Four Paws said, little is known about the ruthless animal abuse in Europe and the evidence found was horrendous. It is unacceptable that in the 21st century it’s legal in Europe to abuse wild animals for entertainment.
JANE DALTON: ‘”Horrendous” cases of animals being abused to please tourists across Europe have been filmed by investigators. In one example, a wild bear is put on a skateboard, made to stand upright and pushed on a slide for circus audiences in the Czech Republic, despite looking sick and underfed, the researchers say. In Germany footage shows elephants being made to sit on small chairs and stand on one leg after “brutal” behind-the-scenes training, it is claimed. In Spain tigers are kept on chains for tourist selfies, while researchers found bears living in barren moats, also in the Czech Republic…
Researchers for global animal welfare organisation Four Paws filmed a brown bear made to perform tricks including riding a skateboard and dancing with a hula hoop for cheering crowds at the Czech Republic’s Cirkus Humberto. Other shows featured lions, zebras and elephants, according to the witnesses, who said the conditions and displays were “far from the life the animals would have in the wild” and that their “ecological needs simply cannot be met”… At a medieval festival in France, a muzzled bear on a leash performed on a stool and a slide, and wolves had to jump through hoops. “The wolves look emaciated and seem stressed, while the bear appears visibly uncomfortable with the leash and muzzle,” said Kieran Harkin, of Four Paws…
Four Paws said in many cases during the investigation across Europe last month animals were seen kept in small enclosures or cages, causing psychological and physical damage. The group says while Asia’s wildlife tourism industry is widely reported, little is known about the “ruthless” abuse closer to home and the evidence found was “horrendous”… “It is unacceptable that in the 21st century it’s legal in Europe to abuse wild animals for entertainment,” said Mr Harkin… The practices are believed to also fuel the illegal wildlife trade by encouraging unregulated commercial breeding’. SOURCE…
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