After announcing that he will be returning as an X-Factor judge, Louis Walsh took a break to send a letter on behalf of PETA and the Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) to Michael Creed. Walsh contacted the new Minister of Agriculture Food and the Marine to ask for a ban on wild animal circuses.
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In the letter, Walsh says that unlike the willing human acts he has worked with throughout his career, animals used in circuses don't want to perform - they do so because if they don't, they will be punished.
He writes, "They don't stand on their heads, ride bicycles or perform other demeaning, often painful tricks willingly. They do so because if they don't, they will be whipped, beaten with a steel-tipped bullhook or shocked with an electric prod".
Many European countries have already introduced bans on using wild animals in circuses and Walsh believes that by not doing the same it's like "putting out a welcome mat for animal abusers".
PETA and ARAN remind us that wild animals in circuses are often stolen from their mothers as babies. They cannot engage in normal behaviours and are moved from location to location in tiny, dirty conditions. Once they reach their destination, the creatures are chained or caged for up to 23 hours a day. The animals often suffer from chronic health problems, abusive treatment, psychological disorders and premature death.
Austria, The Netherlands and Croatia are among the countries that have introduced bans on wild-animal circuses. On a smaller scale, local authorities - including Galway, South Dublin, Kildare City, Waterford, Arklow and Monaghan - have banned these acts from public land.
Walsh joins Michael Sheen, Martin Freeman and Robert Carlyle in teaming up with PETA to banish wild-animal circus acts.
The full text of Walsh's letter is below.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.
Dear Minister,
I am writing on behalf of my friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) to urge you to implement an immediate ban on the use of wild animals in circuses in Ireland.
My career has given me a deep appreciation for the determination and talents of human performers. They do what they do because they love to entertain, and the joy it gives them is apparent the minute they come on stage.
That is not true for animals who are used in circuses. They don't stand on their heads, ride bicycles or perform other demeaning, often painful tricks willingly. They do so because if they don't, they will be whipped, beaten with a steeltipped bullhook or shocked with an electric prod. That's what they learned from the first day of their training, and intimidation continues to be their motivation.
It's vital that Ireland remain in step with other European countries by banning circuses that use wild animals immediately - otherwise, it's like putting out a welcome mat for animal abusers. Because our understanding of elephants, lions and other animals has improved, we now realise that their complex needs cannot be met in a circus environment.
Austria, Croatia and the Netherlands are among the many enlightened countries that have banned circuses that use wild animals. Please ensure that Ireland takes its place beside them.
Thanks for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Louis Walsh
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