Stop Circus Suffering

VICTORY! Country Fair axes lion act

Herefordshire Country Fair cancels Chipperfield show after ADI raises significant animal welfare concerns

Herefordshire Country Fair has cancelled a controversial lion show after Animal Defenders International (ADI) raised significant animal welfare concerns with event organisers. ADI’s Care2 petition against the circus-style performance attracted over 12,000 signatures in just four days, reflecting overwhelming public opposition to such wild animal acts.

ADI President Jan Creamer said “We are delighted that the Herefordshire Country Show has had a change of heart and pulled this Victorian lion act. Public opinion is clear – it is offensive in this day and age to make wild animals perform in the name of entertainment, and widely accepted that the animals’ welfare needs cannot be met. The government must take action to pass long overdue legislation to prohibit wild animal acts.”

A stand-alone show featuring the lions and tigers was denied a licence by local authorities in Scotland earlier this year, but ‘An evening with lions and tigers’ got the go-ahead in Welshpool, Powys. The event runs until Sunday 12 July and has attracted negative publicity and condemnation from animal organisations and members of the public, with low audience levels reported.

In Herefordshire, four year old lions Assegai and Tsavo were to appear in four performances and be on display all day. The lions live in cages alongside tigers Nadia, Altai and Syas on the back of a truck known as a ‘beastwagon’. Their owner is circus trainer Thomas Chipperfield, a relative of the notorious Mary Chipperfield who was convicted for multiple counts of animal cruelty in the late 1990s following an investigation by ADI. Find out more

Until the Government brings in the long-promised ban on wild animals in circuses the suffering of Assegai, Tsavo, Nadia, Altai and Syas and other animals will continue in Britain, despite the clear public opposition.

Please take action today and help ADI secure the ban!

  • Urge your MP to sign EDM 192 calling for action on the circus ban – you can find out how your MP is and contact them here
  • Make a donation and help ADI expose circus suffering and campaign for change

Comments

  2. John Bryant · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    The Prime Minister promised a ban on wild animals in circuses. Please remind him!

    Reply
  4. sandy · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    this abuse is barbaric must stop as soon as possible thank you

    Reply
  5. Oliver Dykes · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Good on all of you, well done

    Reply
  7. LINDA BADHAM · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    THE GOVERNMENT SAID THE BAN WOULD BE MADE, WHY OH WHY ARE WE STILL WAITNG . THE RULE AT THE MOMENT IS THAT THE ANIMALS ARE INSPECTED FROM TIME TO TIME. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AT ALL. NO WILD ANIMAL SHOULD BE A SLAVE AND BE IN A PRISON AND MADE TO DO THE MOST UNNATURAL THINGS. THEY ARE “MADE” TO DO THESE THINGS !!! ITS DISGRAC

    Reply
  9. LINDA BADHAM · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    THE GOVERNMENT SAID THE BAN WOULD BE MADE, WHY OH WHY ARE WE STILL WAITNG . THE RULE AT THE MOMENT IS THAT THE ANIMALS ARE INSPECTED FROM TIME TO TIME. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AT ALL. NO WILD ANIMAL SHOULD BE A SLAVE AND BE IN A PRISON AND MADE TO DO THE MOST UNNATURAL THINGS. THEY ARE “MADE” TO DO THESE THINGS !!! ITS DISGRACEFUL AND CRUEL !!!

    Reply
  10. Mel Culligan · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Animals are wonderful, majestic creatures and should be free, not made to act like idiotic humans. Please stop the animals circus NOW!

    Reply
  11. cavillon · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    more and more countries are banning the suffering of living beings-animals in awful circuses nowadays : we are in the 21st century, the Environmental and Respectful one, UK as a “civilised” culture has to follow that fundamental change sooner or later in terms of clever interactions with Nature, Biodiversity and diverse Life on Earth !

    Reply
  12. Sue Prince · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Wild animals DO NOT/SHOULD NOT belong in circuses. Are we living in the 21st century or not?

    Reply
  13. Sheila Merry · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    wild animals should not be used they should be free as nature intended!!!

    Reply
  14. Lorraine Lowry · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Lions are sentient beings that deserve respect. This is absolutely ridiculous

    Reply
  15. Ica Jans · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Stop using wild animals for fun. No animal should be used for fun/amusement.

    Reply
  16. Eileen Rothbart · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    A circus with no animals is a better world.
    Demand that all circus with animals be shut down.

    Reply
  18. toni harrison-kahn · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    fantastic news…we do not need animals in circuses, out dated and cruel, such acts need to be banned ASAP

    Reply
  19. liu wai ling · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Please ban circus , this is important and is time to end it now , thank you

    Reply
  20. David Bethell · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Please call an end to this archaic and brutal farce.

    Reply
  21. Jenni Ellis · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Do not have animals in the circus! Listen to what the public want. Wild animals being used for entertainment is outdated and should stay that way.

    Reply
  22. marianne farrell · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    This is not entertainment!!!! Animals should run free x

    Reply
  23. Marge scott · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Please sign EDM 192 calling for action on the circus ban .were the Chipperfield family are involved their cruelty to animals is known world wide. Having animals removed from them because of their miss treatment. The government is being asked to bring in its LONG PROMISED ban on performing wild animals ,please help to impose this ban.thank you

    Reply
  24. Carole Ann Menninger · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    This was great news to wake up to!! I live in Texas, did sign the letter and am so encouraged to know so many others share the same feelings for these majestic creatures!
    I do plan to write to David Cameron urrging him to ban all exotic animal acts.
    Thanks for all you do to educate and bring awareness to the plight of animals!

    Reply
  25. carolyn glover · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Animals should not have to suffer going around the countryside for display. They should live as nature intended , ‘Free’ please help to stop this

    Reply
  26. Ginger Hill · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Until the Government brings in the long-promised ban on wild animals in circuses the suffering of Assegai, Tsavo, Nadia, Altai and Syas and other animals will continue in Britain, despite the clear public opposition.

    Reply
  27. angie Kruger · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Animals exploitation like this belongs back in the dark ages. If people boycott events like these they wont make any money and will have to close. No-one should be taking their children to see this atrocity in the name of entertainment. Educats your children to know this is wrong.

    Reply
  28. Maki Murakami · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    I am urging you to sin EDM 192 calling for action on the circus ban.

    Thank you.

    Reply
  29. Melania Padilla · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Please, ban wild animals in circuses. We are not in medieval times anymore, animals feel and they suffer in such places like circuses: they belong to the wild.
    Thank you.

    Reply
  30. Sylvie Auger · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    It is offensive in this day and age to make wild animals perform in the name of entertainment, and widely accepted that the animals’ welfare needs cannot be met. The government must take action to pass long overdue legislation to prohibit wild animal acts.

    Reply
  31. Rosy Chang Morales · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Circus animals live lives of abuse, neglect, deprivation and suffering.

    Animals do not belong in circuses.

    Please ban animals in circuses immediately.

    Reply
  32. Birgit Daadouche · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    PLEASE ! end the suffering of wonderful LIVING BEINGS called ANIMALS !!

    Reply
  33. Lorna Grundy · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    No animal should live in a cage and be made to perform to make money for humans who have no concern for the animals mental state .

    Reply
  34. Alma · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Thanks! It is time to respect all living creatures!

    Reply
  36. Sylvia Meade · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    I am a British Citizen and lived in England from 1944 (birth) until 1996 and although I do not live in country right now am still very up on what is happening there, thanks to internet. I totally disagree with wild animals being in the circus. If this were some poor unfortunate human being made to perform and kept in a cage, it would be stopped immediately. I just don’t understand, how, in this day and age we can still justify something like this, that we, in the so called civilized world, know to be so wrong.
    Right now, here in Germany, where I live, the same thing is happening. We have the visiting circus of CHARLES KNIE, advertising with pictures of wild animals and others. There is a poster in many villages which means these poor beasts are being trundled from village to village. As the heat is so intense (mid 30’s for over a week) right now I wonder how they will survive. Isn’t it about time that the EEC did something to help finish this kind of cruelty. Goodness knows there is enough cruelty going on in the farming industry, without entertainment. Please, please, people in power, help to stop animals in circuses. We can enjoy the acrobats, clowns, trapeze artists etc. The show can still go on without animals. Thank you.

    Reply
  37. Christine pedder · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    United we stand and make change! This is great news and a step in a very right direction!

    Reply
  38. donna adams · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    no more stalling ban the cruelty of the circus

    Reply
  39. Marion Pickard · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Please stop including wild animals in circuses

    Reply
  40. Marilyn Brown · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    The time is long overdue for the end of the abuse to sentient,intelligent and wild animals being used to amuse the uninformed public.
    The saving of any creature from this fate is fantastic and the only way forward.

    Reply
  41. krzeminski · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    ban on wild animals in circuses!

    Reply
  42. Dr Jane · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Stop the Neanderthal shows that abuse animals, it’s abhorrent.

    Reply
  43. Julie jones · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Dear George Howarth, please support this. Thank you

    Reply
  44. Steve Tibos · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    Keep this so called entertainment cancelled!!!

    Reply
  45. AnnColes · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    These animal’s are cruely treated ,locked in cages , it’s a miserable excistance , and all about money as usual ,we should have a total ban on circuses and travelling show’s
    Don’t take you family to these dreadful places , if you rearlly care about their welfare .

    Reply
  46. AnnColes · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    I have just posted a comment but it seem’s to have been deleted
    The answer is simple
    Don’t take your family’s to these circuses
    These poor animal’s are cruelly treated ,locked in cages
    What a miserable excistance

    Reply
  47. marisol melgarejo · 7 July 2015 at 9:49a

    THey belong in the wild, not for us selfish greed people!FREEDOM FOR ALL ANIMALS!

    Reply

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