22/08/2008: While the Federal Law that will prohibit the use of animals in circus is not approved in Brazil – a public audiende to discuss the bill was rescheduled to November 4th -, the war against mistreating of animals in this kind of entertainment activity continues in the country.

Almost two weeks after the first operation by IBAMA in the circus Le Cirque for clear mistreating against animals, a Federal Judge from Mato Grosso do Sul state, Renato Togliasso, authorized yesterday the relocation of the animals in Brasilia zoo. Last Friday, August 15th, the circus ran away to the Mato Grosso do Sul with the animals to avoid the confiscation of the animals determined by Justice.

The animals – hippos, elephants, giraffes and camels – left Campo Grande city (capital of Mato Grosso do Sul) this morning to be taken to Brasilia zoo, where they will stay until new judicial or administrative decisions are launched. An injured elephant and one rhinoceront will go to Brasilia on Sunday, 24th.

One of the circus with the largest number of animals that has been travelling around Brazil, Le Cirque was in Brasilia in the beginning of the month and the licence that permits the circus to present at the capital had been suspended. On Tuesday, August 12th , IBAMA and public prosecutors did an inspection operation and found out unsafe installations and clear evidence of mistreating against a lot of animals, among them them two chimpanzees, one rhinoceront, one hippopotamus, two giraffes, one camel and several elephants.

The operation resulted on the decision of confiscate the animals and relocate them to more approppriate places and on the confiscation of the two chimpanzees, who were immediately taken to GAP Sanctuary in Sorocaba (São Paulo countryside) after a request by IBAMA.

It\’s worth to point out that this circus had already been forbiden, by Justice, to do presentations with the animals at São Paulo state last year for the same mistreating reasons.

Chimpanzees were taken to GAP Sanctuary
and will stay there according to a judicial decision

On August 15th, Federal Regional Tribunal (TRF, in Portuguese) from Brasília suspended the resolution that had been signed by the 9th Federal Bureau in favour of the circus after IBAMA´s inspection. TRF analysed documents released by IBAMA after the inspection operation and also a report by GAP Project Brazil. Both documents showed unsafe instalation conditions and evidence of mistreating against all the animals.

Besides, the Judge from the 3th Criminal Departament from Brasília, Dr. Waldir da Paz Almeida, has decided, based on the same documents, that all the animals should be confiscated and that the chimpanzees should be kept at the Ecological Sanctuary in Sorocaba. The Judge concluded that the circus was commiting ennvironmental crime, according to the Federal Law 9605/98 (Environmental Crimes Law).

Fortunately, it has been officially defined that the two chimpanzees confiscated from Le Cirque are going to live at GAP Sanctuary in Sorocaba, together with other 40 chimps. There they will have the right and humane treatment that they deserve and will have the chance to socialize with their equals, in a clean and safe environment.

Proof of abuse and torture

GAP Project Brazil presented last week some photos of the place where Jeber and Tyson, the chimpanzees from Le Cirque, used to live before going to the Sanctuary. There are also photos from the chimps already settled at the Sanctuary and these shows the evidence of the mistreating committed against them.

· The chimpanzees were confined in a trailler of no more than 10 meters together with an hippopotamus. They were separated from each other only by a narrow corridor.

· The place where they were kept was extremely dirty and completely deteriorated. The "beds" were in so bad conditions that the chimps were not able to lay down on them.

· The cage was completely unsafe, as tit was in bad conditions and was not locked properly. There was a big chance that the chimps break the door lock and run away.

· The chimps suffered several mutilations. They were castrated – testicules extraction – and had all their teeth pulled out. They also have scars of chains around their necks.

 If this is not considered mistreating, what more do we need to prove itω