a disastrous situation
25.01.2022
Wild animal farming in France: a disastrous situation
Wildlife

We have revealed a map of wild animal breeding farms (excluding birds and lagomorphs) in France. Gathering and consolidating this information has required a huge amount of work and we are still fighting with the Department Prefectures to obtain it. Measuring the extent of the problem is, clearly, not to everyone’s taste.

There are hundreds of them. The wild animal breeding farms (excluding birds and lagomorphs) is corrupting our country. Following our investigation in mid-December, we have listed them along with their eventual purpose: either for hunting or to the butchers. (1)

Take a look at the map of official ‘big game’ breeding farms in France

Born to be killed

The map that we are revealing is the result of work undertaken in 2019 and is spine-chilling: tens of thousands of ungulates, mainly wild boars and deer, are being kept in captivity to satisfy wildlife amateurs’ need to kill or their taste buds by transforming them into meat pies. In fact, whether they are released in a ‘natural space’ or sent to the abattoir, these animals meet the same morbid destiny: bleeding to death. The only variation to their fate is the time preceding their agony and the methods used to persecute them. After hours of being hunted or transported, some perish by being shot, others by being hit with hunting spears, or even being ripped to shreds by the dogs.

A power struggle with the management

The census of these breeding farms that are officially exploiting wild animals and making them suffer these kinds of horrors is not an easy job. Despite the Environmental Code ensuring that everyone has the right to access this information, we have had to fight hard with the Prefectoral services to get it. Letters and reminders have however not been sufficient to incite some departments to break their radio silence. We very often have to involve the Committee for Access to Administrative Documents for them to do something. But, despite their favourable opinion, the administration still refuses to respond to us. The map that we are publishing today at the moment only gives a glimpse into the reality, which is likely much worse. We intend to fully shed light on the extent of the problem by following our investigations and by fighting to gather the information. And if we have to go through justice to reach our goal, we will go up against the prefectures who do not want to cooperate!

Let’s close down the wild animal breeding farms: sign the petition

Note

(1) According to Article R. 413-24 of the Environmental Code (https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000006837792), the establishments engaged in the farming, sale, or transit of game species that can be hunted are divided into two categories:

Category A: The establishments in which all or some animals detained are directly or by way of their lineage destined to be released into the wild.
Category B: The establishments in which all of the animals detained have another eventual purpose, namely meat production.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice