George Bernard Shaw

Contents

About Circus Watch WA

INTRODUCTION:

Circus Watch WA is an organisation that acts in a peaceful way as advocates for the exotic animals in circuses that have no voice and no choice. We aim to dispel the myths generated that animals in circuses do not suffer from being locked in cages or shackled by chains, (elephants are chained at night.) They are unable to display their natural behaviour, are made to travel long hours in those cages and chains, and made to perform acts, which do not come naturally and would not do if given a choice.

We have very serious concerns regarding the psychological well being of ALL exotic animals maintained in circuses, and the lack of adequate physical exercise caused through such confinement

Regardless of the intention of a circus on how they treat their animals, exotic animals still suffer and always will. It is our opinion that society has a duty to prevent and stop any cruelty perpetuated upon animals in our care and so we will continue to fight for the release of all exotic animals in an activity that should have been abandoned years ago.

Animal behaviourists, the RSPCA worldwide, and many other animal welfare groups oppose the use of animals in circuses because circuses by their very nature are unable to provide an environment conducive to the physical and psychological well being of the animals in their care.

EXPERTS and WHAT THEY SAY:

We have spent the last twelve months investigating and gathering information in an effort to present to the public the facts of the issue. We contacted a few of the many experts around the world, experts such as Dr Joyce Poole in Kenya, Dr Simon Adams, Dr Samantha Scott in the UK, Dr William Jordan of Care for the Wild International, and Virginia McKenna of Born Free. As a result of our discussions we were supplied with documented opinions, comments and scientific evidence in support of the widely accepted view held by International animal welfare agencies that circuses cannot adequately provide for exotic animals.

Animals Australia, the only other Australian wide animal welfare group to sit beside the RSPCA on many animal welfare boards and review panels have also investigated, researched and gathered many documents. One of their researchers, Dr Suzanne Pope, on behalf of Australian and New Zealand Federation of Animal Societies studied, investigated and verified the published ‘List of Incidents’. I would like to add that this list is only the incidents that have been reported. Included are human and animal deaths, cases of animal abuse and neglect, human and animal injuries, animal attacks on humans, spectator injuries etc.

INCIDENTS in AUSTRALIA:

These incidents and accidents would never have happened if a few proponents of the use of animals in circuses did not continue exploiting animals for financial gain and if the ever dwindling numbers attending animal circuses supported our view by boycotting this activity. See incidents pages - Australia | Overseas.

COUNCILS and ANIMAL SLAVERY:

In Western Australia some Local Governments are still allowing circuses to come to their area, and we are very concerned that these councils may be indifferent or unaware as to the differences between some circuses and their standards relating to the maintenance of their animals. Some may treat the animals far better than others. Some circuses may abide with the Code of Conduct in WA, some may not. Some circus operators or employees may have convictions for animal cruelty, other may not. Some circuses appear to be based more predominantly on humans rather than animal acts, whereas some are the opposite.

It has been said that some councils prefer to ‘allow people to vote with their feet’! Smoking is a legal pastime, however it has been proven to be a killer. People still do it. Shall we stop any Government Health Department programme which helps reduce the numbers of smokers because people still ‘vote with their feet’? Drinking and driving is illegal yet people still do it. Shall we change the law and allow people to drink and drive because they still ‘vote with their feet!’ Slavery is illegal. It still happens in many countries so shall we legalise it? Animals used in circuses is another form of slavery. It should be illegal.

To base the legitimacy of an activity on the amount of people willing to participate in that activity, in our view, can be a reflection of poor judgement.

Regardless of the level of understanding of a few members of the indifferent public, we must continue to fight against animal cruelty and be seen to support animal welfare and not what we believe is animal abuse. Where ever there is a commercial activity or industry using animals ultimately the rights and welfare of the animals is ignored, in favour of making money and so the animals will suffer.

Councils without a ban open the doors for circuses that choose to have more lax standards to apply and receive permission to lease public land. By having a policy that bans all exotic animal circuses from leasing Council owned or controlled land we set the standards for the whole of the community. Often we have found that the public are not aware of the complex issues surrounding this matter, and so we rely on those people elected to govern to ensure that animal cruelty is actively discouraged.

CODE of CONDUCT:

Circus Watch WA are also very concerned that despite the new Animal Welfare Act 2003 enforcing new legislation there will continue to be circuses that maintain their animals as best they can and circuses that do not. The Code of Practice for the conduct of Circuses throughout Western Australia is not an enforceable regulation on it’s own. It is an entirely self regulatory voluntary set of rules to which a circus may adhere or may not. At best a circus that appears to adhere to the Code of Conduct at the time of inspection may be found not to adhere a period of time later. Thus the policing of circuses for adherence to the code is extremely difficult. The RSPCA have no power or jurisdiction to enforce compliance to the Code. They have a legislative power relating to animal cruelty but if a circus is found of non compliance with the Code then that does not mean the circus are guilty of animal cruelty. Therein lay the problem.

As the Code is not a legally enforceable compliance or audit code it means very little to the reality of the ongoing suffering of the animals within the circus environment. No amount of rules or regulations will change the fact that lions and monkeys spend the majority of their time in cages along with the elephants in chains, travelling for long distances, denied their natural behaviours.

For your copy of The Code of Conduct check out the Local govt website: www.dlgrd.wa.gov.au and follow the links to Codes of Practice from the Animal Welfare link (to right of Ministers photo) - download WA Circus Code of Practice

We hope that this website will help those that read it view this issue for what it is. Animal cruelty vs. human 'amusement'. Many circus operators, like Mary Chipperfield in the UK, have in have been successfully prosecuted for appalling animal abuses. (One of her convictions was for animal abuse, the beating a baby chimpanzee, Trudy. This was video taped and presented to court.)  For more on the Mary Chipperfield backround and trial click here.

MORALS and ETHICS:

People want to believe that animal abuses do not go on, but it does everyday and in all manner of ways. In the circus it is the unrecognised cruelty that alarms us because not only are these cruelties much harder for the public to see, but some in society do not want to acknowledge they exist. The suffering does exist and is very real. We want people to see and understand the cruelty and suffering so that we can put a stop to them once and for all.

We have a moral and ethical obligation to stop any kind of suffering, to protect and respect. We are clearly not performing our duty when it comes to the animals used in this industry.

Thank you.

September 2003