Circus forced to withdraw cub

A circus that is visiting the island has been forced to stop using a tiger cub for CYP 8 per shot photos with children, following complaints from members of Animal Responsibility Cyprus (ARC/KIVOTOS) to the Veterinary Department of Cyprus.

The cub turned out to be a pet of one of the circus members and the circus had not followed the rules on applying for permission to use the cib for marketing purposes.

The organisation is still disappointed that other animals are still present at the circus. After it brought the maltreatment of circus animals to the attention of the Cyprus authorities some years ago, the Veterinary Department of Nicosia, declared that conditions would be made so strict that no travelling circus could again enter Cyprus.

However, the circus has been licensed according to the relevant EU law and as long as the circus follows the rules, which include a daily visit by a veterinary surgeon, there is little that can be done legally to prevent the use of animals.

ARC/KIVOTOS vows to continue lobbying in the meantime.

“The idea is that circuses are welcome: animals are not,” Patricia Radnor-Kyriacou of ARC/KIVOTOS told the Financial Mirror.