12:00 - 17 February 2004 Nottingham Evening Post
A Travelling circus performing in Notts over the next three weeks has defended its record on animal welfare.
Staff at The Great British Circus spoke out after pressure group The Captive Animals' Protection Society (CAPS) called for the public to boycott shows at the Japanese Water Gardens in Stapleford. The three-year-old circus, run by owner and trainer Martin Lacey, performs up to twice a day in Notts until Sunday, March 7. The shows use animals such as zebras, camels and horses and is the only British circus to use tigers. Tracey Woods, who runs the Great British Circus box office, said: "We are the first educational circus in the country in that we train our animals in front of the public and explain what we are doing. "We feel in this day and age that we need to make it clear that we treat our animals with great care. "The RSPCA inspects our circus every time we travel to a new venue. There have only been five prosecutions against touring circuses in the past 150 years. "We have also won awards for our animal husbandry from World's Fair magazine, which is the circus industry journal. "Animal rights protesters should concentrate on the owners of domestic pets who are up in court every day for cruelty."
CAPS has written to the owners of the Gardens asking them to prevent animal circuses using their land in the future. A spokesperson for the Preston-based pressure group said: "By their very nature circuses cannot provide the space and necessary requirements to meet all of the complex needs of the animals. "These animals will be touring the country for the next eight months, just to perform to the public for a few minutes. We are asking the public to boycott animal circuses and for shop-keepers not to display posters for circuses with animal acts. "We are not opposed to all circuses, just those with animal acts. The human performers can choose to be there, the animals have no choice."
No one from the Japanese Water Gardens was available for comment.
The circus is using private land at the water gardens, so Broxtowe Borough Council has no jurisdiction. If it had have been on council land, the circus would not have been allowed to use live animals. Inspectors are likely to visit the circus to check the animals are properly being cared for. Nottingham City Council has a similar policy, banning the use of animals in shows on its land.
Read a campaigner's reply here.