Current Affairs Will animal welfare bill spell end of traditional Czech circuses?
The mammoth task of bringing Czech law into line with that of the European Union has led to many changes, and grumbles from some people who don't like to see their traditions being eroded. Recently the government rubber-stamped an amendment on animal welfare, which opponents say could spell the end of traditional Czech circuses if approved by parliament.
If the amendment is passed, it will only be legal for circuses to breed and train animals which are regarded as farm animals in the countries they come from, such as Indian elephants. Circuses would not be allowed to show animals which have not been adapted' by man, as Jiri Vyska of the Jo-Joo circus explains.
Jo-Joo circus
"Czech circuses will be barred from breeding bears and big cats, and
we'd only be allowed to have Indian elephants, camels and lamas. For Czech
circuses it will mean a big problem, especially for the best known ones
which have many years of success training lions and tigers. That's part of
the typical Czech circus tradition."
Jiri Vyska and representatives of other circuses are preparing a detailed argument against the proposed amendment, which they will send to the ministry of agriculture and the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies. With the days of the traditional circus evidently numbered, I asked Mr Vyska how long the tradition had existed.
Jo-Joo circus
"As far as I know the first written records were in 1825, and the
first animals were bears. Then from around 1840 or 1860 they introduced
African elephants, which will be banned nowone Czech circus, the Kludsky
Circus had over 20 elephants. Now there are only three elephants in the
Czech Republic, and there are 39 circuses."
As animal rights has become a bigger issue in recent decades, the trend in Europe has been towards circuses without animals. How likely is it that circuses in this country will manage to resist that trend?
"I'd like to quote the director of the Jo-Joo circus, who said the first world war didn't destroy us, the second world war didn't destroy us, the communists didn't destroy uswhy would democracy and accession to the EU destroy us? I believe in twenty years time Czech circuses will still have a full range of animals."
