News Archive - Page 9 of 129

Twice injured by a leghold trap, the cat Tigrou has died. One Voice lodged a complaint.

Twice injured by a leghold trap, the cat Tigrou has died. One Voice lodged a complaint.
17.10.2024
Hérault
Twice injured by a leghold trap, the cat Tigrou has died. One Voice lodged a complaint.

In September 2024, in a village in the Hérault region, leghold traps claimed a new “collateral” victim: Tigrou. The little ginger cat, who had already had to have his right front leg amputated because of one of these illegal, non-selective hunting devices, did not survive this second injury. We have lodged a complaint on his behalf, alongside his family, and strongly condemn the trappers who, every year, deliberately target thousands of animals wrongly classified as pests.

Tigrou’s short life was marked by moments of joy with his family… and dramatic encounters with leghold traps. As early as February 2022, when he was still very young, ruthless jaws closed violently on his right front leg during a walk. Given the severity of his wounds and the paralysis of his limb, amputation was inevitable. For over two years, despite his handicap, the little redhead showed incredible resilience. But in 2024, another accident shattered all his efforts to start over. After being missing for three long days, Tigrou reappeared outside his home on September 3. Dirty, exhausted and… once again seriously injured by metal jaws! Immediately taken to the vet, every effort was made to save him… Without success: his family had to let him go to put an end to his torment.

The list of victims continues to grow

Before him, other cats had disappeared in the village, some after having had a leg amputated… Are we to understand that someone is deliberately capturing and mutilating the little felines out for a stroll? Have the desperately looked for animals been killed? We are writing to the town hall to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again.

All over France, many cats and dogs, including Cooper, Snooky and Red Collar, have suffered similar distress because of leghold traps. These deadly devices have been banned in their old, unapproved versions throughout the European Union since 1995! How many more will find themselves trapped in these torture devices, agonizing for hours on end, losing the use of a limb, or dying as a result, before the regulations are finally respected?

The traps must go!

Other traps, no less cruel, are still authorized. Every year, they cause the death of thousands of foxes, martens, weasels and stone martens in atrocious suffering… So many animals hunted down without mercy because they are classified as ESOD when all they want is to live in peace. And they’re not the only ones to pay the price. Apart from our companions, even individuals belonging to protected species get caught. In March 2023, a she-wolf was found strangled by a snare, more than four years after Cooky‘s death in a fox trap.

For Tigrou, we filed a complaint alongside his family. And we continue to call for a ban on traps that mutilate and kill indiscriminately.

For lions Jon, Celeste, Patty, Hannah and Marli, new face-to-face trial with their torturer

For lions Jon, Celeste, Patty, Hannah and Marli, new face-to-face trial with their torturer 14.10.2024
For lions Jon, Celeste, Patty, Hannah and Marli, new face-to-face trial with their torturer
Circuses

Following his conviction earlier this year for what he did to Jon, Céleste, Patty, Hannah and Marli, trainer Steve Gougeon has appealed the judges’ decision. Never mind, we’ll be there again to defend the five lions, this October 17 at 1:30 p.m. at the Rouen Court of Appeal.

Among circus performers, the best defense is denial. Steve Gougeon has demonstrated this once again. Although in early 2024 he was found guilty of the mistreatment and suffering inflicted on the lion Jon and his companions Céleste, Patty, Hannah and Marli over many years, he appealed his conviction. The sentence was commensurate with his actions: a two-month suspended prison sentence, five fines, permanent confiscation of the lionesses, a five-year ban on working with animals and reimbursement of One Voice’s rescue costs. But rather than keeping a low profile, the Paris Circus’ trainer preferred to persist in his denial.

At Paris Circus, to save money, we wait until the animals starve to death

Despite his conviction earlier this year, Steve Gougeon has not stopped his misdeeds. Last February, we rescued eight more of the animals under his control. Abandoned in a muddy field in the middle of winter, they would have withered to death if local residents and the town hall hadn’t taken matters into their own hands and alerted us.

This is how the long agony of Jon and his companions had begun: having abandoned them to their fate in a trailer, the trainer was simply waiting for the felines to starve to death before getting rid of them. For two years, we followed them from town to town as the circus moved, watching them slowly go downhill. Their rescue was finally ordered when they were at death’s door, in two stages.

This October 17 at 1:30 pm, One Voice will be present at the Rouen Court of Appeal to call to mind all the suffering endured by these animals: cachectic, teeth ground down, fangs broken, claws pulled out, wounds left untreated… and to demand a punishment as exemplary as the previous one.

Jon, whose body was deeply bruised by years of mistreatment, died on January 29, 2022. Today, Céleste, Patty, Hannah and Marli live a true lioness life in our sanctuary in Italy. Join us in calling for a ban on animals in circuses.

One Voice lodges a complaint against another establishment displaying a snake in defiance of the law

One Voice lodges a complaint against another establishment displaying a snake in defiance of the law
14.10.2024
Puy-de-Dôme
One Voice lodges a complaint against another establishment displaying a snake in defiance of the law
Wildlife

Since December 1, 2021, the law supposedly designed to protect animals from mistreatment prohibits their presence in nightclubs. A common-sense measure that has nonetheless been flouted for nearly three years, as we have denounced on numerous occasions. On Friday September 13, it was the turn of the “V and B”, in the Puy-de-Dôme region, to expose a snake to the noise and the crowd. We have once again lodged a complaint and are calling for regulations to be enforced.

On September 13, Aubière’s “V and B” celebrated its fourth anniversary with great pomp. And what better way to celebrate than with a “jungle party”? Cellar section overflowing with bottles of beer and wine, counter where one shot follows another, ambient hubbub in a packed room… and in this overexcited atmosphere: a snake. Announced as just another attraction by a member of staff, they are sometimes wrapped around the body of a dancer, sometimes carried to the height of the delirious night owls who surround them in numbers, glass and telephone in hand. For them, the fun, for the snake, the stress, and for all, the risk of an accident that could have happened at any moment, adding tragedy to cruelty.

All over France, other victims of festive events…..

These events are far from isolated. In October 2023 in the Pyrénées-Orientales region and in June 2024 in the Loire-Atlantique region, we had already condemned the ordeal endured by reptiles and a cockatoo at equally noisy and alcoholic parties…

At the same time, the Nausicaá aquarium could think of nothing better to inform its public about the animals it holds… than to traumatize them. Already prisoners of glass walls, they were also subjected to the resounding notes of two concerts given in front of their giant bowl. Alongside the PAZ association, we contacted the Direction départementale de la protection des populations (DDPP).

And when Alice Cooper took to the stage with a boa around his neck on October 2, we immediately contacted the Zénith de Paris. The venue, which had not been informed of this dubious display, undertook to continue banning the exploitation of animals at its concerts.

…..although it’s been illegal since December 2021

And yet, for nearly three years now, the law of November 30, 2021 has forbidden the display of these individuals in any enclosed area open to the public with music playing. How can we still believe in this text if even the few measures that have come into force are not respected? Because animals are not accessories, and they don’t belong in nightclubs, we demand that they be kept out of these places for good, and protected as they should be.

For the snake used at the Aubière “V and B” party, we have lodged a complaint against the establishment, its managers and the owner of the reptile. We demand that these events cease once and for all, for the well-being of the animals and in accordance with regulations.

From the Alps to the Pyrenees, One Voice defends mountain galliformes in court

From the Alps to the Pyrenees, One Voice defends mountain galliformes in court
07.10.2024
From the Alps to the Pyrenees, One Voice defends mountain galliformes in court

This autumn, we once again filed pleas against texts planning to kill grey mountain partridges, rock ptarmigan, black grouses and rock partridges in the Alps and Pyrenees. Already victims of habitat loss and the dramatic collapse of their populations, they must now flee from bullets. To stop their massacre, we will be at the administrative courts of Toulouse, Pau, Marseille and Montpellier from October 7 to 22.

In recent years, we have worked tirelessly to defend mountain galliformes, fighting back whenever they were in danger. Taking refuge in the heights, these birds, who aspire only to live in peace, suffer the full force of the consequences of human activities on their environment. With rising temperatures linked to global warming, urbanization of natural areas, tourism and intensive pastoralism, which deprives the chicks of the grass they need to feed, their habitat is shrinking by the day. To the point where they are classified as “near-threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

State complicity in a deadly hobby

Yet a handful of individuals persist in their desire to kill them. Why should they give up when they enjoy the support of public authorities who will stop at nothing to satisfy them? In 2023, the Pyrénées-Orientales administration had requested the elimination of 10 grey mountain partridges per hunter per year, without even waiting for the results of the summer counts. And they dare to talk about regulation! Not fooled, we took the matter to court, which ruled in our favor, thus saving the targeted animals!

Yet again this year, the Ariège prefecture has ordered the slaughter of no less than 670 grey partridges and 10 rock ptarmigan… based solely on studies carried out by the hunting federation. In total, 2,249 birds are targeted by the three prefectures we are attacking on the Spanish border, and a further 242 are endangered in the Hautes-Alpes region. Following on from our latest actions in the Alps, we have filed pleas in each of these territories.

On October 7 at 2.30pm, we’ll be at the Toulouse administrative court to examine the Ariège region decree. Then, on October 10 at 2pm, the judges at the administrative court in Pau will rule on the Hautes-Pyrénées region case. On October 15 at 2pm, we will defend the black grouses and rock partridges targeted in the Hautes-Alpes region at the Marseille administrative court. Finally, the Montpellier court will examine our plea against the Pyrénées-Orientales prefecture on October 22 at 2.30pm.

Summer, rest for humans, a nightmare for animals in French laboratories

Summer, rest for humans, a nightmare for animals in French laboratories
01.10.2024
Summer, rest for humans, a nightmare for animals in French laboratories
Animal testing

Having no respite, hundreds of thousands of animals were subjected to painful experiments in French laboratories over the summer. Between July 24 and September 13, 888,218 individuals were included in experimentation projects approved by the authorities in France. No species was spared. We’re calling for a real wake-up call that will enable these practices to evolve. For this, we need your help!

As usual, the figures are – sadly and revoltingly – overwhelming: 738,444 mice, 396 monkeys, 7,977 pigs, 175 cats, 85 horses, 1,571 dogs, 222 ferrets, 45,154 rats, 14,474 birds and 4,537 rabbits have been or will shortly be used in experiments, some in conditions of extreme suffering.

The following projects have been published in the database listing projects authorized at European level:

Rodents always on the frontline…..

Rodents, in particular mice and rats, make up the majority of animals used in these experiments. Of the 888,218 animals used, 738,444 mice, 45,154 rats and 1,480 guinea pigs were used in various projects. Here are a few examples:

As part of research into kidney failure, 400 mice were deprived of blood circulation to their kidneys, causing severe pain and a rapid deterioration in their general condition. They were then killed.

Another study subjected 320 rats to heart attacks, followed by implantation of a heart patch, all accompanied by intense pain and stress.

The suffering doesn’t stop there: 14,160 mice were injected with tumor cells, leading to the development of tumors.

In another project, 2,950 mice were used in behavioral tests for deafblindness, including the “swim test”, where they are forced to swim under stressful and desperate conditions, a practice that we have been fighting for years.

1,290 mice will also undergo brain and spinal cord surgery for virus injection, before being subjected to chronic pain caused by mechanical compression of the sciatic nerve. This experiment, which presents a high risk of infection, imposes prolonged suffering on these animals.

As for the 828 rats and 4,140 mice, they underwent invasive surgeries, such as constriction of the facial nerve, generating severe pain.

In a study designed to investigate air pollution, 700 mice, including pregnant females and pups, were exposed to pollutants including cigarette smoke and an oxygen-depleted atmosphere (only 85%). The result was severe pain, starting at an early age.

In another project, 900 rats will undergo surgery and electric shocks to inflict severe pain.

1,696 baby mice will receive several transcranial and intracerebral injections. The project states that “handling the baby mice can sometimes cause the females to reject their offspring”…

In addition, 84,000 mice will undergo one or more biopsies before being reused in other projects. However, if they do not carry the requested genotype, they will be killed. In another similar project, 50,000 mice will undergo sampling. Here, the project specifies that if “the animals whose DNA sequences are not those expected (genotype of no interest to the project leads), [they] will be put to death (around 30%, or 15,000 mice)”. This “disposable” approach to animal lives demonstrates the coldness with which these individuals are treated, as interchangeable scientific tools.

In another project, 540 mice and 500 rats underwent kidney removal to induce acute renal failure, a procedure accompanied by intense pain and serious risks of infection. This cruel treatment, meant to simulate human diseases, once again highlights the suffering inflicted.

2018 immunodeficient mice were also injected with human immune cells. Some of them were then grafted with tumor cells, leading to the development of tumor masses on their flanks, before being killed.

Finally, 14,400 mice will undergo force-feeding and intraperitoneal and intravenous injections before being killed.

…..but no species is spared

Concerning monkeys :

396 monkeys were subjected to experiments of all kinds. Of these, 12 were infected with hemorrhagic fever virus and underwent abdominal implant surgery to measure body temperature. Pain was classified as severe. In another project, 182 monkeys were operated on, with terrible consequences: stress, loss of balance, transient facial paralysis. All will be killed.

Concerning dogs and cats:

As part of staff training, 160 cats and 140 dogs were used for “training, handling, restraint, administration of substances, blood sampling […] anesthesia and euthanasia”. Of these animals, 20 cats and 20 dogs were killed, while the others were subjected to pain, stress and abnormal behavior: they are transformed into training tools.

In another project to test vaccines, 370 dogs were killed after experiencing severe clinical symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea and intense stress.

Concerning pigs:

In a project dedicated to research on badly burned persons, 10 pigs were burned in several places on their bodies before receiving skin autografts. The level of pain was so intense that it was classified as “pain of severe severity”.

In addition, many projects involve subjecting hundreds of pigs to cardiorespiratory arrest, with heat and physical stress and severe suffering.

Other species less present but just as much sacrificed:

This summer, 222 ferrets were also used in experiments, 30 of whom had cranial devices implanted, putting them at risk of infection.

Fish were not spared either: to capture them, 183 were paralyzed by electric shock before being exposed to lethal chemicals. “Electric fishing”, denounced by One Voice for years, continues to be practiced under the guise of research.

The transition to animal-free science is massively supported by the French (Ipsos/One Voice poll, April 2023), by nearly 150 European scientists from 19 member states, by European elected representatives in 2010 and 2023, and by French parliamentarians.

By continuing to authorize these practices, the State remains complicit in a system that inflicts unbearable suffering on millions of animals every year. It is urgent to re-evaluate these methods and accelerate the transition to animal-free alternatives. We call on laboratories to systematically favor alternative methods, in accordance with the law, and encourage professionals to train in animal-free testing. In addition, we call on politicians to support increased funding for research into these alternatives. Although the principle is widely accepted, it is crucial to have a strong political will to move forward, as standing still slows down progress. An innovative approach and additional investment are needed.

Victims of a misleading and incomplete law, lion cubs continue to be born at Claudio Zavatta Circus

Victims of a misleading and incomplete law, lion cubs continue to be born at Claudio Zavatta Circus
18.09.2024
Victims of a misleading and incomplete law, lion cubs continue to be born at Claudio Zavatta Circus

The Animal Abuse Act of November 2021 promised to ban the breeding of wild animals in traveling establishments by December 1, 2023. Nine months later, nothing has been done to implement this measure. In the cages of the Claudio Zavatta circus, new lion cubs have appeared, probably born during the summer, and filmed in Le Gua by our investigators in September. The circus owners don’t care about being outside the law, the government is letting them get away with it, trampling on its commitments and duping the citizens. One Voice has lodged a complaint against the circus with the public prosecutor’s department in La Rochelle, and we are ready to take in the lions in the event of seizure.

“These circuses want to get animals over with, but they can’t find anyone to adopt their lions.” It was in this press article with a maudlin headline that circus trainers wallowed in self-pity this summer. They swore by their good faith, saying that they were moving heaven and earth to find new homes for their felines before 2028, when they will, in theory, no longer be allowed to transport trained wild animals from town to town. Are they trying to make us believe they’re at the forefront of the fight to end the exploitation of wild animals? The same ones they’ve never stopped keeping locked up?

generics.video.play

Supposedly illegal, reproduction continues

In recent weeks, however, young lion cubs have been attracting curious onlookers to the cages of the Claudio Zavatta circus in Le Gua, Charente-Maritime, reminiscent of the tiger cubs the Mullers exhibited in 2021. Are these animals really a “burden” for the circus? Not really, since it continues to breed them.

State complicity in the ordeal of captive wild animals

So they trample on the law. And why shouldn’t they, when the government does the same? Almost three years after the law was passed, the decree implementing the breeding ban has still not been published. Nothing has been done, except to lull public opinion to sleep, to convince citizens that the animals had been saved, all the better to continue subjecting them to confinement and exploitation until they die.

In 2028, what will become of the tigers and lions still confined behind bars? What will become of Samba and Jumbo, if they have not succumbed like Dumba before them? Are they destined to end up in the hands of taxidermists who line the pockets of circus performers? Or will they be sent to undignified facilities abroad, where their torment will continue unabated, like Baby? Thanks to the inaction of the State, which seems in no hurry to offer new accommodation solutions, the establishments that choose to settle down won’t even have to ask themselves the question: they’ll be able to keep their animals, as if nothing had happened.

We’re not going to let this happen, and filed a complaint against the Claudio Zavatta circus on September 20, backed up by on-site investigation images. In the event of seizure, we are at the disposal of the authorities to take charge of the detained lions, lionesses and lion cubs.

The report commissioned by the French Ministry of Ecology is out: the future of Marineland’s orcas and dolphins at stake

The report commissioned by the French Ministry of Ecology is out: the future of Marineland’s orcas and dolphins at stake
30.09.2024
France
The report commissioned by the French Ministry of Ecology is out: the future of Marineland’s orcas and dolphins at stake
Circuses

This month, the report on the future of the dolphins and orcas held by Antibes Marineland, commissioned by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition (MTE), is – at last – out. And this at a time when One Voice is preparing to speak up for Wikie and Keijo at court once again.

“Three scenarios were therefore explored by the mission:

– keeping the cetaceans present in the existing refurbished structure (renovated and enriched basins), and transforming it into a refuge under the provisions of law no. 2021-1539;

– sending the cetaceans to one or more other aquatic parks abroad (option chosen at this stage by Marineland with Kobe Suma Sea World [KSSW]);

– housing cetaceans in one or more “sanctuaries” designed for this purpose in semi-natural captivity conditions, in France or abroad.” (Page 13)

The authors of the IGEDD (General Inspectorate for the Environment and Sustainable Development) report open the door to the idea of marine sanctuaries, as required by the spirit of the 2021 law, and point out that of the proposals made, only the project supported by One Voice is a feasible solution. But it also argues that if the schedule required it – and this seems to be a requirement of Marineland, whose bosses are seeking to transform the park – Loro Parque would be a place ready to welcome orcas immediately.

Naturally, One Voice objects to the fact that such an option is being considered. It would consign Wikie and Keijo to an even bleaker future of captivity and endless training, in even smaller basins than those way too tiny in light of their needs that we denounce on the Côte d’Azur.

In the case of dolphins, the report recommends that individuals be divided between a sanctuary and several dolphinariums… This illustrates Marineland’s lack of consideration for the animals who have been their heyday, and allows us to perceive, for those who have not yet done so, their essential “values”, which are far removed from our own.

“Recommendation 4: propose that Marineland share the dolphins between the Jonian dolphin conservation sanctuary in Taranto, Loro Parque and other dolphinariums, and ensure the facilitation of exchanges between teams for the realization of transfers.”

Contract, reproduction….. or the admission that everything we said was true

The report by the “mission to explore the various options for the future of the cetaceans at Antibes Marineland” confirms everything One Voice has been saying for years: the orcas held by Marineland are indeed destined for a Japanese dolphinarium.

“Of the two establishments holding cetaceans in France, Antibes Marineland, which at the time of writing this report owns two orcas and 12 bottlenose dolphins, does not wish to enter into this derogatory framework and therefore plans to part with its animals. It has entered into a contract […] with a Japanese aquatic park willing to take them in, which has aroused strong opposition from animal protection associations, who consider this transfer to be contrary to the spirit of the law, as it would lead to a deterioration in the animals’ well-being”. (Page 5)

“Marineland has established contacts and signed a contract in 2023 with the Kobe Suma Sea World park in Kobe, Japan, which has built facilities to accommodate orcas.” (Page 8)

And in Kobe, as in Tenerife’s Loro Parque, where the problems encountered by the animals are legion, as we denounced, Wikie would be subjected to reproduction by the captivity industry. Worse still, the family unit formed with Keijo could be reduced to nothing:

“The KSSW [Kobe Suma Sea World, editor’s note] has a policy of captive breeding and is therefore very interested in acquiring Wikie, a female with proven reproductive qualities. The maintenance of the family unit made up of Wikie and her son Keijo, an essential element in their well-being, is therefore not guaranteed. Indeed, participation in a breeding program with Kamogawa Park will involve exchanges of animals and probably the separation of the family unit”. And: “The fact remains that transport by cargo plane over a long distance (more than 12h flight) is undeniably stressful and involves a risk for the animals”. (Page 24)

“Since 2012, however, [Loro Parque] has experienced several animal deaths due to intestinal problems, heart problems or unexplained causes”, and further: ‘There are plans to breed Wikie.’. (Page 26)

As far as we’re concerned, none of these places are suitable!

The only viable project for orcas is indeed the one supported and promoted by the association since 2019, and which the report presents as the only marine sanctuary meeting the AMI criteria:

“On the basis of the responses received to this AMI by comparing them with the reception conditions of the two aquatic centers that have given their agreement to welcome orcas and dolphins, and after consulting a group of experts on captive and wild cetaceans, the mission was able to make the following recommendations: as far as orcas are concerned, it considers that only the Nova Scotia sanctuary project, led by the Whale Sanctuary Project, meets the AMI criteria in terms of technical quality, feasibility in terms of deadlines and financial sustainability, even if the project is of an experimental nature which involves an inherent element of risk”. (Page 5)

The responsibility for the predicted tragedy lies neither with the associations nor the activists

The mission’s experts recommend dialogue between the associations and the park. That’s all we’re asking for, and it’s not new!

“Recommendation 3: propose that Marineland initiate team collaboration with the WSP (Whale Sanctuary Project, a sanctuary supported by One Voice, editor’s note) to examine the feasibility of an effective transfer to the sanctuary in the coming months, and at the same time start discussions with Loro Parque on the future of the animals.” (Pages 6 and 34)

For years, we have been urging French dolphinariums and the authorities to plan for the creation of marine sanctuaries. We have also repeatedly called on the park to cooperate with us to this end, without success. It’s a lie to suggest that our legal actions against the park have made it impossible for us to discuss the matter. Rather, it was the park’s repeated rejection of our outstretched hand, and its determination to sell the orcas to another dolphinarium, that left us no choice but to fight it.

“The pressure exerted by activists in the field, combined with the presence of the media and the multiplication of legal actions, seems to have contributed not only to accelerating the park’s decision in principle to dispose of the animals, but also to postponing their transfer to Japan and mobilizing the French authorities to urgently find an alternative solution. It has also undoubtedly led to the abandonment of a scenario of maintaining the animals in situ by means of work and a scientific program, given the strain it is putting on Marineland’s management and employees, and to the breakdown of dialogue on a possible transfer to a sanctuary, which would require mediation efforts if it were to be carried out successfully at present”. (Page 12)

The likelihood of the surviving orcas being sent to a sanctuary, even if it is the best solution, is slim as it requires precautions to be taken. In reality, the way is paved for a swift arrival in the Spanish dolphinarium, should the decision be taken…

“The only acceptable alternative to the orca sanctuary would be their placement at Loro Parque in Tenerife, which has the advantage of having facilities ready to accommodate the two specimens in addition to those already present, in conditions similar to those at Marineland.” (Page 5)

Yet it is these deleterious conditions that are at the heart of the problem! We are astonished that the mission does not mention the state of health of the orcas or their transportability in this respect… Isn’t it now a question of “getting rid” of the animals who have made Marineland’s fortune?

The temptation of a transfer in defiance of a court ruling

The icing on the cake is that Marineland’s intention has never been to comply with the law, nor with the various court rulings handed down since the law was passed, which have invariably pitted it against us.

“Marineland SA signed a contract on October 23, 2023 with the Japanese company GRANVISTA Hotels & Resorts, which is carrying the KSSW project, for the donation of two orcas and the loan of the other two for breeding purposes (historically practiced by the Kamogawa Seaworld belonging to the same group), public education and scientific research on animal behavior).” (Page 22)

“During successive interviews, the park’s management has not ruled out a departure of the animals despite the injunction to keep them on site ordered in January 2024 by the court under threat of penalty payments, considering that it is prepared to suffer the financial consequences.” (Page 11)

Timetable and savings against animals

Even if, in the end, the report’s conclusions are more balanced concerning the two surviving orcas, the decision (and the ensuing responsibility) effectively rests with the politician… It would be disastrous and unacceptable for this decision to be determined by purely economic considerations.

“Consulted by the mission, the Ministry’s Legal Affairs Department (DAJ) considers that the legal risk is largely averted from the point of view of issuing the CITES export permit: a priori, there is nothing to prevent the departure of the animals, insofar as they are fit for transport and the dossier provided by Marineland is sound.

Given Marineland’s plan to convert its activities into an amusement park without keeping animals, the high cost of maintaining the animals (in the region of €500,000 per year per orca) and the legal costs incurred, the financial consequences for the State if it decides to oppose the departure of the two orcas are likely to be greater than if it decides to grant the permit. In fact, since its decision to part with the orcas is a direct consequence of the provisions of the law of November 30, 2021, Marineland could be entitled to demand that the State cover the costs associated with canceling the departure and maintaining the animals kept at Marineland against its will, or even the financial losses associated with the delay in the conversion plan, until a solution is found.” (Page 12)

Parques Reunidos has already lost a lot of money with the impossibility for the group to send the four orcas as early as 2020 to China and then in 2024 to Japan, thanks to our legal actions and our public and media alert, uninterrupted for almost four years.

“Marineland’s cetacean staff are anticipating its imminent closure, and are already actively seeking employment in other centers. This, combined with the delays in renovating the facilities since the law was passed, puts the animals’ physical and mental health at risk. It appears to the mission that, whatever destination is ultimately chosen, it is not possible to delay the departure of orcas and dolphins beyond 12 to 18 months without exposing them to excessive risk.” (Page 30)

If Marineland and its managers are demanding that the government unblock the situation as quickly as possible, it’s likely that timing and money will be the most decisive aspects with no regard for the animals. The executive power now holds the cards to come out on top of this situation, in compliance with the spirit of the law passed in 2021.

“Contact has been made with Marineland’s management, who have said they are willing to work together to find a solution for the future of the cetaceans, and will ultimately defer to the Ministry’s decision, insofar as it does not call into question Marineland’s project to convert into an amusement park and the timeframes envisaged (start of work in 2025).” (Page 15)

Some will appreciate the bad faith with which the park uses the animals’ physical and mental health to justify sending them to another dolphinarium…

The experts’ conclusion does, however, offer some hope for Wikie and Keijo:

Two scenarios can be proposed to Marineland with the aim of obtaining its collaboration, with different political, judicial and financial consequences to be anticipated:

As a priority, explore the transfer to the WSP sanctuary, which requires more complex and time-consuming preparations (finalization of the project, travel, greater difficulty for caretakers to accompany the acclimatization phase given the remoteness, scientific mobilization to be ensured for supervision and monitoring…) and includes a share of the risk of failure both in terms of animal welfare and funding. On the other hand, this option allows for more positive communication, focused on a noble ambition in two respects – animal welfare and research – and could make the decision symbolic at international level of France’s action as the first State to try to offer a more respectful end-of-life to this emblematic species in comparison to captivity, and in favor of protecting cetaceans in their natural environment.
In the event that this first option is not feasible, the transfer to Loro Parque is a pragmatic solution which, however, presupposes the termination of the contract with the Japanese park and prior negotiation, notably concerning the division of costs between Marineland and Loro Parque, and the preparation, according to a procedure well established in captivity circles, of the animals and teams. This choice is likely to trigger media reactions and legal actions from associations. We don’t know how the staff will react, but we can only hope that they will be involved in the preparations and the aftermath of the transfer, in the interests of the animals”. (Page 33)

For us and for the orcas, there is only one dignified and moral solution

Only the full support of the Ministry (which is supposed to protect them) can now save Wikie and Keijo’s fate. Our hope is immense, and we stand ready to move forward in concert, strengthened by years of preparation for this eventuality. Our determination to prevent any transfer to another dolphinarium in Japan or Europe is boundless.

Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums Join us in calling for an end to dolphinariums

Forced transparency: One Voice reveals what goes on behind the scenes for MNHN’s grey mouse lemurs

Forced transparency: One Voice reveals what goes on behind the scenes for MNHN’s grey mouse lemurs
28.09.2024
Forced transparency: One Voice reveals what goes on behind the scenes for MNHN’s grey mouse lemurs

After another victory before the Versailles Administrative Court on May 31st, we have finally received some of the documents requested from the MNHN: dubious procedures, unjustified reclassifications, missing documents… Here are a few revelations!

Since 2021, we have been calling for the closure of the world’s largest breeding facility for grey mouse lemurs destined for experimentation. More than 500 of these lemurs are kept here for use in laboratories. We have demanded full transparency from the National Museum of Natural History in order to expose the practices used there.

We went before the Versailles administrative court on two occasions, and last April, the judge once again ordered the MNHN to provide us with ethical assessments of experimental projects involving these primates.

Persistent grey areas

While he gave them two months to send us all documents concerning animal experimentation projects on grey mouse lemurs since 2013, we still have no trace of projects undertaken between 2013 and 2015. What’s more, our recent research leads us to believe that other experimental projects involving grey mouse lemurs were carried out in 2023 and 2024, without the corresponding documents having been sent to us. This is why we have contacted the MNHN again, demanding the immediate transmission of all documents relating to experiments on grey mouse lemurs!

Questionable procedures, animals sacrificed

The documents we were able to obtain following this decision reveal some worrying passages, confirming what we have long feared: procedures are not strictly adhered to. A striking example is this comment found in one of the assessments:

“Given that this animal model is valuable, it might be wise to put here mild or moderate because otherwise […] they cannot be reused.”

This passage is a clear illustration of researchers’ attitude to grey mouse lemurs. Far from being treated as sentient beings, these animals are perceived as mere “models”, resources to be optimized. Rather than following rigorous criteria to assess their suffering, it appears that their priority is to minimize it and maximize the use of these animals.

Other elements raised in these assessments also raise questions. Some of the reclassifications proposed by the ethics committee seem arbitrary. For example, we noted one case where surgery for the insertion and removal of telemetry implants was reclassified from “severe” to “moderate” without any explanation to justify it.

These big-eyed little animals are sentient beings, so sign the petition to put an end to their ordeal!

Protection status for wolves: the European Commission’s decision is a serious setback for the conservation of the species and biodiversity

Protection status for wolves: the European Commission’s decision is a serious setback for the conservation of the species and biodiversity
26.09.2024
Europe
Protection status for wolves: the European Commission’s decision is a serious setback for the conservation of the species and biodiversity
Press release

We, associations committed to the protection of wildlife and biodiversity (ASPAS, FERUS, Focale pour le Sauvage, One Voice, Pôle Grands Prédateurs and Vigie Jura), firmly denounce the European Union’s recent decision of September 25, 2024 to downgrade wolves from a “strictly protected” to a “protected” species. This measure, which denies international conventions and validates the lowering of wolf conservation regulations in Europe, runs counter to decades of efforts to preserve this essential species and its role in the balance of our natural ecosystems.

Wolves: a keystone species in our biodiversity

Wolves are an essential species to the regulation of large herbivore populations, contributing to habitat diversity and forest health. Their gradual return to Europe and their presence in our forests, although contested by some, help to restore an essential natural balance in the ecosystems of several regions, disperse herbivores and thus promote forest regeneration. These animals have been the subject of rigorous protection policies, which have proved effective in enabling their populations to recover and once again play their essential ecological role. The downgrading of wolves from their strictly protected status jeopardizes the conservation efforts undertaken over several decades, as well as the lupine population, which is considered to be in poor condition by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

An irresponsible and dangerous political decision

The European Union’s decision is not only a blow to biodiversity preservation policies, but also a simplistic response to economic pressure from agricultural lobbies that advocate productivist farming and support farmers who refuse to adopt solutions for coexistence with wolves.

Rather than reinforcing programs to help, raise awareness and support farmers in protecting their flocks in a sustainable way, this decision favors the path of ecological regression. It sets a dangerous precedent which risks leading the European Union to accept other environmental regressions (lynx, beavers, bears, cetaceans, etc.). This position quite simply negates all the work done by breeders in favor of cohabitation, and the public expenditure that has gone into setting up herd protection systems with the aim of harmonious cohabitation.

The impact of consumer choices

As consumers, we have a crucial role to play in protecting wolves and biodiversity. By supporting farming methods that respect wildlife, and by choosing products from farms committed to peaceful cohabitation with predators, we can directly influence agricultural choices. However, by continuing to support farmers who campaign for the eradication of wolves, we are contributing to the destruction of our shared natural heritage and the collapse of our ecosystems.

An emergency for European biodiversity in the midst of the 6th mass extinction

This irresponsible political decision comes at a critical time, when European biodiversity is already under serious threat. It sends out a dangerous message not only in France – where the decree of February 21, 2024 has already greatly relaxed the conditions for killing wolves – but throughout Europe. Giving in to short-term pressures at the expense of long-term conservation policies is a mistake with far-reaching ecological consequences.

We call on the European Union, member states and MEPs to reverse this decision and turn to sustainable solutions that reconcile wildlife protection and human activities. Wolves, who are already the subject of numerous derogations to their protection, must not see their protection status diminished, which would radically facilitate their slaughter.

Our actions and commitments

The associations signing this press release will continue to mobilize to defend wolves and biodiversity in the face of this new threat. We invite all European citizens to support this cause, to make enlightened food choices and to join us in our actions to ensure that Europe remains a land of coexistence and respect for Life.

It’s up to each and every one of us to call on our MEPs to ensure that the rights of living creatures are respected and that our common good is preserved: it’s in the general interest.

Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves Sign to stop the persecution of wolves

Olympic Games: One Voice and its partners call for an end to events involving horses

Olympic Games: One Voice and its partners call for an end to events involving horses
23.09.2024
Olympic Games: One Voice and its partners call for an end to events involving horses

In a letter to the International Olympic Committee, we join with PAZ, L214, Peta France and Gaia in calling for an end to the equestrian events at the Olympics. Horses must no longer have to endure training to the limits of their strength, nor the stressful transport inherent in this discipline. We are calling for them to be granted pet status, which would finally remove them from the category of livestock.

If the Olympic Games are meant to be a celebration, they are not for the horses forced to take part.

To win titles and medals, they undergo grueling training. Hindered by bits and spurs, they are forced to perform unnatural physical feats that put them at risk. And when they don’t satisfy their rider, it’s often the whip that calls them to order. For them, taking part in competitions is anything but rewarding. Those who are selected also have to endure the anguish of long journeys, including by plane, and the interminable wait in tiny stalls.

A violent sport, sometimes fatal

At every competition, the blows and falls multiply. During the Tokyo Games in 2021, Saint Boy, in obvious distress while facing the obstacles, fell victim to the relentlessness of rider Annika Schleu. Worse still, Jet Set was seriously injured and killed. These are far from isolated tragedies. Again this year, horses in Paris have refused the jumps imposed on them, or have fallen violently while trying to obey. What will become of these animals deemed insufficiently docile, insufficiently competitive? Will they be sent to the slaughterhouse, like many others “at the end of the road”? Or will they be ridden to death, like Flogas Sunset Cruise?

In the manner of the modern pentathlon, which has announced that its equestrian event will be replaced by an obstacle course on foot, we call on the International Olympic Committee to abandon all disciplines involving horses.

Sign our petition so that horses can finally enjoy a pet status and the same protection as our companions, dogs and cats.