Animal rights activists gathered in Milnerton over the past weekend and protested outside the McLaren Circus in the hopes of the circus closing its doors.
This after the circus’s presence in Muizenberg sparked a public outcry earlier this year, prompting the Cape of Good Hope SPCA to inspect its premises.
Animal activists in Milnerton, Table View and Blouberg says they will not stop until McLaren Circus owner David McLaren “sees the light”.
“We will be there at every circus he has planned for this city. This needs to be stopped,” says activist Amber Lewis.
Lewis demands the circus management to grant the SPCA access to the Milnerton circus as previously done in Muizenberg.
This comes after the City of Cape Town temporarily took away the circus’ permit after a visit by the SPCA in Muizenberg at the end of March.
At the time, the animal organisation’s chief inspector Jaco Pieterse and inspector Jeffrey Mfini approached the circus to conduct an inspection, but say they were prohibited from taking pictures of cages and violations.
“The inspection yielded at least six contraventions of the Animal Protection Act, requiring the Cape of Good Hope SPCA to issue a warning with certain contraventions to be addressed within 48 hours and others within seven days,” the SPCA says.
The contraventions listed included the following:
. A lioness was found confined to the front compartment of the trailer housing/transporting the big cats. The lioness did not have access to drinking water and did not have access to the other compartment (separated from the other lions) and the outside exercise area.
McLaren, owner of the circus, said the big cats were separated because of fighting between them.
“If this is the case, then adequate provision should be made for when the lions fight,” the SPCA says. “And they should be kept separately at all times (to avoid fighting) with all animals being allowed access to sufficient space,” the SPCA says.
. Concerns were raised about the three French poodles (Jamie, Sasha and Kiemie) and their dental state. A veterinarian had to examine all three dogs within 48 hours for the dental concerns and possible dental cleaning.
The veterinarian had to confirm, in writing, that the three dogs are fit for performance purposes.
. The animals, particularly the lions and Bengal tigers, had to be provided with additional environmental enrichment, which have to be changed regularly to keep the animals interested and occupied to alleviate captive stress. They found the wooden log currently being provided to the big cats in each exercise area as insufficient.
. The animal enclosures/cages of the animals were found to be unhygienic and had a putrid smell.
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