The owner toured with his animals together with the Moscow Christmas Circus, which is currently still camping in Augsburg. “It is scandalous that big cats and other animal species still have to appear in circuses in Germany. In the circus industry, wild animals suffer from constant relocation, poor housing conditions and pressure to train. A circus can never provide a species-appropriate life for a wild animal. demands from the federal government a comprehensive and nationwide ban on keeping wild animals in circuses,» says Wirth. «Our neighboring country France showed how it’s done and decided on such a ban at the end of last year.»
A team has been on site in Augsburg since January 19 to prepare the rescue operation. The owner should give the Tigers up due to safety issues. The protection of the predator cage in the ring was inadequate and bystanders could get too close to the animals on the circus grounds. The authorities had asked for support to continue housing the animals. The rescue operation of the five tigers should be led by veterinarians from the Vet Med University Vienna and the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin. The plan was to bring three of the animals to the big cat station FELIDA in the Netherlands, the other two tigers would have found a new home in the TIERART wild animal station of in Rhineland-Palatinate. The rescue mission should be supported by local authorities, the police and the fire brigade.
On the evening of January 20, the team was informed by the authorities that the tiger owner’s lawyer had filed a complaint against the confiscation order, and during the night the owner disappeared with the tigers to an unknown location.
“We assumed that we could confiscate the animals. Due to his spontaneous escape, the owner evaded the orders of the Augsburg authorities, despite the very quick action of and the regulatory authorities. The perfidy: At the time, the escape was still completely legal due to the devastating legal situation. The authorities could only have intervened from Friday morning. We don’t know how they are currently being cared for or how well the security measures are. is still trying to find the five tigers and to give them an animal-friendly home in our sanctuary. We call on the federal government to finally introduce a nationwide ban on keeping wild animals in circuses – for the benefit of humans and animals,» says Sven Wirth.
Situation for wild animals in circuses in Germany
In Germany, 40 to 50 circuses still travel the country with elephants, giraffes or lions. The animal welfare problems in the circus are inherent in the system: Frequent, sometimes very long transports, enclosures that are much too small and hardly structured, missing or incorrect socialization and a lack of species-appropriate activities make it impossible to keep wild animals in circuses according to their natural needs. Due to poor housing conditions and constant direct interaction with humans, many wild animals in circuses develop behavioral disorders such as stereotypy, apathy or aggression, which often result in poor health, enormous stress and a high mortality rate.
requirements at a glance:
- Total ban on keeping wild animals in circuses
- Short and clearly defined transition periods for all wild animals currently living in the circus
- Immediate breeding and restocking ban
- Campaign for an EU-wide ban on wild animals in circuses
campaigns against the big cat trade in Europe. Learn more here.
Find out more about wild animals in the circus here.
Sven Wirth is available for interviews.