Animal welfare protester plans to picket Great British Circus (From Gazette)
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Animal welfare protester plans to picket Great British Circus
4:30pm Wednesday 2nd September 2009 in News By Tom Parkes
A CIRCUS that sacked a groom for hitting elephants with a metal hook is pushing ahead with plans to come to Colchester.
The Great British Circus faced condemnation when campaign group Animal Defenders’ International released a video of the worker abusing animals.
Protesters have threatened to demonstrate when the show rolls into town next week, but bosses have announced they will continue with performances off London Road, Stanway.
The circus will stay in Colchester from Tuesday until Sunday, September 20.
Animal rights’ protester Jane Williams, from Frinton, who has picketed the circus on past visits to Colchester, said she was organising protests on September 13 and 20.
She said: “I am expecting a good turnout following the publicity that the atrocities conducted against animals by this circus have received.”
Animal Defenders’ International has urged families not to go to the circus. Chief executive Jan Creamer said: “Making a token gesture to sack a temporary worker is not going to keep these elephants from harm.”
No one from the circus was available for further comment yesterday, but it did release a statement earlier.
Spokesman Chris Barltrop admitted the circus’s reputation had been damaged, but insisted the groom’s treatment of the elephants was an isolated breach of high standards.
He said: “The Great British Circus has come to Colchester annually for many years. Local people have come to know and respect our high standards of animal welfare.
“In May, we found out that a member of staff working with a group of elephants featured at present in performances was surreptitiously abusing the animals. He was instantly dismissed. Such behaviour is intolerable to us.”
Comments(3)
paul_thomas
says...
9:48am Thu 3 Sep 09
Animals don’t belong in a circus. The constant transportation from town to town for eight months each year and confinement for long periods means that a travelling circus can never meet all of the needs of these animals, whether elephants, lions, tigers or horses.
Claims by circuses that animals are stimulated by performances are false. In fact, the same tricks are generally repeated for years.
Animals are trained away from the scrutiny of the public, politicians or welfare groups. Undercover investigations at circuses in the UK have revealed animals beaten with sticks, bars and whips and sick animals hidden from the RSPCA.
There is no educational value in seeing these once proud animals reduced to performing tricks in an unnatural environment. Circuses teach a lack of respect for animals.
CAPS is not opposed to circuses, only to the use of animals, and we encourage people to avoid animal circuses and instead visit one of the many excellent shows that rely entirely on human skills.
We also ask people to write to their MP, asking them to encourage the government to ban the use of animals in circuses.
Circuses YES, Animals NO.
Paul Thomas
The Captive Animals' Protection Society
PO Box 4186
Manchester
M60 3ZA
0845 330 3911
www.captiveanimals.o
rg
Registered charity in England and Wales. Number 1124436
Catherine Ryal
says...
12:54pm Fri 4 Sep 09
The undercover footage from ADI is merely a small illustration of the cruelty that has been going on in animal circuses for years. ADI filmed for 5 days - I do not accept that, by coincidence, they just happened to catch this 'rogue' groom surreptitiously abusing the animals. There was more than one individual shown in this film by the way. What about good old Laars, the actual 'animal trainer'? - exemplary animal husbandry skills???! - I don't think so.
Say It As It Is OK? says...
8:41am Thu 3 Sep 09
!