Kim Stallwood

Caroline Spelman, the UK coalition government’s Environment Minister, announced yesterday in the House of Commons that there will be two six week trials next year, in different parts of England. In this TV debate from Channel 4, Caroline Spelman and Mary Creagh MP, Shadow (Labour) Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, debate the issues. This short film is a good introduction to some of the key issues.

Sadly, I am unable to attend but I urge those who can to attend the Association of Lawyers for Animal Welfare seminar, ‘Zoo licensing – is the regulatory regime working?,’ on Wednesday, November 30 November, 5.30pm – 7pm, in the House of Commons.

The speakers include

• Andrew Rosindell MP, Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group on Zoos and Aquariums
• Miranda Stevenson, Executive Director, British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums
• Chris Draper, Senior Animal Welfare Scientist, Born Free Foundation
• Liz Tyson, Director, Captive Animals’ Protection Society
• Anna Meredith, Acting Chair of the Zoos Expert Committee and a zoo inspector (appointed by Scottish Ministers)
• Brian Bertram, member of the Zoos Expert Committee and a zoo inspector for England

The discussion will focus on the effectiveness of the current system of zoo regulation and ask whether the regime is fit for purpose. It will be chaired by Alan Bates, barrister at Monkton Chambers. The main session will be followed by the usual end of year legal update.

To reserve your place on this seminar, please email info@alaw.org.uk indicating the number of places you would like to reserve. Places are offered on a first come, first served basis. Fee: £15.00 waged/£5.00 student rate. Places are free to ALAW members. To join please download a membership form from the ALAW website.

Bee Friedlander, my colleague at the Animals and Society Institute, chronicles the growing awareness of animal welfare at her local zoo in Detroit. She writes,

Today the Detroit Zoo has no animal acts. The animals are not given names. Habitats are designed with care. In 2004, as an example of walking the walk as well as talking the talk, current director Ron Kagan announced that Wanda and Winky, the two Asian elephants who were among the most popular animals, would be transferred to the Performing Animal Welfare Society near Sacramento, CA. The reason was simple: elephants should not be made to live in a northern climate such as Detroit’s. Several years ago, the zoo established the Center for Zoo Animal Welfare which focuses not on the “conservation” of animals or the “education” of humans who come to see them, but rather on the welfare of individual animals. Ken Shapiro, our Executive Director, serves on its advisory committee.

A you're Adorable. B you're a Badger.

I admit to not always joining every Cause on Facebook I get invited to if for no other reason than I’m overwhelmed with email, tweets, etc. and it’s one way to help keep the in-tray under control.

Nevertheless, I, of course, have my favourites.

And one is the cause of Badgers, who are animals I have come to love greatly since moving to Hastings Old Town to live. They are literally our neighbours. It’s a great privilege that we live so close together. In fact, even though Old Townians are, by large, lovely people, I much prefer my badger neighbours over some of the human ones. Badgers are adorable, grumpy, handsome animals who come out at dusk and cause mischief as they forage for food. No, I don’t identify with them.

Of course, with any animal, there’s some loser who wants them killed for [fill-in-the-blank] reason. With Britain’s badgers its dairy farmers who make money from exploiting cows. So, I’m making an exception to my rule on Causes and asking all my friends to support Badgers because, like all other animals, they need all the friends they can get. And if we can’t be friends with animals, well, who can we be friends with?

So, if you’re on Facebook please sign up for the Back off Badgers Cause today! And while you’re at it, please support all other pro-badger initiatives you see anywhere else on your travels.

Thanks!

Truly amazing photographs from Oscar Ciutat. See also comment from Andrew Sullivan.

Remember in April I commented on press reports that the Conservative-led coalition government was set to ban wild animals from performing in circuses? I expressed reservation that this, indeed, would be the case.

Well, it turns out I was correct or, at least, will be proved to be correct, if the latest press report is to be believed.

The Independent reports

Downing Street has blocked plans by ministers to ban lions, tigers and other wild animals from performing in circuses, according to animal welfare groups. For 12 months ministers at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have repeatedly indicated their support for stopping wild animals performing tricks in the big top, but No 10, which wishes to reduce Government regulation, is understood to have vetoed the decision during the past fortnight. Ministers are expected to announce a system of self-regulation by circuses within days.

The last Labour government failed to deal with this issue seemingly because it was afraid it would further portray itself as presiding over the “nanny state.” Now, it appears, the ConDem’s anti-regulatory ideology is the dominant political culture.

All of this speaks to the need to embed the values of animal welfare within the political discourse, regardless of political ideology. In order for this to be accomplished it is vital the animal welfare/rights movement in the UK transform its narrative of the issue from one of personal lifestyle choice to be the responsibility of public policy and government.

Two Green MEPs, Jean Lambert and Keith Taylor, jointly publish an excellent leaflet on animal welfare and the actions they’ve taken on them. All MPs and MEPs should be following this example but it’s up to the animal welfare/rights movement to make them understand why.

Animal activists across the world via the Web are rushing to report the UK government will ban animals in circuses following on from a report in the Daily Express, which says

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has been persuaded that forcing elephants, tigers, lions, camels and other exotic creatures to perform tricks for audiences is wrong in modern Britain. She is also said to believe that making them travel thousands of miles every year in cramped lorry trailers known as “beast ­wagons” is harmful to their welfare. While Animal Welfare Minister Jim Paice told MPs last month that a new policy was “close to completion”, his boss Ms Spelman is now “minded” to introduce the ban, say senior sources. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also favours such a move. Officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are working on the final details to ensure there is no conflict with European legislation. An announcement is expected within weeks.

Of course, I am not an insider at the Daily Express. Nor do I have access to the contacts and the information that they claim. In as much as the minister concerned is “minded” about animals in circuses, I am as “minded” about reading about it in the Daily Express. Nevertheless, being “minded” is certainly hopeful that something which the previous Labour government could have done will be now implemented by the present ConDem coalition government. But I urge caution before animal activists rush to proclaim victory that animals in circuses will be banned. Banning animals in circuses is one example of the proverbial low hanging fruit in animal welfare that any government could do. Particularly as public opinion clearly wants a ban. As the Daily Express reported “Government consultation with the circus industry, welfare groups and the public, published in March last year, found that 94 per cent of more than 10,000 responses wanted a ban on wild animals in circuses.” But wait and see if and what the government announces before popping the bubbly.

Meanwhile, Animal Defenders International is to be congratulated for their accomplish in recording undercover, publicising and now rescuing Anne from Bobby Robert Super Circus and arranging for her to live out the rest of her life at Longleat Safari Park.

Frightened Panda clings to Policeman's leg after the Earthquake in Japan.

This photo, which I originally published here, is challenged.

It’s not a fake, exactly; the image is real, but it’s five years old, and was taken at a panda research center, and not in Japan but in China, and the guy isn’t a policeman, he’s a keeper, and it was feeding time, and the panda wasn’t terrified but hungry.

Read more here.

Thanks to those who got in touch about this.

BBC report the Northampton Police and RSPCA are investigating the beating of elephant Anne at Bobby Roberts Super Circus. What a shame the last Labour government didn’t have the conviction to deal with the issue of animals in circuses when it had the chance. Perhaps the ConDem Coalition will act. Stranger things have happened.