The all story of the fight
2017
While the National Association of Veterinarians confirms that the "conditions in which animals are held cannot meet their physiological and social needs," One Voice begins new procedures to release the elephant Maya, whose condition, after more than 40 years of exploitation by circuses, becomes critical, and asks for its emergency transfer to a partner sanctuary. If justice always turns a deaf ear to the remedies of One Voice, the militants continue to fight for her release, by petition or by a silent demonstration organized on October 28 in Paris.
2017
To free the animals held by the circuses, including Lechmee, Mina and Kamala, the three elephants of the Medrano circus, One Voice is launching an unprecedented legal procedure in France and seeking arbitration from the Controller General of places deprived of liberty.
2016
Campaign launch with Code Animal to give a retirement to Lechmee, Mina and Kamala, the elephants from the Medran circus, who will be Elephant Haven's first residents!
2016
Beginning of the partnership with Elephant Haven creating the first sanctuary for elephants in Europe.
2016
Publication of a map showing the municipalities refusing circuses with animals and circulation of the process to follow for those wishing to contribute to this movement.
2016
The deadline for application of the 18th of March 2011 decree has arrived. Circuses must finally comply with regulations!
2016
One Voice starts a petition so that circuses with animals are not considered to be part of our cultural heritage.
2016
One Voice asks Strasbourg, already open to this question, to refuse circuses with animals. A petition has been commenced to get the support of its inhabitants.
2015
Launch of our campaign to free the Fort Boyard tigers.
2014
A new enquiry focuses on the living conditions of circus elephants. It is illustrated by the remarks of John Knight, vet and animal welfare specialist, who knows Samba well and establishes that there is significant risk to the public in all the facilities visited.
2014
One Voice gives evidence in the Samba proceedings. Our original rescue package is offered again, but the tribunal decides not to sentence the trainer and leaves the elephant with the circus.
2013
One Voice seeks the immediate confiscation of Samba, who has caused the death of an octogenarian whilst attempting to escape. We offer to take complete responsibility for her and organise all the necessary logistics. But the circus continues on the road with her.
2013
A teacher's pack is created, containing educational materials for children and teenage discussion groups.
2012
Launch of our campaign " Just what is the circus all about ? "
2012
One Voice condemns the abuse of dogs in circuses. Our investigations reveal the brutal training techniques and squalid living conditions. Malnourished, squashed into cages or tied up on short leashes, they do not know love.
2011
Two simultaneous circles of silence for Samba and all captive elephants take place in Paris and Strasbourg to round off a year of campaigning.
2010
An "Elephant Task Force" is set up for the launch of a one-year lobbying campaign of politicians and Samba's trainer.
2010
A circle of silence for Samba and all captive elephants in circuses takes place in the Trocadero park in Paris, opposite the Eiffel Tower.
2009
One Voice denounces the inertia of the legal system over circuses with animals. We point out in particular the numerous breaches of the law picked up by our investigators which have never been punished even after several years.
2009
One Voice and other organisations, together with circus people, meet with the Ministry of Ecology to discuss the proposed new regulations. This is judged unsatisfactory by One Voice, which regrets that not one scientist has been invited to the final talks as we had proposed.
2009
Awareness raising events take place in the streets across France, including distributing our campaign documents and the Samba petition.
2008
Brutus the lion is freed after two years of campaigning. He is moved to the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa with the financial aid of Cirque Phoenix and the SPA.
2007
Big demo for Samba is organised with a storyteller, musicians and African dancers. Muriel Arnal and Daniel Turner, Coordinator of ENDCAP, The European coalition against cative wild animals, are received at the Ministry of Ecology. A video compilation of One Voice circus investigations is presented, as well as the petition to free Samba which has 128,000 signatures. They only get as far as a first draft of the revised law, which we consider to be insufficient, and so it is not voted on.
2007
The police are trained by One Voice in monitoring the living conditions of animals in circuses.
2007
As part of our discussions with the Minstry of Ecology, One Voice delivers a scientific report on Betty the elephant.
2006
Three lions — Djunka, Nalla, Shada — are freed from tiny cages after our investigation uncovers that they were being held illegally. The operation is conducted in partnership with the Born Free Foundation. They are transfered to the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.
2006
Maomie the tigress, illegally imprisoned by a circus, is seized thanks to the work of our investigators. She is rehomed by the Refuge de l'Arche sanctuary.
2006
One Voice alerts the authorities to the state of health of Tatcha, an African elephant, after an assessment by the veterinary service at our request. Very weakened, the elephant dies a few weeks later from heart failure. We take up the case of her companion Betty, who was going to be left living alone.
2006
One Voice gives evidence in the proceedings to free three other elephants kept illegally by the trainer of Vicky. Butthe ministry decides to ratify their documents.
2006
The seizure of the elephant Vicky is a first in France. After years of European campaigning and several months of tracking and changing circuses, One Voice investigators find her alone in a trailer with no heating or light, where the temperature has dropped to - 7°C… Her state of health demands an emergency rescue, which takes place in a tense, hostile situation. She is relocated to a zoo in Gdansk which, like a sanctuary, homes numerous animal survivors, and she is able to live there with another elephant in semi-freedom.The trial of the circus, won by One Voice, makes legal history.
2005
A One Voice undercover investigator spends several months in a centre that trains wild animals for the circus or the screen (including the programme Fort Boyard, adverts and films). The photos leave no room for doubt about the extreme violence and squalid living conditions.
2005
One Voice continues our work with the Ministry of Ecology. Background documents are drafted, containing the conclusions of vets and experts appointed by us to evaluate the living conditions of wild animals in circuses.
2005
A report " Safety and wellbeing in circuses " is compiled, with the Jane Goodall Institute France contributing the section on great apes. It is sent along with the Samba report to all MPs and senators.
2005
Un rapport concernant Samba est publié à la suite de plusieurs jours d'enquête et d'observation par un vétérinaire spécialiste des animaux sauvages, le Dr John Knight.
2005
Simba the lioness is freed from a circus where she lived in a cage for six years. Thanks to a joint operation by One Voice and local group Olga, she is moved to the Refuge de l'Arche sanctuary.
2004
The petition to free Samba reaches 77,000 signatures.
2004
From now on several town halls turn to One Voice when circuses set up illegally by force. More and more they say no to them, and they learn from One Voice how to carry out checks or prevent them setting up.
2004
Launch of a European petition against having animals in circuses.
2004
One Voice organises a unified demo for freedom for Samba in Marseille. A supporting committee comprises Prof Pierre Pfeffer, the vets Marie-Claude Bomsel, Bruno Lassalle, Valérie Duphot and the actor/producer Jacques Perrin.
2003
Our campaign for circuses without animals reaches 100,000 signatures, amongst them MPs, mayors, scientists, entertainters and philosophers.
2003
Muriel Arnal and Prof Pierre Pfeffer, an eminent specialist in elephants, deliver 40,000 signatures for freeing Samba to the Ministry of Ecology.
2003
After four years of campaigning, the review of the law governing circuses begins. One Voice attends sessions organised by the Ministry of Ecology along with circus people.
2003
Our campaign to free the elephant Samba is launched. Captured in Kenya at the age of one year after seeing her familly massacred, then confined in a circus, Samba had been beaten because she refused to play dead in the ring. One Voice filed a complaint against her trainer.
2002
Maousi the lioness is saved from being euthanised by a circus and rehomed in a sanctuary. (She had previously been confiscated by the local council from her private owner and given to the circus.)
2002
Our report goes to the Ministry of Ecology about the confinement, training and abuse of wild animals in circuses. It is accompanied by 67,300 signatures including many mayors, MPs, vets and media celebrities such as Marie Trintignant, Suzanne Flon and Yves Lecoq.
2001
One Voice exposes circuses that force their way in after local authorities have banned them, and offer our support to those mayors.
2001
One Voice roadshow " 2001, year of the animal-free circus " tours France.
2000
One Voice is part of the prosecution of the Cirque de Paris, which was kicked out of and banned from performing in the town of Nevers in Burgundy. They are prosecuted for lack of the appropriate certificates of competence and the abject physical state of a hippo.
2000
One Voice becomes the first French organisation to file complaints against circuses with animals.
2000
Achilles, a 36-year-old chimpanzee, is the first animal freed from a circus in France. He had been living in a cage just 3m2 since the age of fifteen, despite the ban on circuses keeping animals that are not part of the show, and also they did not have the relevant certificate of competence. He is rehomed in the Netherlands by the Stichting-AAP sanctuary.
2000
Children, the main target of circuses, need to know the reality. Talis/One Voice distributes a flyer especially designed for them and condemns the actions of schools that take them to watch circuses with animals.
2000
Talis/One Voice sends our case to MPs. Several are convinced and put written questions to the government about the lack of legislation concerning circus animals. We also enrol many mayors in our movement.
1999
Talis/One Voice carries out checks alongside the authorities, which reveal considerable lawbreaking.
1999
We take action to raise awareness in towns before circuses arrive. Ensuring public distaste for shows with animals has always been at the heart of our campaigns.
1999
One Voice (at that time called Talis) launches our campaign in France " Yes to circuses, but no animals ".