• Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

Appeal to halt UK tiger trainer-breeder convicted of cruelty

Carole by BCR
February 2, 2013
in News World
0 0
0
0
SHARES
34
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

Tuesday, 09 Jan 2007 14:43

Disgraced circus trainer Mary Chipperfield made a Christmas comeback with her daughter, Suzanne Chipperfield in Lisbon at the ‘Circo Natal’ at the ‘Coliseu dos Recreios’ with a group of four tigers she had trained and looked after. The circus appeared in Lisbon up to 26th December with earlier shows in the month restricted to corporate guests and public shows from 22nd December.

Field Officers from Animal Defenders International (ADI) secured video and photographs of Suzanne and Mary Chipperfield with the tigers behind the scenes at Circo Natal.

Suzanne Chipperfield told an ADI Field Officer, that she was just doing the show for fun and it was effectively financed by the sale of white tigers to zoos. She said that the tigers were trained in Spain by her mother, Mary Chipperfield.

The show in Lisbon featured four tigers (Dora, Sacha, Jackie, and Raffie, – the latter is ‘straddled / ridden’ by Suzanne during the show) all less than two years old on their first tour. All were born in Spain by the same parents (their father is white):

The tigers were kept in a beastwagon, a cage on the back of a lorry, in the Lisbon centre for almost a month. When these were observed by ADI, the animals were lying on the bare floor of the cages without bedding, only inside one section were there a handful of wood shavings. There was a very small outside enclosure made of concrete, with a log inside, a raised platform and a very shallow tub (for water). However, ADI did not see the animals in this, there were no signs of use, and there appeared to be no direct access from the tiger cages.

The case highlights the impoverished conditions in which animals with circuses continue to tour and also a fear amongst campaigners that if the Government is not decisive on this issue some of the acts which have been driven out of the UK by public opinion will come creeping back. Mary Chipperfield’s cousin, Dicky Chipperfield, has been working as a consultant lion and tiger with Circus Pinder in France.

In the coming months an academic panel will be reviewing evidence on which wild animals are not suited to the circus environment. ADI is a member of the Defra Circus Working Group [ http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/bill/circus_wg.htm ] and has submitted a substantial dossier of evidence, following Defra Minister Ben Bradshaw’s announcement to the House of Commons that certain non-domesticated species will be banned from travelling circuses.

Tim Phillips, Campaigns Director for ADI, said: “Circuses are no place for animals. You simply cannot provide for the needs of animals in temporary encampments that need to be packed up and transported on the back of a lorry. We need decisive action from the Government to end this archaic practice and to take a lead in Europe with countries like Austria to secure Europe-wide action. It is tragic that Mary Chipperfield can be convicted on 13 counts of cruelty, can state in court that she would do it all again, but can continue training performing animals anywhere in Europe.”

ADI’s Stop Circus Suffering campaign is now running in countries all over the world, including Portugal, where undercover ADI Field officers secured shocking video evidence of ponies being repeatedly whipped in training and elephants being jabbed around the eyes with a metal spike . The ADI Stop Circus Suffering campaign in Portugal is run with local campaign group ANIMAL. Already Austria has a ban on wild animal acts and a prohibition in the UK would bring a Europe ban closer – bringing this sad chapter of the use of animals in entertainment to an end.

Chipperfield trial

This was the first time disgraced Mary Chipperfield has been seen with a circus since she was convicted of thirteen counts of cruelty to an infant chimpanzee called Trudy, and her husband (Roger Cawley) of cruelty to an elephant (Flora). The evidence for the trial had been collected by two ADI Field Officers working undercover at the Headquarters of Mary Chipperfield Promotions in Hampshire.

Chipperfield famously said at her trail that she regretted nothing and would do it all again. ADI Field Officers had filmed her kicking and thrashing a baby chimpanzee with a riding crop.

Following the 1999 convictions, Chipperfield closed her multi-million pound animal supply operation in Hampshire (which had supplied animals to circuses, zoos, and block-buster films like Disney’s 101 Dalmations) and moved to the other much smaller Mary Chipperfield Promotions facility in Spain. This facility continues to breed and supply tigers to zoos and safari parks.

http://www.politics.co.uk/press-releases/domestic-policy/animal- welfare/adi-appeal-defra-halt-chipperfield-revival-$462827.htm

Tags: News World
Previous Post

Tigers helping Bobcats! – Big Cat TV

Next Post

Couple pleads guilty in SoCal tiger escape case

Next Post

Couple pleads guilty in SoCal tiger escape case

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Recent Articles

  • Summer Bobcat LIVE! June 26, 2022
  • Cat VS Dog…Fennel? June 22, 2022
  • Black Leopard Bath time! June 22, 2022

Save Big Cats

Donate to Big Cat Rescue

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

More from Big Cats

  • Big Cat Rescue is Live 24/7 on Webcams
  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV
Summer Bobcat LIVE!

Summer Bobcat LIVE!

June 26, 2022
Cat VS Dog…Fennel?

Cat VS Dog…Fennel?

June 22, 2022
Black Leopard Bath time!

Black Leopard Bath time!

June 22, 2022
  • Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2021 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • 2018 Appeal
  • About BCR
  • About our Cookies
  • Account
  • BCR in the Media
  • Big Cat NFTS
  • Big Cat Rescue Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade
  • Big Cat Rescuers
  • Big Cat Times
  • Blog
  • Board of Directors
  • Browse Submissions
  • Connections
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Credentials
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Donate Crypto
  • Embed Link
  • Followers
  • Following
  • GET THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT CUB PETTING
  • Global Big Cat News
  • Intern Program
  • Join Us
    • Registration
  • Kids
  • Latest from Big Cat Rescue
  • Licensing
  • Login
  • Login
  • Logout
  • Logout
  • Malaya Bobcat
  • Map
  • Map of Big Cat Owners
  • Member Directory
  • Members
  • My Profile
    • Edit Profile
  • Netflix
  • News about Big Cats
  • News Gallery
  • News@BCR
  • Our Live Feeds
  • Password Reset
  • PressRoom
  • Privacy Policy
  • Register
  • Register
  • Register
    • Edit Your Profile
    • Update Billing Card
    • Welcome
    • Your Membership
  • Rescues
  • Search result
  • Series Archive – Default header
  • Shop
  • SnowLeopard
  • Social Stream
  • Staff
  • Submission Confirmed
  • Teachers
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Terms of Use
  • User
  • USFWS
  • Vets
  • Videos archive
  • Get Involved
    • Automatic
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer
      • AdvoCats
      • Click to Feed
      • Intern
    • Legacy
    • Roar! Speak Out for Big Cats
    • Ink
  • Finances
  • How We Started
  • Abuse Issues
    • Issues
      • Exhibitions
      • Private Ownership of Big Cats
      • Zoos
      • White Tigers
      • Circus
      • Fur
      • Trophy Hunting
      • Canned Hunting
      • Why Regulations Don’t Work
  • Our Evolution
  • Photos & Facts
  • Videos
  • Our Volunteers
  • Your Privacy
  • Donate
  • Site Map
  • Field Trips

© Copyright 2021 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist