No more animals in circus shows in Taiwan?

Life Pets & Other Animals
#1

I found this news story interesting. A bill to ban animal performances in circuses has passed its first reading in the Taiwan legislature.

[quote=“the Taipei Times”]Lawmakers say no to animals in circus shows

Circus acts featuring lions, tigers and bears may soon be a thing of the past, as the legislature yesterday passed on first reading an amendment to the Wildlife Conservation Law (野生動物保育法).

Human performers are capable of putting on a circus show without animals, legislators said at an Economics and Energy Committee meeting.

The amendment, sponsored by DPP Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇 ) and 35 other lawmakers, called for circuses to be struck from the list of bodies – including research institutions, zoos and museums – allowed to import or export protected wildlife. …

Tien pointed to several incidents in the past few years to support her argument. Two years ago, a circus bear mauled a three-year-old boy at a farm in Tainan, resulting in the boy’s arm being amputated. In 2002, a Bengali tiger on a traveling show from Las Vegas bit off a woman’s hand. And this year, two wolves and three bears were found at an abandoned resort farm, left over from a circus from Mongolia which dissolved in Taiwan…

Tien also said that banning wild animals trained for the circus from entering Taiwan was a sound policy as it would help wildlife conservation and improve the nation’s image abroad.[/quote]

#2

The dogs that were part of the Moscow Circus that came here last winter were left behind because no one had the money to ship them back. The cheap mutherfucker that runs New Aspect suggested just leaving them to die. Additionally, the lions were quarantined for a helluva long time and ended up getting quite sick. New Aspect is run by serious fuckups and we should boycott all of their shows.

#3

:fume: That’s infuriating. Given the track record of these types, perhaps we should all write to the papers and the legislature in support of this bill.

If you happen to know what shows are theirs, please DO let us know so that we can join you in the boycott. :grrr:

#4

[quote=“Dragonbones”]Tien pointed to several incidents in the past few years to support her argument. Two years ago, a circus bear mauled a three-year-old boy at a farm in Tainan, resulting in the boy’s arm being amputated. In 2002, a Bengali tiger on a traveling show from Las Vegas bit off a woman’s hand. And this year, two wolves and three bears were found at an abandoned resort farm, left over from a circus from Mongolia which dissolved in Taiwan…

Tien also said that banning wild animals trained for the circus from entering Taiwan was a sound policy as it would help wildlife conservation and improve the nation’s image abroad.[/quote]

What gets me is that the animals’ welfare comes last. The (naturally gruesome) incidents where these animals maimed people get a lot more weight as an argument to ban these shows! And where wildlife conservation IS mentioned it’s immediately coupled with Taiwan’s image abroad. Politics YUK! :upyours:

#5

I’m sure it’s just good salesmanship.

Sell them what you want to sell them by making them think it’s what they want.

If it stops animals being exploited, it’s all good! :slight_smile:

#6

Freakin Carnies! I saw a snake show last year in Lukang. The cages were way over capacity and many of the snakes had visible wounds. The carnie grabs the cobra in one hand and a pigeon in the other, he proceeds to make the snake bite the pigeon, the pigeon starts convulsing on the ground and dies. He then skinned a snake alive and cut out it’s organs to make soup. These people are barbaric and just plain slimy. Does this qualify for a circus show? Did I mention the fat disgusting female sidekick wearing a leopard print one shoulder dress get up.

#7

The Legislature is probably just jealous.