CAPS Now Targets Direct Action Against Zoos

If anybody would like to see an example of why we have been warning fellow colleagues in the zoo world that they should be concerned at the attack on circus animals one does not have to look much further than events this weekend that took place at Twycross zoo. On Saturday, 8 August 2015, a small group of protesters from the Captive Animal Protection Society (CAPS) staged a protest outside the zoo. The police were called because the protesters were apparently stopping cars from entering the zoo's property.

The Mystery of Merlin the Circus Donkey That Never Was.

"Nellie" the elephant may well have packed her trunk and said goodbye to the circus but in the case of "Merlin" the donkey this never happened because he was never in a circus in the first place.

Anyone who was on Facebook with an interest in circuses on the night of 4 August 2015 would have been alerted to to a link by the donkey and horse sanctuary in Cornwall called the Flicka Foundation. In a posting, this group made an allegation that one of their donkeys "Merlin" was rescued from an abusive situation in a circus. The Foundation also made various "factual" claims regarding abuse in circuses in general. Unfortunately they could not provide any references or evidence supporting this position. Due to this a number of circus supporters politely commented on this thread posting various facts and examples of why we did not believe that in general circuses with animals are by their nature cruel.