Julien Moreau // Photo credits: BRUCE BENNETT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP 12:42 p.m., March 26, 2024
Elected officials from the Normandy region decided during a Permanent Commission that shows using wild animals would no longer be subsidized from this year. Normandy is the first region in France to make this decision.
Act now. While the law on animal abuse will only be effective in four years, in 2028, the Normandy region has decided to no longer subsidize shows using wild animals. The region is known for its many medieval festivals throughout the year and wild animals are often the main attraction. Norman elected officials made this decision in the Permanent Commission.
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“Recognize their sensitivity and their needs”
"I would say that it is a decision that is in keeping with the times. What we have observed is that demonstrations of wild animals can shock certain people in the public and above all, there is the possibility of making other proposals", declared Nathalie Porte, vice-president of the Normandy region, in charge of tourism and attractiveness. "If you dream of seeing a raptor fly away, there are other ways, without animal suffering. For example, at the wildlife conservation center of the White Lady, in Calvados, when they treat the animals , they release them and there is the possibility of witnessing their flight,” she added on France 3 Normandy.
“Opposing shows featuring wild animals means recognizing their sensitivity and their needs. We are delighted with this commitment from the Normandy region,” declared Amandine Sanvisens, the founder of the Paris Animaux Zoopolis association. . According to figures from this association, 22% of Norman medieval festivals called for falconry shows in 2023 (Falaise, Harcourt, Pontorson, Cerisy-La-Forêt, Thietreville and Rouen). Adopted in 2021, the law on animal abuse gave a deadline of seven years before the ban on non-domestic animals in “itinerant establishments” fell.