ΤΣΙΡΚΟ φαμίλιες σε λαθρεμπόριο αγρίων ζώων -παραβίαση της συνθήκης CITES

Διεθνές Αιγυπτο-Ρωσικο-Ευρωπαικό τσίρκο (Egyptian-Russian-European Circus) που πρόκειται να εγκατασταθεί στο Abu Dhabi τον Απρίλιο, κατηγορείται για παράνομο εμπόριο αγρίων ζώων (λιονταράκια) προστατευμένα από την CITES.
Αποκαλυπτικά στοιχεία παρέχει η Gulf News, δύο δημοσιογράφοι υποδύθηκαν τους αγοραστές μικρών λιονταριών και κατάφεραν να διεισδύσουν στο βρώμικο κύκλωμα παράνομης αγοραπωλησίας σπάνιων αγρίων ζώων.
Εξαθλιωμένα λιονταράκια πέντε μηνών, με σοβαρή ανεπάρκεια ασβεστίου είναι ανίκανα να στηθούν στα πόδια τους και καταρρέουν στο έδαφος, πωλούνται για Dh35,000.
(One of the two lion cubs, suffering from severe calcium deficiency, is unable to get up on his feet and collapses to the ground. It is on sale for Dh35,000.
Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News )

Abu Dhabi circus organiser denies connection to lion cub salesman
By Emmanuelle Landais and Mohammed N. Al Khan, Staff Reporters
Published: March 25, 2010
Dubai: A circus bound for Abu Dhabi has denied all affiliation with an Egyptian lion cub salesman, Mamdouh Al Helou, exposed by Gulf News on Tuesday attempting to sell animals protected by international trade restrictions.
Two five-month old cubs selling for Dh35,000 each are unable to stand due to a calcium deficiency and lack of exercise in captive life
Akram Sabry, General Manager of Sky Conference & Exhibitions — the organisers for the International Egyptian-Russian-European Circus scheduled to open in April in Abu Dhabi — said many people had demanded ticket refunds after reading the Gulf News exposé.
The animals for the circus will be arriving in the UAE on April 28 and 29. These include: domestic cats, a python, six lions and a tiger. One of the performers, Fatten Al Helou, is apparently not related to Mamdouh Al Helou said Sabry.
Al Helou was not available for comment.
πηγή http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/abu-dhabi-circus-organiser-denies-connection-to-lion-cub-salesman-1.602540

διαφήμιση του ευρωπαικού τσίρκο που θα εγκατασταθεί στα Αραβικά εμιράτα τον Απρίλιο

Cats and clowns as the circus heads to Abu Dhabi
Sue Ryan March 25. 2010
The Egyptian-European Circus comes to the UAE for the first time from April 1-22, complete with the renowned lion trainer Faten el Helw. The City Seasons Al Hamra Hotel in the capital, which recently completed the first part of an extensive refurbishment programme, is offering a circus package priced at $237 (Dh870) per night for a double room, $368 (Dh1,350) for a junior suite and $544 (Dh2,000) for a seasons suite. It includes two adult tickets to the circus. For more information call 02 672 4000.
πηγή http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100327/TRAVEL/100321895

Διεθνή τσίρκο περιοδεύουν κατά μήκος της Αφρικής και στη Μέση Ανατολή και πουλούν απειλούμενα υπό εξαφάνιση άγρια ζώα. Εμπορεύονται ζώα που προστατεύονται από την CITES.
Ο Jason Mier, για την Animals Lebanon, ομάδα για την προστασίας των ζώων στο Λίβανο, υποστηρίζει ότι οικογενειακές επιχειρήσεις τσίρκο εμπορεύονται σπάνια άγρια ζώα εδώ και 20 χρόνια. Η ΜΚΟ πρόσφατα κατήγγειλε κακοποίηση ζώων στο Αιγυπτιακό τσίρκο Monte Carlo που περιόδευε στο Λίβανο και ανήκει στην οικογένεια Akef family.
Υποστηρίζεται ότι ο λαθρέμπορας και εκπαιδευτής αγρίων ζώων Mamdouh Al Helou που πιάστηκε να πουλά δύο μωρά λιονταράκια στο Abu Dhabi, συνεργάζεται με την Akef family.

Egyptian travelling circuses sell animals, not their shows, say activists
By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
Published: March 24, 2010

Dubai: Egyptian circuses travelling the length of Africa and in the Middle East are not a welcome sight for animal protection activists, who say few actually care about the animals and travel under the guise of a circus to trade in endangered and often potentially dangerous animals.
Jason Mier, Executive Director, Animals Lebanon, an animal welfare protection group in Lebanon said for some family circuses "smuggling goes back 20 years".
The NGO recently exposed cruelty being inflicted on animals of the Egyptian Monte Carlo circus which travelled to Lebanon, run by the Akef family. It is believed Mamdouh Al Helou, who sold two lion cubs that were brought to Abu Dhabi, and the Akef family work together.
Crocodile dealer: Shop still in business
Three months after a baby Nile crocodile was illegally purchased at Sharjah Animal and Bird Market in an undercover investigation by Gulf News, the store it was bought from is still in business.
In December 2009, the baby croc called Harry was bought easily from a trader, who claimed he could provide interested buyers with "any big cats" or "big, big animals'" The vendors were never brought to justice
πηγή http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/egyptian-travelling-circuses-sell-animals-not-their-shows-say-activists-1.602116?localLinksEnabled=false

Το παράνομο εμπόριο απειλούμενων υπό εξαφάνιση ειδών οργιάζει στα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα

We won't sell if it is illegal, Al Helou says
Mamdouh Al Helou, the seller of two lion cubs admits that he has no permit to sell the cubs in the UAE
By Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter
Published: 00:00 March 24, 2010
Dubai: "If selling cubs is illegal, I will not sell them," said Mamdouh Al Helou, the seller of two lion cubs brought to the UAE for a circus in Abu Dhabi when Gulf News gave him the right to respond on his offer to illegally sell the cubs for Dh35,000 to undercover journalists.
Al Helou said he did not know that selling the two cubs is illegal in the UAE. He admitted however that he was aware that the CITES permit that he obtained in bringing the circus animals to the country required him to exit the country with all the animals he brought in.
"Arrangements can be made [to bypass that requirement]," he said. "We can get a death certificate, for example," he said.
When asked if he knew his actions constituted a violation of the CITES, he said he did not know. "[If they are] then khalas [that's it]. We won't sell."
Lions are listed under CITES in Appendix II. International trade in specimens of Appendix-II species may be authorised by the granting of an export permit or re-export certificate.
The illegal trade in endangered species continues to be rampant in the UAE.
πηγή http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/we-won-t-sell-if-it-is-illegal-al-helou-says-1.602117