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.

Open Letter: Confidence Industry Or Conservation?

Background:  

Ron Thomson is an ex-game warden and retired national parks board director. He has 46 years experience in southern African wildlife management affairs including 28 years of full-time service in various national park departments and 3 years working as a professional hunter. He now writes books "to create a better informed public" - better informed, that is, about the realities of wildlife management. One of his books has been prescribed reading for the Higher Diploma in Nature Conservation for the last 15 years - an academic course offered to serving wildlife field officers by the Tshwane University of Technology. For more than 20 years he was a Member of the British Institute of Biology and a Chartered Biologist for the European Union.  He has vast experience in both the theoretical AND the practical application of big game management - especially elephant management.  Two of his past posts were: (1) The Provincial Game Warden i/c. of what is now Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park - one of Africa's biggest and most prestigious game reserves; and (2) The Director of the Bophuthatswana National Parks Board (in the 1980s).

Animal Defenders International & The Wild Animal Sanctuary

In February 2015, Rouster highlighted the further antics of the animal-rights business Animal Defenders International (ADI) fronted by Jan Creamer and her partner Tim Phillips. In a blog entitled Lions Are for Life, Not Just the Fundraising, we revealed that ADI had employed the services of the animal-rights friendly Daily Mirror to promote its latest £200,000 fundraising campaign. This new campaign was to relocate lions (and other animals) that had been seized with the collusion of the Peruvian government from ostensibly circuses for relocation to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in the United States.

The blog also highlighted Animal Defenders International's deteriorating relationship with the Longleat Safari Park in regards to its assistance in the rehoming of the former circus elephant Anne.

In a not unfamiliar scenario, it now appears that - as with Longleat Safari Park - the relationship between The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) and ADI has also broken down, acrimoniously. Reproduced below is a statement from the founder of TWAS, Pat Craig, giving his side of this story regarding the collapse in the relationship of his rescue centre with Animal Defenders International.

'Bullhook' has been mischaracterized

Stylized illustration depicting a cobra and ankus or elephant goad. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Elephant trainer, Janice Aria, articulates an excellent counter-argument to the AR propaganda being pushed to ban the use of the ankus (aka bull-hook or elephant hook) in elephant handling in the below opinion article for the Richmond Times. Although Rouster applauds the overall message put over in the circus novel and feature, "Water for Elephants", which celebrates what good care can be given to circus elephants, sadly it reinforces the bullhook myth. Her article looks at the facts relating to the care, handling and training of circus elephants, based on her experience and the data available.

Circus Mania: Animal Welfare or Animal Rights - the big difference

"I understand why people often harbour an instinctive belief that keeping animals in circuses is cruel or distasteful. I was brought up with that belief. When I began writing a book about the circus, it was the daredevilry of the human performers that I wanted to celebrate. I quickly realised, however, that I would have to visit some of the last remaining circuses with animals because that was where I could get a glimpse into the history of the art form. I went along as a sceptic. Indeed, I went looking for signs of cruelty. But I was determined, too, to speak to the trainers and find out the truth."

Douglas McPherson has written an excellent piece on the distinction between animal welfare and animal rights, using animal circuses as a prime example. Despite articles in The Huffington Post, The Guardian and several books and websites dedicated to this education, the distinction between animal rights and animal welfare is often blurred. McPherson joins other journalists who have noticed how circus is the thin end of the wedge in the argument. Read his very interesting new article here.

And The Moonbeams Kissed The Sea: Our Zoo: Animal Cruelty?

And The Moonbeams Kissed The Sea: Our Zoo: Animal Cruelty?: Was the BBC's "Our Zoo" Guilty of Animal Cruelty? So the BBC produces a series based on the life of George Mottershead and his family’s creation of Chester Zoo.....

 

Post Script:  The BBC announces no second series of "Our Zoo".   Are the BBC dancing to the tune of the animal-rights activists?

Circus Wild Animal Trainer Helps the SPCA?

No, you didn't read that wrong. It seems that a kind-hearted member of our circus community has put differences to one side - perhaps in the spirit of this festive season - and come to the aid of one its staunchest opponents. However, fear not. This is not some naive soul won over by "soft" animal rights dogma, as we have seen happen to often in the zoo fraternity. Casey, our man in South Africa, recognized that by donating animal food to this "non-profit" organization he had some say over where his hard-earned money would go.

SPCA International are a global organization that go under the guise of being "animal welfare" orientated rather than rights, but much like the similarly named RSPCA in the UK, the group is heavily involved in political activities and oppose certain legal animal professions such as animal circuses. Unlike various other legitimate animal welfare charities, such as SSPCA, PDSA, The Blue

Blackfish's Mission Creep

 The BBC agree to promote and show a partisan animal rights documentary with no desire to show any opposing views. Cult film, 'Blackfish', has sneaked past many scientists and people in the animal industry's cognitive blind spots with its thinly veiled animal rights agenda. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the thin end of the wedge. This is "soft" animal rights and once it is in the public consciousness just about everyone in the animal industry - from pet-owners to riding stables to zoos to scientific researchers to animal welfare sanctuaries will suffer... Do something now! 

And The Moonbeams Kissed The Sea: Blackfish's Mission Creep: Are some zookeepers tur...: PeTA's specially created Facebook page to promote the BBC's showing of 'Blackfish' The publicity and spin from the film ...


Astley's Legacy was formed to counter the misinformation and propaganda spread by animal rights activists. As well as fighting the corner for circus animals and their trainers, we are here to promote and celebrate the cultural heritage of Circus in general, and especially in the country of its birth - Great Britain. For more information please see our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/223570581049199 Or follow us on Twitter: @RousterAstley

Selective Memory Loss...

Please see below link to a great post by "And the Moonbeam Kissed the Sea":

And The Moonbeams Kissed The Sea: 'The Perfect Pair: The Enchanted Mirror' or David ...: