Sir Roger Moore offers to pop champagne with Theresa May when she puts a stop to wild animal circuses
Sir Roger Moore
Sir Roger Moore has written an article on behalf of PETA urging Prime Minister Theresa May to ban wild animal circuses.
The piece was published by Sunday People and in it, he notes that other countries have put a ban on wild-animal circuses while Britain still lets this happen.
"ever-so-civilised, animal-loving Britain still allows these archaic exhibitions simply because of a lack of action on the part of Downing Street. … [P]opular 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". He adds, "Wilfully allowing such cruelty is unforgivable".
Moore also refers to David Cameron’s broken promise to stop the practice by January 2015
"No matter what else one may think of him, [he] proved himself no gentleman when he failed to act on his word to get wild animals out of circuses … despite overwhelming public approval of a ban, including support from the British Veterinary Association".
The former 007 actor then makes a suggestion;
"Madam Prime Minister, it's time – past time – to do the right thing by animals and the public and finally bring in a ban on this outdated form of so-called 'entertainment'. I will put a bottle of Dom Pérignon '52 or Bollinger '69 on ice for the occasion and gladly pop the cork with you".
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to use for entertainment" – notes that wild animals in circuses spend their lives confined to cages or trailers when they're not required to perform tricks. They commonly endure abuse and are denied the opportunity to engage in natural and normal behaviour.
Moore joins Michael Sheen, Martin Freeman, and Ann Widdecombe in teaming up with PETA to raise awareness of the plight of animals in circuses.
The full text of Moore's comment piece can be found below. For more information about animals in circuses, please visit PETA.org.uk.
Dear Theresa,
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.
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 we 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 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 away, if not days – if anyone is called at all.
Who among us can forget that ghastly undercover footage which showed that Anne, the elephant at Bobby Roberts’ Super Circus (not so super) was hit again and again with a pitchfork and a club while tied to a post and unable to escape?
Yet her abuse isn’t unique.
Circus matriarch Mary Chipperfield was convicted of 12 counts of cruelty after video footage showed that she beat a young chimpanzee named Trudy with a riding crop, kicked her in the back, took away her only toy, and uttered those haunting words you “can bloody cry”.
During her trial she told the court: “I don’t regret anything.”
That’s what comes of seeing animals not as the thinking, feeling individuals they are but as objects to use, abuse, and ridicule. Not a lesson to teach our children, surely?
In circuses, magnificent animals who would naturally wander the plains or the forests, see their world reduced to a few steps in any direction.
They can’t choose their mates, and their offspring are invariably taken from them so they, too, can be trained to perform meaningless tricks.
Wilfully allowing such cruelty is unforgivable. It’s not only “exotic” animals from other lands who suffer in circuses.
Earlier this year, campaigners captured footage of horses, donkeys, and ponies crammed into a shed and fighting for space at the winter quarters of another circus.
Surely you’ll not wish to be lumped together with the circus spokesman who dismissed that disturbing video saying: “If it’s anything to do with animal rights, we’re not interested.”
Until a ban is imposed, Britain continues to say “Roll up, roll up” to abuse. David Cameron proved himself no gentleman when he failed to act on his word to get wild animals out of circuses by January 2015, despite overwhelming public approval of a ban, including support from the British Veterinary Association.
Madam Prime Minister, it’s time – past time – to do the right thing and finally bring in a ban on this outdated form of so-called “entertainment”. I will put a bottle of Dom Pérignon ‘52 or Bollinger ‘69 on ice for the occasion and gladly pop the cork with you.
Sir Roger Moore
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