According to the report in Horse and Hound, circus owner, Martin Lacey said his decision came as a result of Government plans to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. Zebra advertised for sale as circus closes down - Horse & Hound
Plus Mr.Lacey is nearly seventy years of age and who has worked with lions and tigers as well as other animals in zoos and circuses for all of his working life. The ending of the Great British Circus touring with animals is significant as this will be the end of cage acts in British circus, Martin Lacey's tigers being the last act of this type. If you agree or not with tigers, lions and other wild animals appearing in the circus ring, one thing Mr. Lacey is to be admired for, in my opinion, has been his determination to carry on touring a circus with wild animals in the face of great adversity, when others have simply removed all, or wild animals at least, from their programme and continued to tour with all human shows instead, which to some, are not considered to be a "proper" circus.
On a circus theme, went to Zippo's in Hove this week. Animal acts: four horses, and Norman Barrett's famous budgies. Outside: a small and rather embarrassing demo from CAPS. I'm afraid I rather disgraced myself by 'engaging' in 'discussion' with them - but really! Their publicity material had pictures of tigers and elephants performing tricks, which seems typical of their mendacious ways. The show was pretty good - but would have been livened up by a show such as this... Rolf Knie Jr Video (1973) - Circopedia (any excuse for Rolf and his incredible shorts....)
Worth the admission price 10 fold, "Thank You very much indeed ladies and gentlemen, this budgie was paid for cash, this one on higher perches", does he tell that line? As for the horse act of palominos, La Dame de Cirque indeed, "Beautifull Equestrienne", an honest and frank description indeed, you should have seen her on her father;s show at Battersea Park with the eight Arabs, circus perfection, Fossett's elephants were also there as well as the Biasinis cycle act, fantastic
Short BBC article - Most of the GBC Tigers are due to be shipped to Mr Lacey's son in Germany shortly (for use in his own circus ) BBC News - The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
I think these must be the premises I used to drive past when I lived in Lincs.....to say the conditions were squalid is an understatement!
Martin Lacey`s - "Kasanga manor" estate is now up for sale. He is still going to keep his Reindeer though.
'We are breeding them specifically for work and are looking for intelligent animals.' sounds more like a statement from a Dog-breeder than someone keeping tigers, at least until you know the context its made in.
