By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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PROTESTERS descended on a touring circus in Dingley Village on Saturday, calling for an end to its use of animals.
By the start of the Lennon Brothers Circus season on private land last Thursday, Kingston Council had already received 404 written complaints, mostly from overseas.
Neighbouring council Greater Dandenong has used its local laws to ban animal circuses, which have been criticised by the RSPCA for their harsh treatment of wild animals.
Kingston has no such bans in place. Last Thursday, the council inspected the circus to check it complied with building regulations.
On Saturday, Justice for Australian Circus Animals demonstrators dressed as lions draped in chains and inside cages and distributed flyers to circus spectators.
Member Stephanie Dyer said the group was against the circus’s “undignified” treatment of wild animals such as monkeys and lions.
Having seen the circus recently, Ms Dyer said the lions “slink into the ring” like they “didn’t want to be there” to do “pitiful” tricks.
Other “demeaning” acts included a camel trained to walk on its knees, sitting alpacas and camels jumped by ponies and miniature donkeys, and a monkey riding on the back of a pony.
“In its natural environment the lion wouldn’t perform, the monkey wouldn’t sit on a pony…the camel act should be reported to the RSPCA.”
RSPCA state president Hugh Wirth said a monkey was “one of the worst animals you can put in such a situation – it’s quite wrong”.
The RSPCA was opposed to “the use of wild animals in any form for human entertainment”, Dr Wirth said.
“Wild animals’ behavioural instincts aren’t required by the circus. They undergo fairly harsh training methods that you wouldn’t condone for a dog. They aren’t trained with care and reward. It’s a punishment system.”
He said the RSPCA usually advertised in a local area where an animal circus was performing to discourage patrons and was lobbying for harsh regulations on animal circuses.
Justice for Australian Circus Animals has protested at previous Lennons Brothers performances in Ballarat and, most recently, in Bayswater.
‘Wild animals’ behavioural instincts aren’t required by the circus. They undergo fairly harsh training methods that you wouldn’t condone for a dog. They aren’t trained with care and reward. It’s a punishment system.’ – Hugh Wirth
Earlier this month, it publicised pictures of a Lennons Brothers’s lion sitting in mud, exposed to the elements in a cage.
Lennon Brothers claims on its website to be one of two Australian circuses with performing ‘big cats’.
The 115-year-old circus states its three lions, all four years old from different litters, were “born and bred in the circus” and “12th-generation born and bred in Australia”.
Lennons did not return the Weekly’s calls.
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