To free Maya, tens of thousands of people who have sided with her, in France and abroad, will be finally heard1. We will be in front of the circus on Saturday November 4th 2017 in the car park of the Pierre de Coubertin stadium, Cannes, where Maya will be also be.
Indeed, against all logic, the interim judge has taken the side of the Prefect2. The latter protects the circus instead of fulfilling its mission to protect the animals on its territory, therefore Maya, an old elephant stressed and weakened by more than 40 years of exploitation and captivity, still dragged from town to town 3, 4 !
We also continue to fight this legal battle for her: a complaint filed for acts of cruelty is under investigation5.
Our society is experiencing a paradigm, a shift towards animals, an awareness of their suffering in captivity is growing. This urgency is measured by our current knowledge! Internationally recognized elephant experts are unanimous about the seriousness of Maya's condition.
Our citizens are more and more aware of the suffering inflicted upon captive animals, who are exploited by circuses6!
In only 3 days, at the call of One Voice, more than 200 people from all over France had gathered in the heart of Paris specifically for Maya7 !
Circuses presenting animals to the public are, at best, unaware of the harm they are doing. They must accompany the changes instead of opposing them.
Many municipalities in France have already given up allowing circuses with animals to setup in their communities and more than fifty countries in Europe and around the world have already paved the way. It is time for France to ban once and for all the structured suffering of animals when they are held captive and exploited. This has been rightly pointed out by the Federation of European Veterinarians (FVE) and supported by the Fédération des Syndicates Vétérinaires de France (FSVF) and the National Association of Veterinarians8.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Photos and videos of Maya are available on request
THE HISTORY OF THE COMBAT FOR MAYA
1 Petition for the release of Maya posted on 23/10/17
2 One Voice at the Administrative Tribunal of Bordeaux: Hearing on October 17, 2017 to rule on the release of the elephant Maya from the circus that holds it - 16/10/17
3 Maya the elephant is exhausted! - 10/10/17
4 The torture of Maya - 10/07/17
5 One Voice in Justice for the release of the elephant Maya - 06/10/17
6 Petition for circuses without wild animals
7 The gathering for Maya the elephant, make her suffering be heard - 27/10/17
8 Announcement: In response to One Voice, the National Veterinary Order condemns wild animal shows in traveling circuses and legitimizes One Voice's fight for their release - 11/10/17
