BIAZA was established (as the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland) in the late sixties, prior to the introduction of any formal legal regulation of zoos. The organisation is a voluntary membership body whose committees are made up largely of representatives from major zoos around the UK and Ireland. In recent years, BIAZA has worked to position itself to better influence Government on zoo issues. This is despite a series of incidences which have led to serious cause for concern.

Lions from BIAZA member end up in circus show

Last year, for example, BIAZA launched an investigation into the alleged sale of lion cubs by West Midland Safari Park to a circus trainer following a CAPS and LionAid exposé. Despite admitting that the safari park had breached BIAZA’s animal transaction policy, West Midland retained its membership and the results of the investigation were never made public. At least two member zoos continue to breed white lions, despite BIAZA recognising the serious health and welfare issues related to the practice. It would appear that no action is forthcoming to prevent these zoos from continuing to breed the animals. CAPS and others criticised BIAZA at the time for failure to hold members to account.

During a recent national radio debate, BIAZA’s director invited contact from CAPS on welfare concerns; promising that they would be investigated. Just a few days later, when CAPS contacted zoos to ask a series of simple questions about pinioning birds, BIAZA advised its members that a collective response would be sent to CAPS by BIAZA on the zoos’ behalf. At the time of going to press, over two months later, the promised response to these simple questions remain outstanding. This apparent unwillingness to share basic information on controversial zoo practices represents another area of concern for CAPS.

In the last month, developments in CAPS’ Fight for Flight campaign revealed that BIAZA had been advising its members that the practice of pinioning of birds could be carried out by laypeople in zoos. In fact, it is against the law for laypeople to pinion birds in zoos in England. BIAZA have repeatedly stated that their members are not only expected to meet legal standards, but exceed them. Statements such as these hold little weight when it becomes apparent that BIAZA itself has failed to understand the legal requirements imposed on its members.

And it is not just its own members that BIAZA advises on legal issues. The organisation also worked in “close collaboration” with Government-commissioned researchers in their assessment of the implementation of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 – the law which regulates BIAZA zoos. The conclusion of this research, released in 2010, was that the current law did not require amendment and zoos were improving with regards to compliance. However, independent research carried out by CAPS and other organisations just over a year later found that there were serious problems with the implementation of the same Act and an almost complete absence of enforcement action being taken against failing zoos.

CAPS Director, Liz Tyson said:

“Whilst we disagree with the industry that BIAZA promotes, we accept that zoos have every right to represent their views and interests in the public domain, just as we have a right to register our objection to the same industry. What we have seen in recent years, however, is a blurring of lines between BIAZA as representatives of the interests of the zoo industry and BIAZA as an unofficial regulatory body for the zoo industry which advises Government. It stands to reason that it cannot be all things to all people without the danger of a conflict of interests coming into play”.

CAPS confirmed that concerns will be pursued with the relevant bodies.

Dilapidated enclosure at abandoned Glasgow Zoo

Citing animal welfare concerns, ethical worries and a lack of contribution to conservation efforts as the basis for the fundamental opposition to the zoo proposals, spokespeople for the organisations said that there were also serious concerns over the economic viability of the plans. Continuing with the development, it was suggested, would offend the “vision” for sustainable economic development outlined in South Lanarkshire Council’s Local Development Plan:

“To promote the continued growth and regeneration of South Lanarkshire by seeking sustainable economic and social development within a low carbon economy and an improved urban and rural environment”^[1].

It was noted that the location chosen for a new zoo at the Cuningar Loop places the proposed development just 7 miles from the site where Glasgow Zoo operated until 2003. Glasgow Zoo closed after running up reported debts of around £3.5 million which, in turn, resulted in the zoo failing to meet the standards required under zoo licensing regulations; reportedly impacting upon animal welfare and ultimately resulting in the zoo’s closure. The financial problems came as a result of a year-on-year decrease in visitor numbers and the associated decrease in income.

Competition with Edinburgh Zoo was deemed to be one of the factors affecting Glasgow Zoo’s visitor numbers. In 2003, Edinburgh Zoo had not introduced its high profile panda exhibit which has seen its visitor footfall increase by around 50% to 810,937 visitors in the last twelve months.  The charities say “it stands to reason” that the Cuningar Loop project will be under much more pressure than its predecessor in terms of competition with its Edinburgh-based rival.

The submission to the company responsible for the development states:

“All evidence suggests that in the short term, as visitors continue to flock to Edinburgh Zoo to see the pandas, the zoo at Cuningar Loop will be overlooked. In subsequent years, as the draw of the pandas wears off, it is reasonable to assume that visitor numbers will drop back to the “pre-panda” levels. That is, levels which could barely sustain one zoo in the area and had, for over ten years, been too low to support two”

A spokesperson for CAPS and OneKind concluded by saying:

“We would suggest that an excellent environmental attraction – perhaps similar in nature to the Eden Project in Cornwall or Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh – could be equally suitable for this site and could provide educational and entertainment facilities without exploiting wild animals”.

CAPS Director, Liz Tyson, said:

“Unfortunately it is not enough to cite animal welfare or ethical reasons when it comes to matters of planning as these factors normally fall outside of the remit of any planning committee. We will therefore be appealing to the council to deny planning permission when the time comes on the basis that the plans make poor business sense. If successful, the result will be the same; the prevention of a business which seeks to hold animals captive for entertainment”.

Read the full submission here.

Please consider supporting CAPS ongoing campaigns to end the exploitation of captive animals by becoming a member today! Click HERE for more details.

Planning permission for the ill-conceived aquarium was subsequently granted and the centre is reported to be due to open in the next month. Recently, a spokesperson for Sea Life made the following statement in press:

“At Sea Life we are passionate about preserving marine habitats and protecting the incredible species that live in them. Marine conservation is at the heart of everything we do – supporting projects across the world to inspire more people to care”.

But this statement rang somewhat hollow when, last week, CAPS received a long-overdue response to questions posed to a Sea Life senior manager during a meeting held in early March. The meeting was arranged at the request of Sea Life in order to speak through the concerns that CAPS had about the inappropriate, unethical and cruel plans to imprison thousands of aquatic animals to facilitate a new entertainment venue. In the letter inviting CAPS Director, Liz Tyson, to attend the meeting, it was promised that the Sea Life representative “would be happy to discuss any specific questions CAPS may have”.

The questions posed by CAPS were as follows:

• How many animals in Sea Life aquariums originate from the wild?
• In monetary terms, how much of Sea Life’s income is spent on in situ conservation projects (both as a percentage and as a figure)?
• What are the mortality rates of animals at Sea Life aquariums?
• Does Sea Life cull animals?

During the meeting, none of these questions were answered in full.

It was agreed that outstanding points should be put in writing and Sea Life would endeavour to “provide full and transparent answers to the various questions asked”. After over two months waiting for those answers, a response was finally received; a four page letter which, once again, failed to give straight answers to the list of simple questions.

Despite the apparent reluctance to answer CAPS’ concerns directly, a number of conclusions can be drawn from the letter:

Sea Life DO take animals from the wild, but they don’t want us to know how many

It was confirmed that animals are taken from the wild to stock Sea Life aquariums but no figure was put on how many, or what percentage, of the animals held in the aquariums have been taken from their wild homes to spend their lives in tanks. The 2004 CAPS study of UK public aquariums found that a massive 79% of animals in the aquariums studied were wild-caught.

Less than 3 pence per visitor can be traced directly to in situ conservation projects

Little attempt was made to provide an answer to the specific question on monetary contribution to in situ conservation (conservation of species within their natural habitat) and, instead, the letter listed a number of unrelated activities carried out by the zoo chain and a number of future projects not yet initiated. The only concrete evidence of monetary support for an in situ project was confirmation that £250,000 was spent on support for a turtle sanctuary in Greece.  On the surface, £250,000 may seem like a lot of money but this represents just 0.02% of parent company Merlin’s 2012 revenue, which was a massive £1,074,000,000 in 2012.

According to Sea Life partners, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Sea Life centres attract over 10 million visitors per year. When extrapolated to vistors to Sea Life centres alone, this equates to less than three pence per person being traced directly to support for in situ conservation efforts. The entrance for a family of four to Sea Life’s London Aquarium is £64.26.

It is not company policy to disclose how many animals die in Sea Life centres

A major concern for those who oppose the keeping of animals in public aquariums is that mortality rates (deaths of animals) are poorly monitored and may be unacceptably high. It stands to reason that public aquariums would be keen to provide data which debunks these concerns but the letter confirmed simply that: “it is not our policy to release site by site data on any operational level”. This was followed by a detailed explanation of how animal health is monitored and confirmed that Sea Life is not concerned about mortality rates in its centres. Of course, without data then this information remains unsubstantiated.

Culling of animals not ruled out

The question on culling was addressed by including a copy of Sea Life’s “Euthanasia Policy”, which confirmed that euthanasia due to “surplus to requirements” or “too large to house” must be discussed at the ethics review before being carried out. Tellingly, culling animals for these purposes are not ruled out.

Said CAPS Director, Liz Tyson:

“I was pleasantly surprised when we were contacted by Sea Life as, despite our opposition to their captive animal businesses, it seemed that the company was willing to engage in some frank and open discussion. It was disappointing to receive the letter last week which, after a delay of two months, we had hoped would give us clear answers to our questions. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be and the answers given do little more than promote the business’ key PR messages, whilst pointedly avoiding the specifics of the legitimate concerns we had raised with them.

“Most public statements by representatives from zoos and aquarium businesses include claims of “conservation impact” and “high welfare standards”, but when you scratch beneath the surface, these claims very often do not appear to stand up to scrutiny. We continue to encourage our supporters to boycott attractions that hold animals captive for entertainment and, if they are concerned with the conservation of species, to support those projects that are working effectively to protect animals in their natural habitat”.

CAPS and local campaign group, Manchester Animal Action, have vowed to continue to campaign against the new business, and on the wider issues surrounding the UK aquarium industry.
Animals in aquariums are often overlooked in the wider zoo debate. Please support us in speaking out for aquatic animals by becoming a member of CAPS today. We can’t do it without you.

Dear Mr Spray,

Following the launch of a campaign by our organisation to highlight concerns over the practice of pinioning of captive birds, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust released a statement in direct response which said:

“To help encourage our visitors to feel the same we create opportunities for them to get close to our birds, to appreciate their beauty, to be inspired and hopefully better understand how they can help in their conservation. We know that this sort of engagement works and many visitors join our conservation work and become members. The majority of the captive birds visitors see at our centres are there to help engagement, to connect people with wetlands and wetland wildlife”.

In the last six weeks, a number of polls and surveys have been carried out to establish views on the practice of pinioning. A number of those surveyed were visitors to your centres; the very people who, you say, benefit from the engagement opportunities created by being able to get close to pinioned birds.

Notwithstanding our organisation’s overall opposition to the practice, and additional concerns raised more recently over the legality of the way in which the procedure has been carried out in zoos up and down the country, a number of clear messages have emerged from the various polls and surveys, as follows:

• The majority of people are opposed to the practice and believe it should be banned
  • 98% of respondents to a poll run by national newspaper, The Sunday Express, called for pinioning to be banned
  • 97% of respondents to an online poll by Care2.org called for pinioning to be banned (883 people)
  • 94% of respondents to an online survey are opposed to pinioning (489 people)
  • 86% of visitors to your sites were unaware that the WWT pinioned birds until the ‘Fight for Flight’ campaign was launched (146 people surveyed)
  • 82% of visitors to your centres are opposed to the practice (146 people surveyed)
  • 79% of visitors to your centres will not return, or are unsure whether or not they will return, whilst the WWT continues to pinion birds (146 people surveyed)

Comments from WWT visitors surveyed included:

“It goes against everything that they are set up to do and what we wish to see.”

“In light of what I now know, my family will be staying away.”

“I was horrified when I found out about this practice. I used to visit Martin Mere regularly and support what I believed to be a sanctuary. Now I never want to visit the place again.”

“I will not be going to any WWT sites until this practice stops. I do not want to see mutilated birds being forced to behave unnaturally”.

Your statement on pinioning concluded with the following:

“WWT is fully accountable to everyone who supports us and we aim to be as open and transparent as possible. We welcome the debate which aims to ensure good welfare for wetland birds”.

It would appear from the preliminary information gathered in the last six weeks that the time for open debate and transparency is now. Whilst the campaign to see pinioning completely abolished will continue, we firmly believe that the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust has an opportunity to take action now, and lead the way in rejecting this practice; if not for the birds, then in the interests of your supporters.

We recognise the importance of the work of your organisation in the ongoing conservation of wetlands habitats and hope that work in this area continues to thrive in years to come. But this work should not be carried out at the expense of the very birds that you seek to protect.

We look forward to your response.

Kind regards,

Liz Tyson
Director

If you would like to join the Fight for Flight to see the end to the mutilation of birds in zoos, there are a number of ways in which you can help:

EMAIL the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust to demand that they stop pinioning now: enquiries@wwt.org.uk

READ the full report

SIGN the petition

WRITE to your MP to ask that they support the call to ban pinioning
Click the link and enter your postcode to find out who your MP is. Write to them to ask them to support this important new campaign.

DONATE to the campaign today!
Your donation today will help us to campaign at local and national levels to put an end to this cruelty.

COMPLETE the short 2 minute survey to share your views on pinioning. This data will be vital in the campaign.

GET INVOLVED in peaceful demonstrations
Got a zoo near you? Get in touch with us to receive free campaigning literature to use on information stalls or demonstrations. We can help you organise your demo – just let us know if you need advice or help.

CONTACT your local zoo to find out if they pinion birds
Pinioning is widespread but rarely talked about by the zoo industry. Get in touch with your local zoo to find out if they pinion birds. Ask them how many birds are subjected to this practice and let us know what you find out. A full list of zoos in England can be found here.

BOYCOTT nature reserves, parks or other outdoor centres that hold captive wildlife
Some zoos promote themselves as nature reserves or other types of outdoor centre. If you are unsure whether a reserve or centre that you would like to visit holds captive animals, call ahead and find out. Let them know why you won’t be visiting if they do hold captive wildlife.

Interns will gain valuable experience of working as part of a busy and effective animal protection charity. This is a perfect opportunity for school-leavers, recent graduates or those looking for a career change to enter the charitable/animal protection sector. If your application is successful, you will be fully supported by our experienced team members, who will help you to develop your skills in key areas of our charitable work. We currently have two openings for voluntary internships.

Fundraising Intern

Fundraising and supporter engagement is one of the most vital roles within any charity. As we run almost entirely on donations from generous supporters and grant giving organisations, our fundraising team is the lifeblood of the organisation. In the current financial climate, ensuring that the charity’s campaigns are financed in order to achieve the very best results for the animals is a challenge which is met with dedication and enthusiasm by our Fundraising Officer and Assistant. Our Fundraising Intern will help to deliver our fundraising strategy whilst learning important skills from our experienced team.

Duties include:

• Supporting the Fundraising Officer and Assistant on a day-to-day basis
• Planning, development and delivery of events
• Administration of existing fundraising initiatives
• Responsibility for some areas of fundraising (for example, street collections)
• Developing links with schools, universities and interest groups in order to foster wider support for CAPS

Qualities required:

• Hard working and enthusiastic
• Excellent interpersonal skills and willingness to engage actively with supporters
• Good spoken and written English
• Good computer literacy and organisational skills
• A commitment to the aims and objectives of CAPS

Campaigns Intern

Our campaigns to seek an end to the exploitation of animals in captivity have shown great results over the years since we were founded in 1957. Led by our Director and supported by our Campaigns Officer, our Campaigns Intern will become part of a close-knit and effective team working for animals. Covering a diverse range of projects – from opposing a new aquarium to preparing detailed Government briefings to monitoring the movements of circuses around the UK – the successful applicant must be flexible, hardworking and willing to “hit the ground running”.

Duties include:

• Supporting the Director and Campaigns Officer on a day-to-day basis
• Taking an active part in the charity’s monitoring work of captive animal facilities; particularly zoos and circuses
• Administration of various campaigns databases
• Carrying out research on the charity’s key campaign issues: zoos, circuses and the exotic pet trade
• Supporting the team in the delivery and development of the charity’s social media strategy

Qualities required:

• Hard working and enthusiastic
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent spoken and written English
• Good computer literacy and organisational skills
• A demonstrable understanding and commitment to the aims and objectives of CAPS

Further information:

Interns be able to attend our office in Salford for at least three days a week, between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday (with some weekends, dependent on the events timetable)
Internships are offered on a voluntary basis.

CAPS operates a vegan office which we ask that interns comply with (as far as is practicable) whilst at work.

How to apply:

Internships are offered on a rolling basis for periods of 3 – 6 months at a time. If you are not available immediately, let us know so we can consider you for an opening later in the year.

If you are interested in applying, please send a CV and short covering letter explaining how you fulfil the relevant criteria and why you are interested in working with CAPS to Nicola O’Brien Nicola@captiveanimals.org (Fundraising) or Kat Affleck kat@captiveanimals.org (Campaigns)with information on your availability and proposed start date.

Potential candidates will be contacted by telephone for an informal interview at a convenient time.

A report in the Sunday Express

‘Pinioning’ is the practice of amputating the end of one wing of a newborn bird with a sharp pair of scissors – usually without any pain relief. As the birds grow they will be lop-sided and, as a result, will never be able to fly.

Pinioning is formally recognised under the law as a ‘mutilation’ and is illegal if carried out on farmed birds and, as confirmed by Government in the last few days, is only legal on birds in zoos if carried out by a veterinary surgeon.

Following the launch of the campaign, CAPS continued to gather evidence on the extent of the practice and researchers were shocked to discover that, not only were thousands of birds being subjected to this mutilation, but that a number of zoos were carrying out the practice illegally. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust has confirmed that it has allowed unqualified staff to carry out the veterinary surgery and BIAZA’s formal guidance on the matter tells members that a vet is only required when the bird is older than ten days old, which is not the case.

CAPS has been seeking answers from BIAZA as to the extent of the practice of pinioning in its member zoos for almost a month but is yet to receive any response. In light of yesterday’s revelations, the charity has written to central Government to request that a formal independent review be carried out in order to establish exactly how many birds have been unlawfully maimed.

CAPS is asking supporters to write to their MPs as a matter of urgency to demand answers and to request a formal review of the legislation which allows birds to be rendered permanently flightless simply so that zoo visitors can look at them. CAPS is calling for an amendment to the law to make pinioning illegal under all circumstances.

Please write to your MP today to ask:

1. That they support the call on Government department, Defra, to carry out an independent review of pinioning in zoos to establish how many birds have been mutilated (both lawfully and unlawfully) in order to hold them captive.
2. That they join the call to review the Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 with a view to outlawing pinioning altogether.

Please take a few moments to raise these points with your MP today. Click here to find out who your MP is and how to get in touch with them.

Visit the main campaign page to find out the other ways in which you can support the Fight for Flight campaign.

A shocking new development in the ongoing ‘Fight for Flight’ campaign means CAPS can reveal that, not only are thousands of birds being mutilated by zoos, but that they have been maimed illegally by unqualified zoo staff. The news has been reported in national press this morning.

‘Pinioning’ is the practice of amputating the end of one wing of a newborn bird with a sharp pair of scissors – usually without any pain relief. As the birds grow they will be lop-sided and, as a result, will never be able to fly. This allows zoos and wildlife parks to keep flamingos and other exotic species in open-top enclosures – giving the misleading impression to visitors that the birds could fly away if they chose to. In fact these birds can never fly away nor can they ever be released to the wild.

Pinioning is formally recognised under the law as a ‘mutilation’ and is illegal if carried out on farmed birds and only legal for birds in zoos if carried out by a qualified vet or other person permitted under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. The campaign, which was launched over Easter, seeks to completely outlaw the practice and has been backed by a host of experts, celebrities and parliamentarians.

Following the launch of the campaign, CAPS continued to gather evidence on the extent of the practice and researchers were shocked to discover that, not only were thousands of birds being subjected to this mutilation, but that a number of zoos apparently thought themselves above the law and were carrying out the practice illegally. Rather than pay a qualified vet, as required by law, members of zoo staff were given responsibility for the maiming of birds’ wings. A spokesperson for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust confirmed this was the case in written correspondence with CAPS’ Director, saying:

“Our practitioners have many more years of experience in this specialist field than most vets so it is our practitioners who carry out the process”

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Centres make up just five of the 208 licensed zoos in the country, but hold around 5,650 pinioned birds in these centres alone. This bold decision to dispense with vets may save the zoos money, but is illegal; a point CAPS and the Sunday Express confirmed with Government in the last few days. A Defra spokesperson said:

“Wing-pinioning is veterinary surgery and can only be carried out by veterinary surgeons. If anyone has concerns that wing-pinioning is being carried out by unqualified people they should report them to their local authority to investigate”.

It is unclear at present whether legal action will be taken against the zoos as CAPS seeks advice from legal advisors and the relevant local authorities.

Further concerns have been raised that, not only have individual zoos apparently been carrying out the practice illegally for years, but this illegal action appeared to be supported by zoo industry body, BIAZA, who state in their formal guidance on the issue of pinioning, which is not available in the public domain, that:

“In the UK it is illegal for anyone who is not a veterinary surgeon to pinion a bird after it is ten days old”.

Elsewhere in the same document, BIAZA explicitly state that laypeople can carry out the procedure:

“Pinioning of young birds uner [sic] 10 days old, must be undertaken only by competent operatives who are the owners or employees of owners…”

But, as confirmed by Government, regardless of the age of the bird there is no legal justification whatsoever for laypeople to carry out this practice under any circumstances in England.  Liz Tyson, Director of CAPS said:

“That the zoo industry deems the partial amputation of limbs as a legitimate means to hold thousands of birds captive is horrifying. But the fact that the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust have so brazenly confirmed that they are acting outside of the law and that they believe their staff know better than vets adds an even more sinister aspect to a practice which already defies justification. Add to this that BIAZA is advising its member zoos that this practice only requires a vet if the bird is older than ten days old suggests that this apparent defiance of the law might not be limited to just a few zoos but may span the entire industry. This means that many more thousands of birds may have had their wings severed by unqualified zoo staff”. 

Ms Tyson said CAPS were unaware whether BIAZA’s stance was as a result of  ignorance but called for the zoo body’s role in advising on any legal matters be brought under review. It was noted that BIAZA worked in close collaboration with Government-commissioned researchers in the Defra assessment of the implementation of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 – a law regulating BIAZA’s own members. Ms Tyson added:

“BIAZA have historically played a role in advising and supporting government on areas surrounding the legislation which governs their own members – something which we believe presents a serious conflict of interest in itself. Our work clearly suggests that that BIAZA’s role as competent advisors on legal matters should be considered very carefully”.

Notwithstanding the legalities and illegalities of the practice, CAPS maintains that pinioning is inexcusable under any circumstances and must be abolished. The call has been echoed by others, including multi-award-winning writer/comedian, Ricky Gervais, who said:

“The idea of amputating part of an animal’s limb in order to keep it in captivity is unacceptable. I support the campaign to see this practice banned at the earliest opportunity”

Interior designer turned animal rights campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), Meg Mathews, said:

“I had visited wildlife reserves before and, I think like many people, did not think to question why the flamingos and other birds didn’t fly away. I perhaps assumed that they did and came back through choice. But, when I saw the photographs of these beautiful birds missing half a wing after being deliberately and permanently disabled, the reality really hit home. It opened my eyes and I had to speak out. This practice cannot continue. It must be stopped”.

Dr Andrew Kelly, Animal Welfare Consultant and former Head of Wildlife for the RSPCA offered his expert opinion:

“Pinioning is a cruel and unnecessary practice. It is a significant mutilation that has severe long-term consequences for the bird, depriving it of its most basic natural behaviour: the ability to fly.  In many cases, pinioning takes place between the age of 2 – 5 days old, often without anaesthesia or pain relief. In my opinion it is simply unethical to carry out this practice simply to keep a bird in captivity”.

Baroness Angela Smith of Basildon, Member of the House of Lords, said of the report’s findings:

“This is shocking.  Those who visit such centres and who genuinely want to admire these birds in a natural environment will be horrified and upset to learn how and why they are mutilated in this way”

A petition has been launched in opposition of pinioning and will be presented to the zoo industry and Government.

Join the ‘Fight for Flight’ campaign today to end this cruelty!

Join CAPS in campaigning to see the cruel practice of pinioning – the mutilation of birds to keep them in captivity – banned in the UK.

Below are just some of the ways you can help. Please don’t delay – join us in the Fight for Flight!

SIGN the petition

READ the full report

WRITE to your MP to ask that they support the call to ban pinioning
Click the link and enter your postcode to find out who your MP is. Write to them to ask them to support this important new campaign.

DONATE to the campaign today!
Your donation today will help us to campaign at local and national levels to put an end to this cruelty.

COMPLETE the short 2 minute survey to share your views on pinioning. This data will be vital in the campaign.

GET INVOLVED in peaceful demonstrations
Got a zoo near you? Get in touch with us to receive free campaigning literature to use on information stalls or demonstrations. We can help you organise your demo – just let us know if you need advice or help.

CONTACT your local zoo to find out if they pinion birds
Pinioning is widespread but rarely talked about by the zoo industry. Get in touch with your local zoo to find out if they pinion birds. Ask them how many birds are subjected to this practice and let us know what you find out. A full list of zoos in England can be found here.

BOYCOTT nature reserves, parks or other outdoor centres that hold captive wildlife
Some zoos promote themselves as nature reserves or other types of outdoor centre. If you are unsure whether a reserve or centre that you would like to visit holds captive animals, call ahead and find out. Let them know why you won’t be visiting if they do hold captive wildlife.

Visit the main campaign page to find out more information

“It kills my faith in these places which I believed were a sanctuary for birds and wildfowl”.

100 members of the public were surveyed with a view to understanding current awareness and opinions surrounding the practice of pinioning of captive birds. 50 respondents had visited WWT centres previously and 50 people had never visited a centre.

83% of all respondents were opposed to the practice of pinioning with just 12% in favour. 5% of respondents were neither in favour or opposed.

Of the 50 people that had visited WWT centre, a huge 78% of people had no idea that the birds that they were watching had been mutilated to hold them captive. 60% of people would no longer visit, or were now unsure whether they would visit again, in the knowledge that the birds had been pinioned.

One respondent commented that finding out that the birds were pinioned had prompted them to cancel their membership. Another said:

“We didn’t know this until we had parted with our money and gone in. Needless to say we will never go there again”.

The majority of visitors confirmed that they support the Fight for Flight campaign to see the practice of pinioned abolished.

Whilst the WWT admit to pinioning all of their captive wildfowl and flamingos, it is not just these centres that engage in the practice. Pinioning appears to be one of the best-kept secrets in the zoo industry. Indeed, CAPS has been waiting for a response from the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria (BIAZA) as to the extent of the practice in their member zoos for almost a month. The Director of BIAZA claimed during an interview with CAPS Director, Liz Tyson, on national radio that the practice was “something that we are seeing zoos beginning to move away from” but has failed to provide any evidence to substantiate this statement since then.

Said CAPS Director, Liz:

“For now, the campaign has had a strong focus on WWT centres as, to their credit, they have at least been honest about the extent of the practice in their zoos. A number of other zoos have come back to us and told us they would never carry out pinioning, some have even put their name to our petition, but there remain far too many unanswered questions. BIAZA’s continued silence does nothing to instil confidence in those members of the public who believe that it is their right to know what is going on behind closed doors in zoos”.

She added:

“The results released today send a clear message to WWT that, whilst they claim they do this for visitor satisfaction, guests and potential guests are turning away from them as a result. If they won’t stop this cruelty for the sake of the birds, will they put an end to it for the sake of their income?”

Of the minority of respondents that were supportive of the practice of pinioning, some commented that they believed the issue was “trivial” and others that pinioning was a “practical” way of holding birds captive.

The survey remains open as CAPS continues to gather a wide range of views on the matter to inform the ongoing campaign and can be answered here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DSL79MX

If you live in the North West and would like to join CAPS on a sponsored walk and bird watch to see birds flying freely whilst raising vital funds for the Fight for Flight campaign, please click here to find out more.

If you feel that pinioning should be abolished, please take a few moments to sign the urgent petition by clicking here.

Perhaps putting normally solitary animals on display for zoo visitors to stare at day-in and day-out had an effect on Tian Tian’s willingness to mate. Perhaps living in a confined and unnatural zoo enclosure meant she was less receptive. Perhaps she felt that Yang Guang was simply not the right panda to father her young. Perhaps it was something entirely different; it is impossible to say.

Sadly, the zoo’s desperation for cubs meant that they did not simply accept that the time wasn’t right and instead they chose to sedate Tian Tian and artificially inseminate her. Zoos argue that artificial insemination is necessary to protect endangered species but animals born in zoos rarely go back to the wild. In fact, only two pandas born in captivity have ever been released to the wild. The first, Xiang Xiang, was killed and the second, Taotao, was released late last year. It remains to be seen if he will survive. If Tian Tian does fall pregnant and her baby survives, he or she will be the property of the Chinese Government and must be sent to China after two years. The cub will likely form part of similar breeding programmes in the future.

Said CAPS Director, Liz Tyson:

“That final piece of control that Tian Tian had over her life which, for all we know, she may have exerted knowingly or consciously has now been taken away from her – just as any chance of ever living in freedom, without thousands of prying eyes on her every day, has already been taken from her”.

CAPS has spoken out on a number of occasions about the panda deal.  The money, the political undertones, the promotion of every last detail of the pandas’ lives and the dubious conservation claims have all given rise to significant cause for concern. Notwithstanding our overall opposition to zoos, the panda deal stands out as a particularly objectionable example of how animals are exploited for monetary gain. After all, the Scottish Government admitted that this was not, as the zoo claims, a conservation project but was “primarily a commercial transaction”.

Your support is more vital than ever. If you are not already a member of CAPS, please consider joining us. Your membership will mean you are kept up to date with our ongoing work and, most importantly, support our work campaigning for captive animals. Click HERE to join now. Thank you.

After yesterday’s wonderful news that the Government finally appears to be coming good on their promise to ban wild animals in circuses, there was great cause for celebration. But, like many of our supporters, to see that the long-overdue ban would not be coming in until December 2015 dampened our spirits a little. This long delay has the potential to have very real connotations for the animals. Put simply, it could mean two more years of suffering under the big top. We know that many of you felt the same.

But let’s not forget, this work to end exploitation of animals in circuses has always operated on a number of fronts. The political lobbying has only formed one part of it with grassroots activism underpinning the whole campaign. Let’s not forget that we have never had a legislative ban in this country but there are fewer animal circuses than ever before. There are fewer animals in those circuses than ever before.

Government documents released last year showed that visitor numbers to wild animal circuses had more than halved in just five years. This year two long-standing animal circuses are not touring. Last season another animal act left the country as the audiences rejected the cruel spectacle. Why? As a result of public awareness-raising, education, peaceful demonstrations and on-going pressure from compassionate people all over the country. This progress is not down to Government bans, it’s down all of us who are working to see an end to the cruelty.

Of course, the outright ban is vital and we will continue to work hard to make sure that it is implemented as soon as humanly possible. The ban will ensure that the cruelty can never return but, in the meantime, we are far from powerless. If you, like us, don’t want to wait two years, then get involved today.

There are so many useful ways that you can help bring about the end of animal suffering in circuses; and not just for wild animals, but the horses, dogs and ponies that still need you to be their voice. You can organise or attend a demo, you can ensure that you let us know if you see an animal circus coming to your town, you can write to your local newspaper or the circus venue, you can order and distribute leaflets.

CAPS has always been proud to work alongside grassroots campaigners and a significant part of our resources go towards facilitating and providing vital materials for local demonstrations each year. We know that this action is working. If you cannot attend a demo, please consider supporting our work in this area by donating today to the urgent circus fund appeal.

The power remains in our hands, we just need to make sure we use it.

Liz Tyson, Director