Sir Roger Moore to PM: The Day Has Come to Ban Animal Circuses
Sir Roger Moore has a message for Theresa May. In a moving article in today’s Sunday People, the actor, humanitarian, and animal advocate urges the Prime Minister to introduce legislation banning wild-animal circuses. He writes:
All around the world, animal circuses are being banned. Countries such as Austria, Belgium, Mexico, and the Netherlands have all put an end to such barbarous cruelty to wild animals. Yet ever-so-civilised, animal-loving Britain still allows these archaic exhibitions simply because of a lack of action on the part of Downing Street.
I’m well aware that policy change doesn’t come overnight, but popular legislation to prohibit circuses from keeping tigers in see-through boxes called cages and carting them about the land has been dragging on for aeons, because the Prime Minister holds the key and won’t give it up. Speaking on the issue, Stanley Johnson – our very own foreign secretary’s father – said, “[W]e have had several years now of shilly-shallying. We need to move forward”. And indeed, we do.
Wild animals in real life must feel as if they’ve been captured by the fictional Dr No. When they’re not being forced to perform confusing tricks under threat of the whip, they’re chained up or tied down. They’re denied everything that gives their lives meaning. It’s no wonder that they develop abnormal and disturbing behaviour, such as incessantly biting the bars of their cages, pacing endlessly back and forth, or even self-mutilating. If they become sick or are injured while en route to the next show, a veterinarian with expertise in exotic species may be hours, if not days, away – if anyone is called at all.
Sir Roger states that “[u]ntil a ban is imposed, Britain continues to say ‘Roll up, roll up’ to abuse”. Join him in letting the Prime Minister know that it’s time – past time – to outlaw this archaic form of so-called “entertainment”. Please add your name to our online action:
