Working for an END to the keeping of wild animals in CAPtivity while delivering improved animal welfare standards
Working for an END to the keeping of wild animals in CAPtivity while delivering improved animal welfare standards
Working for an END to the keeping of wild animals in CAPtivity while delivering improved animal welfare standards
Working for an END to the keeping of wild animals in CAPtivity while delivering improved animal welfare standards
Working for an END to the keeping of wild animals in CAPtivity while delivering improved animal welfare standards
News
Liberate the Berlin bears!
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall and the liberation of the people of the German Democratic Republic, two brown bears remain behind their own Berlin wall in their pit in the middle of a Berlin park. There is no liberation in sight. Schnute and Maxi, mother and daughter, are both European brown bears that have been housed in the bear pit since their birth: 1981 and 1986 respectively. The two bears are usually seen to repeatedly pace up and down their enclosure with an occasional twist of the head, a common behavioural disorder observed in bears in captivity. Many Berliners are unaware of their existence and are horrified when they are discovered. Many of those who know the plight of Schnute and Maxi want them rehomed elsewhere, but the Berlin City Council remains adamant that bears will continue to be kept in the bear-pit. Opened in 1939, the brick and concrete Berlin bear-pit in Köllnischer Park is bizarrely a listed-national building. Despite some efforts made over the years to improve the interior of the pit, the enclosure holds little representation to the forests where wild bear roam. To date, it has housed over 12 bears, animals that have reportedly had a total of 50 offspring, the majority of which have been rehomed in zoos and circuses throughout Europe. While other European cities phase-out the keeping of bears in pits and castle moats, Berlin maintains this archaic and cruel tradition for no good reason. As hundreds of thousands of tourists descend on Berlin for its famous Christmas market, ENDCAP is asking compassionate members of the public in Germany and across Europe to ‘bring their wall down’ and liberate Schnute and Maxi.
Please help us help Schnute and Maxi.
Please write a polite letter to:
DistrictMayor : Bezirksbürgermeister Berlin-Mitte Dr. Christian Hanke Rathaus Tiergarten Mathilde-Jacob-Platz 1 10551 Berlin Fax: (030) 9018 32101 Mail:
Mayor of the Berlin : Der Regierende Bürgermeister von Berlin Klaus Wowereit - Senatskanzlei - Jüdenstr. 1 10178 Berlin
Fax (030) 9026-3015 Mail:
This campaign is a collaboration between Animal Public www.animal-public.de and the Born Free Foundation www.bornfree.org.uk
European Commission proposes to establish centres to protect animals
The Council, European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions providing options for animal welfare labelling and the establishment of a Network of Reference Centres for the protection and welfare of animals in Europe.
Since the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997, the European Union has demonstrated a commitment to animal welfare recognising that animals are sentient beings (with the ability to experience pain, suffering and distress). Despite all Member States acknowledging this commitment, the extent to which it has been practically interpreted has varied considerably between Member States. Many animals are still kept in sub-standard conditions throughout Europe.
It is hoped that the European Network of Reference Centres (ENRC) will be established and will provide the much needed support and guidance to Member States to help them effectively implement and enforce animal protection legislation. ENDCAP appeals to all Parliamentarians, NGOs and industry to fully endorse the establishment of the European Network of Reference Centres for the protection and welfare of animals.
Portugal bans the keeping of certain wild animals
A new law in Portugal has banned the keeping of certain wild animal species by private individuals, circuses and unauthorised captive animal facilities.
Among the species listed in the law are all species of primates, bears, felines (except the domestic cat), sea-lions, seals, hippos, penguins, crocodiles, and certain species of birds, reptiles, turtles, snakes, centipedes and scorpions.
Zoos and “authorised entities” will be exempt from the ban but the new law will prohibit the purchase of primates, elephants, lions and tigers, and prevent the reproduction of animals, by circuses. Pet shops will also be prohibited from selling large snake species, certain lizard species and poisonous spiders.
The Ministry of the Environment in Portugal justified the Decree 1226/2009, which came into force in October 2009, with concerns over the potential harm that certain animal species might bring to citizens due to their size or hazardous nature. Concerns were also expressed about the welfare and protection of certain animal species, which may be placed at risk by demand.
Current keepers and breeders of listed animals (species and hybrids) have been asked to register with the Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (ICNB) within 90 days from the implementation of the law.
Coalition seeks wild animal ban in circuses in Spain
A Coalition called Infocircos has recently been established by animal welfare organisations ANDA (Spain), FAADA (Spain) and the Born Free Foundation (UK) with the overall objective of ending to the use of wild animals in circuses in Spain.
Infocircos works throughout the country to raise awareness of the plight of wild animals in circuses and encourage local and regional authorities to establish regulation or policy to address animal welfare concerns. Infocircos is also lobbying national government to ban the use of wild animals (in particular) in circuses.
There are thought to be approximately 40 circuses with performing animals in Spain which apparently use an estimated 400 individual wild animals. Exact numbers of circuses with performing animals and the numbers of individual wild animals, remains unknown but, Infocircos continues to gather data and appeal for information from the public about circuses touring their area.
It is still early days for Infocircos, and their website (www.infocircos.org) is yet to be fully established, but there have already been some successes. An increasing number of towns in the Region of Catalonia have declared themselves “free from animal circuses” and have agreed not to allow circuses to perform with their animals within their territories.
Source – FAADA, coalition member of InfoCircos
Ringling Brothers could be coming to a town near you!
Despite the pending US Federal lawsuit over the alleged abuse of their Asian elephants, The Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus has arrived in Europe for a tour of European countries this autumn. European animal welfare organisations, including ENDCAP member organisations, have been lobbying their governments to prohibit the circus from entering their country but, despite the successful reversal of the permissions to enter Germany, The Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus will tour Italy and Spain. Permits have been issued to allow the import of their animals “for the purpose of enhancement of the species through conservation education”.
The Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus, which is registered in the United States of America, is currently on trial in that country for violating the Endangered Species Act by cruelly mistreating their Asian elephants. Four animal protection organisations and a former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus employee are suing the Circus over their routine practices with their elephants, which includes the forceful use of the bullhook and the chaining of the elephants for most of the day and night.
The Asian elephant is currently listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (USA), meaning that any acts that would “harm, wound, injure, harass, or kill” an Asian elephant in the wild or in captivity are prohibited. There is apparently a wealth of evidence to support the claims that Ringling employees routinely use the bullhook, a stick with sharp point and metal hook, to poke and strike their elephants. Furthermore, the alleged constant chaining of elephants severely restricts their movements and ability to socialise with other elephants and often leads them to develop neurotic psychological behaviours and physical injury.
The trial in the USA has concluded and the animal protection organisations are awaiting a decision by the judge. At the moment it is uncertain when the verdict will be, but the result will be reported on the ENDCAP website.
ENDCAP’s position : Despite claims of benefits to public education and species conservation, circuses that kept and have animals perform do so only to entertain, with animals made to perform tricks and stunts that have no place within their natural behavioural repertoire. ENDCAP opposes the use of animals in circuses. By their very nature: travelling across vast distances, transporting the animals in beastwagons or chained within lorries, the stresses of loading and unloading and then subjecting the animals to often harsh training regimes, the circus is no place for an animal, wild or domestic.
ENDCAP acknowledges circus performance as an artistic form, of cultural importance in Europe, but only those circuses without animals. ENDCAP continues in its mission to end the use of wild animals in circuses.
Pet shop horror on Las Ramblas
Hundreds of dead and dying animals have been found stuffed into rubbish bins in the tourist centre of Barcelona. The pet ‘kiosks’ on the famous pedestrian street, Las Ramblas, have been implicated but there are fears that this horrifying crime is just the tip of the iceberg.
ENDCAP member organisation, Libera! has been investigating the numerous public complaints about the pet stalls on Las Ramblas for over a year, lobbying the Barcelona City Council to close them down. However, despite the activities of these pet stalls which are apparently in breach of the 2003 Protection of Animals law, the City Council has failed to act. Libera! carried out an investigation exploring the rubbish bins left outside the stalls over a 21-day period and it was here that they discovered chameleons, lizards, tortoises, fish, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits. The majority of the animals were dead, but some, taped up in boxes, were still alive.
Thousands of tourists pass by the 11 kiosk-style pet stalls on Las Ramblas each day. By day, the stalls are open and stacked high with small cages and terrariums selling a variety of exotic birds and parrots, reptiles and small mammals. By night, the stalls fold in on themselves into a cube, where the animals remain in darkness for up to 36 hours, suffering from limited ventilation, pollution from the passing traffic and in summer months, temperatures as high as 48oC. It is no wonder that many animals contract diseases and die.
Libera! and other animal welfare organisations have taken the evidence to the City Council, together with the bodies of many of the dead animals collected from the rubbish bins, to raise awareness of the atrocity and call for action to close these pet stalls. Media coverage has forced the arm of Barcelona City Council and the local government has announced by 22nd December 2009, all the stalls must close. Instead the Barcelona City Council is proposing stalls of 40m2, which will continue to sell animals. Libera! continues action to oppose this. ENDCAP member organisations oppose selling of animals on street-side facilities.
Help Libera! and ENDCAP stop the new plans of Barcelona City Council to build new street-side pet stalls.
Among the species listed in the law are all species of primates, bears, felines (except the domestic cat), sea-lions, seals, hippos, penguins, crocodiles, and certain species of birds, reptiles, turtles, snakes, centipedes and scorpions. 
Despite the pending US Federal lawsuit over the alleged abuse of their Asian elephants, The Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus has arrived in Europe for a tour of European countries this autumn. European animal welfare organisations, including ENDCAP member organisations, have been lobbying their governments to prohibit the circus from entering their country but, despite the successful reversal of the permissions to enter Germany, The Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus will tour Italy and Spain. Permits have been issued to allow the import of their animals “for the purpose of enhancement of the species through conservation education”.
ENDCAP member organisation, Libera! has been investigating the numerous public complaints about the pet stalls on Las Ramblas for over a year, lobbying the Barcelona City Council to close them down. However, despite the activities of these pet stalls which are apparently in breach of the 2003 Protection of Animals law, the City Council has failed to act. Libera! carried out an investigation exploring the rubbish bins left outside the stalls over a 21-day period and it was here that they discovered chameleons, lizards, tortoises, fish, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits. The majority of the animals were dead, but some, taped up in boxes, were still alive.
