FWD: SG bans wild circus animals: Letters needed

[Guest guest]

---- Original Message -----

" Vadivu Govind " <kuma

<ar-news

Sunday, 31 December, 2000 21:22

SG bans wild circus animals: Letters needed

 

Dear All,

 

Singapore has made a phenomenally progressive move by announcing a ban on

wild circus animals from 2002. See article below. THANK YOU to everyone who

sent us information or wrote letters over the years on this issue. If you

would like a hard copy of the newspaper articles for your campaign for

circus animals, please email me your current address.

 

It would be very helpful if you could write letters of appreciation to the

authorities.

 

If you represent an organisation, please send the letters on your letterhead to:

 

Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong

Prime Minister's Office

Orchard Road

Istana Annexe

Singapore 238823

SINGAPORE

 

Commend his government, specifically the Centre for Animal Welfare and

Control under the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority for their excellent

work on this issue.

 

If possible, please CC to Dr Ngiam Tong Tau, Mr K Madhavan and Dr Lou Ek Hee at:

Agri-food and Veterinary Authority

5 Maxwell Road

#02-00/#03-00

Tower Block MND Complex

Singapore 069110

NGIAM_Tong_Tau

K_Madhavan

LOU_Ek_Hee

 

Thank you very much,

Vadivu & Guna

 

> Straits Times 30 Dec 2000

> S'pore ban on wild circus animals from 2002

> by Margaret Perry

>

>

> ELEPHANTS coming to Singapore with travelling circuses have been told to

> pack their trunks as they will no longer be welcome here.

>

> Nor will lions, tigers and other animals of the jungle who wish to perform

> in the country.

>

> The new rules, effective Jan 1, 2002, are in response to concerns over

> public safety and animal welfare, with a global increase in the number of

> accidents and abuse involving such animals, the Agri-food and Veterinary

> Authority of Singapore (AVA) said.

>

> 'In some cases, the accidents have resulted in serious injuries to both

> trainers and the public,' the AVA said.

>

> India, Sweden and Israel already have such rules in place, and Great

> Britain is considering adopting similar legislation.

>

> Domesticated animals such as dogs, horses and birds are, however, not

> affected by the new rules.

>

> The AVA regards them as less of a danger to the public and their welfare is

> less of a problem as they do not need to be kept confined in cages.

>

> Animal performances at the Singapore Zoo and Jurong BirdPark will also not

> be affected by the ban as the animals there do not need to travel and are

> housed in an environment that is designed to be as close to their natural

> habitat as possible.

>

> One of AVA's major concerns is the need to house wild animals in cages for

> prolonged periods while they are on the road.

>

> No accidents or cases of animal cruelty involving wild circus animals have

> been reported here, but more than 115 incidents have occured worldwide

> during the past 10 years, according to The Humane Society of the United

States.

>

> In April this year, a six-year-old boy was killed and eaten by five lions

> in front of hundreds of spectators at a circus in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

>

> Three months earlier, a performing elephant killed a circus trainer in

> Florida, United States.

>

> Singapore saw its last travelling wild-animal show in June 1998 when The

> Great Moscow Circus performed here.

>

> The AVA said no similar performances were planned for next year, but should

> any take place, circus owners would have to comply with tougher safety and

> welfare terms.

>

> The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has welcomed

> the move.

>

> 'We applaud the Government for taking this decision,' said SPCA executive

> officer Deirdre Moss. 'It is something we have been hoping for for some time.'