06/21/16 Cakovec Doesn't Need Mangy Camels
Animal Friends Croatia reacts to wild animal circus in Cakovec
Animal Friends warned the City of Cakovec about breaking the Animal Protection Act and requested the circus be banned citywide
On the occasion of the Classic Circus Berlin's arrival to Cakovec, the AFC has reacted by pointing at a clear, strict and publicly known provision about the ban on wild animal circuses. Animal Friends have sent a report to the mayor of the City of Cakovec, to the head of the Medimurje County, to the Administrative Department of Utility Management, and to the Veterinary Inspection of the Medimurje County requesting the execution and adherence to the provisions of the Animal Protection Act.
According to the Act, "It is prohibited to keep wild animals in circuses and use them in circus performances and other performances involving animals". This Act also defines domestic animals as "animals tamed by man and used for the production of food, feed and animal by-products and for other economic purposes".
From these provisions it is clear that in Croatia it is prohibited to keep wild animals in circuses regardless of whether they participate in circus performances or not. It is also clear that in Croatia, camels, lamas, and similar animals are not defined as domestic, but as wild animals and as such they are prohibited from even being on the territory of the Republic of Croatia. In accordance with that, the aforementioned circus entered the country illegally which sent a message to the public that the City of Cakovec and other authorities do not care about the execution of the Animal Protection Act, and that they are instead openly violating it.
Animals used for purposes of entertainment are forced to behave unnaturally; they are kept in inadequate conditions, held in confinement, and are subjected to harsh conditions of long journeys and constant transportations. All those things are far from entertaining. Animals are often deprived of food for the purpose of training and as an inducement for performing tricks. On the other hand, if at a certain point an animal is not willing or capable to perform tricks, there is an entire system of punishment.
Since over 30 Croatian cities have already banned visits from circuses using animals, the AFC believes that the City of Cakovec, with its reputation as the city of culture and prosperity, does not want to "entertain" its citizens with the scenes of mangy-looking camels and other animals exploited for frivolous circus entertainment.
Animal Friends expect the authorities to react and demonstrate that they care about the execution of the Act and about sending a clear message to the public that exploitation of circus animals for the purposes of profit is considered a primitive and an unacceptable form of entertainment which should remain as a thing of the shameful past and which is not welcome in their city or in Croatia for that matter.
The AFC also asks circus visitors to not turn a blind eye to suffering and the loss of dignity of the circus animals because by going to animal circuses they not only support them, but also participate in the violation of the Animal Protection Act.
If the City of Cakovec wants to give some fun to its citizens and at the same time teach its children that the most entertaining circuses are those with human acrobats and without animal torture, then it should invite circuses which attract thousands of visitors with their shows, but without animals in sight. One such circus is world-known Cirque du Soleil, which has taken a clear stand on using animals in circuses: "We don't agree with the way the animals are dressed to do their tricks. We prefer to give jobs to human beings".
For more information on cruelty to circus animals see here.