Peter Jolly’s Circus is back in Nantwich this week as it celebrates its 40th anniversary on the road.
And organisers defended their record in the face of animal rights groups who have vowed to protest outside the show.
Jolly’s Circus will be staged on land at Alvaston Business Park, off the A530, from June 18 to 22.
The circus promises a host of acts as well as performing live animals such as lions, tigers, zebras, snakes and reindeer.
And it says, as only one of two circuses in the UK to be licensed by DEFRA, that all animals are looked after properly.
Anthony Beckwith, spokesman for Peter Jolly’s, told Nantwichnews: “We are licensed by DEFRA, they inspect us seven times a year, and three of these are random when they just turn up unannounced.
“They file four types of reports on us, and have never found any welfare problems. We have passed every single inspection. And these reports are available on the DEFRA website.
“These animal rights groups protest on ethical grounds, believing that all animals should be in the wild, and that we are an easy target because generally don’t know much about the circus.
“We have bred six generations of lions in captivity, so we have grown up with these animals. We log it every time they are fed, watered, and how much time they spend inside and outside.
“And we have an open door policy. Any member of the public can come along and have a look around and see how the animals are cared for.”
A spokeswoman for Crewe and Nantwich Animal Rights said: “We believe animals, whether domestic or wild, have no place in circuses and our protests are aimed at raising public awareness.
“We wonder what will happen to these animals if the UK Government does actually follow up on its promise of a ban. Where will these animals go?”
Jack Riggall, a conservation student at Reaseheath College in Nantwich, added: “The use of animals is made worse by the fact tigers and lions are facing tremendous declines in the wild.
“There are fewer than 3,000 of each remaining, with some tiger subspecies already extinct. The way to co-exist with big cats is clear, and it will not be found in the circus ring.”
The local RSPCA Stapeley centre in Nantwich tweeted “Peter Jolly’s Circus will be in Nantwich 18-22 June – Not so Jolly for the tigers, lions and zebras -Please boycott”.
Cheshire Police said they are aware of planned protests outside the circus in Nantwich and vowed to monitor the situation.
(pic of lion courtesy of Douglas McPherson)
Defra do not inspect 7 times a year, it is only 3. The inspection of the big cats is only visual, 10 weeks after an inspection one of the tigers was dead. The big cats only joined Jolly’s last year so not sure how Jolly’sv spokesperson can state “we have grown up with these animals”. Lies.
All of these anti performing animal people are pretending to be a part of the nrmal public. They care nothing for animals only gathering subscriptions for their lies and ignorant mis information to add to the pot. They would not last ten minutes actually looking after the animals they protest about which is a hard 24 /7 lifestyle chosen because those interacting with them want to be with them. Please go and see for yourselves, and you will immediately see tere is absolutely nothing to hide, and ignore these animal rights cultists, who in fact have a far greater agenda including a hidden wish to have pets banned as well.
Animals do not belong in a circus I have seen lions in the wild , I have also seen lions rescued from a canned hunting farm living a natural as possible life ( roaming free) in South Africa .
What’s the “normal public” in your view? I consider myself “normal” (however you define it) and agree totally with the protestors. It’s disgusting that in this day and age we still allow wild animals like big cats to be goaded and “trained” into performing for our entertainment. How anyone can find pleasure in watching a proud, beautiful animal being humiliated is beyond me.
You sound like a circus employee…and as for your suggestion that animal welfare protestors like this want to “have pets banned as well” – absolutely daft!
While you are all talking about banning Circus animals and showing such lack of what you are talking about, I suggest that you ask this government to make a law that all pet owners should under vigorous tests and inspections to ensure that the Dog, Cat, Rabbit or any other animal are treated in the correct way, That each animal has a vet report and check at leasr one a year, That is what happens to circus animals so why should pets be amy different, And Animals like rabbits, gerbils, and other furries are given exercise to stimulate them, and are not confined to the small cages, and proof of this excercise must be shown to inspectors,
Until them I suggest you all look at your own animal keeping skills and shut up.
In light of some of the above comments can we also have immediate bans on: 1) Racing horses, 2) Milking cows and 3) Keeping dogs in houses
I sincerely hope that the people of Crewe and Nantwich vote with their feet and do not go near this medieval form of entertainment. The circus is no place for any animal, being dragged from town to town, forced to perform unnatural acts for baying crowds. The animals spend the majority of their lives couped up in tiny wagons, pacing up and down, driven to the point of insanity by the sheer boredom of their miserable existence. This is the 21st century and no one in their right minds should think that this is an acceptable way to entertain their family
Stop pretending to be a normal member of the public, you clearly have cultist animal rights views and your comments are not only prejudiced and extreme, but one sided. The public will see for themselves and will clearly see that those against animals in ethical regulated circuses are merely subscription gathering money makers who would not have the first clue as to how much round the clock hard work it takes to keep all species of circus animals in tip top condition. If I am wrong and you are not a part of the greedy animal rights cults, why not go along and see for yourself how wrong your opinion is .
Take it you work in the circus industry then Terry? You can tell from some of the responses here that the circus staff have Wifi! Think you’ll find if you did the numbers, the circus is the cult.
No one is disputing the fact that looking after animals that are constantly traveling isn’t hard work. Just that the lifestyle the circus workers have chosen is nowhere near a suitable life for these animals whether wild or captive bred.
Hence why there is only two animal circuses operating in England today. Public opinion is is moving to a ban. Times have changed.
Cultists? That’s a new one! It’s pretty sad to see the depths to which circus employees like Terry Bunton are prepared to lower themselves.
You argue that animals are kept in “tip-top condition”. Even if this was the case, you’re missing the point. Animals are not supposed to “perform” in circuses. They’re a Victorian throw-back that should have been banned years ago. In the same way cock-fighting and bear-baiting were outlawed in the UK, so circus animals should be freed and left to live their lives with dignity, rather than being whipped and beaten in order to make them perform tricks for humans.
Bottom line is that the circus does not have the animals’ welfare in mind, the animals are used as commodities by which to make money. They are trained to behave unnaturally, live in pathetic unnatural conditions, and cannot express their natural habits. Sure they might be healthy, but they will be miserable. I’m certain a human could be kept healthy, despite being in a tiny cage and made to jump through hoops, but that doesn’t make it ok does it. The circus is a vile place and has no right to keep wild animals for profit, it’s a disgrace and should be banned.
Hello Rebecca, sorry but you are way off the mark with some of your comments. The circus does have the welfare of its animals in mind, the animals come first, always will and always have.
I am guessing you have never been near the circus, seen the show, the animals living and exercise facilities or indeed any of the daily training sessions! If you had, then you would know that the animals can express their natural behaviors and how do you know they are trained to behave unnaturally?
This is nothing more than a typical rant of someone who hasn’t got a clue.
If you want to know the truth, go and see for yourself or look on the Defra website, all the details regarding Peter Jolly’s Circus, their animals, their living and exercise facilities and their inspection records are there for all to see. They have nothing to hide!
This comment from circusfan is a typical rant from someone who knows absolutely nothing about the subject they are ranting about. Of course the lions and tigers were born in captivity. You don’t have to take my word for it, go on the defra website and see the inspection reports or perhaps you think government are also lying plus all the honourable government veterinary surgeons who monitor and inspect these circus animals or indeed the Vets who issued health certificates when these animals were born in captivity, I suppose they are lying too? Maybe all the eminent scientists who have spent thousands of watching hours at circuses are also lying in their reports? Maybe all these people are in a secret plot to cover up some dastardly activity?
The circus fraternity can produce all supporting evidence and documents and they are all in the public domain any way. So circusfan can you produce any documents or evidence to back up your claims of wild caught? No of course you can’t because there are none, or perhaps you have a complex and want your five minutes of fame? Who knows and quite frankly anyone can see through your ridiculous rant. so please go away find out the truth or point us in the direction of your evidence and then post in a knowledgeable way.
How can the spokesperson of Peter Jolly Circus talk about animal welfare when these magnificent animals are kept in cages and coerced to perform tricks against their natural instinct? How can the circus invite people to verify by themselves the standards of animal welfare when they don’t show the suffering they had to endure at the time of being broken? How do they dare to say these animals were born in captivity, when actually nobody at Peter Jolly have ever seen them born, grow and let alone trained because they belong to Charles Chipperfield? How do they claim they were born in captivity when the number of felines (lions, tigers and others) arriving in circuses and enriching their zoos and shows is far greater than the number of cubs born in circuses? How do they make us to believe the love for their animals when nobody monitor the welfare standards at the Chipperfields training centre in Spain which supply trained animals all over Europe?
In regard to the posting by ‘circusfan’, I find it strange someone would use such a name and then get state things against circus and get their facts wrong at the same time.
Firstly not all the animals are kept in cages, some animals such as lions and tigers by law have to be, just as they do in zoos and for your information are not coerced to perform against their natural instincts. What would a lion do in Africa? Firstly it would spend most of the day asleep, then hunt, which they achieve by running and jumping at their prey. With the exception of hunting, all the other natural movements are perfectly achievable in the circus.
Do you know how circus animals are trained or to use your words broken? You haven’t told us anything that you know, so I am guessing that you actually know nothing at all!
ALL the animals at Peter Jolly’s Circus have been born in captivity, please feel to check the Defra website, ALL the facts regarding the ‘wild’ animals on Peter Jolly’s Circus, their transport, stabling, exercise, food, daily routine is their for everyone to see. They have nothing to hide. The fact that they have the animals welfare interests in mind, is why the have good animal welfare standards, its why their zebra lived to be nearly thirty! If you care to check their Facebook page, their is information relating to the birth of a llama on the show last year and also on the Facebook page of Circus Mondao, their is also photos relating to the birth of two baby llamas over the past two years, so you cannot say, the Jolly family have never seen any animal on their show being born. They currently have two pregnant llamas!
In relation to the lions and tigers, they belong to Thomas Chipperfield and his parents, Tommy and Marilyn. These animals do NOT belong to Charles Chipperfield. Thomas is the nephew of Charles! The lions are quite young and together with the tiger, they have daily training and practise sessions, so I can say that you are wrong once again, the Jolly’s have seen them being trained, as can you! Either get yourself down to the show and ask if you can watch, or log onto You Tube and search for Thomas Chipperfield, as his training sessions have been filmed and can be watched by anyone. Do you know where the cats came from? Do you know which circus they came from? Do you know how many big cats in this country there are that breed for circuses? I do!
And these cats have not come from outside this country.
You mention the Chipperfield training centre in Spain. Well the company you refer to, is Mary Chipperfield Promotions, a company which in itself has no direct connection to Chipperfields Circus or indeed Peter Jolly’s Circus, or to Thomas and his parents. They are cousins within the same very large circus family.
But then someone who uses the label ‘circusfan’ should really know all of that information.
If you wish to comment about animals in the circus, their training or indeed their welfare, please be informed before making any more incorrect statements!