Bodypainted ‘Tiger Lady’ Chantelle Houghton Calls For Ban On Wild Animals In Circuses

For Immediate Release:
7 June 2011

Contact:
Sandra Smiley +44 (0)207 357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]

London – Today, wearing little more than painted-on tiger stripes and holding a sign that reads, “The Cruellest Show on Earth – Ban Wild Animals in Circuses”, Celebrity Big Brother star Chantelle Houghton joined PETA in front of the Houses of Parliament to call on the government to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. The action comes in advance of tomorrow’s scheduled debate in Parliament in response to the government’s failure to implement a ban last month. The rejection was purportedly based on European Union legal concerns, but the European Commission has made it clear that member states are best placed to legislate on animal welfare.

Tigers and other wild animals used in circuses spend the vast majority of their time confined to cages or cramped trailers. As countless undercover investigations have documented, animals are routinely mistreated behind the scenes, including being beaten.

“Forcing wild animals to spend their lives in cages or performing meaningless tricks is shockingly cruel”, says Houghton. “The government’s failure to implement a ban flies in the face of overwhelming public opinion, the recommendations of the British Veterinary Association and the position of every major animal welfare group in the country.”