Environment, Food and Rural Affairs CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by Rona Brown’s Movie Animals
I am an animal trainer and I work mostly in the film industry and other related entertainment industries. I have trained and supplied animals for many huge filming projects, including, Gorillas in the Mist (chimpanzees), Anna and the King (Elephants), Flyboys (lion), Legend of the Tamworth Two (pigs), The Legend of Tarzan Lord of the Apes (chimpanzees, Leopards, plus numerous African animal species). Throughout my working career I have been responsible for the animal input on over 100 major movies and probably the same in other entertainment genres, including, advertisements, television, galas and events such as the Mikhail Gorbchev foundation gala evenings for his charity in the name of his late wife.
I am also responsible for convening a group to put together the National Occupational Standards for Animal trainers in the UK and as a result of these standards we have Levels, 2, 3 and 4 in the National Vocational Qualifications which are accredited by City and Guilds.
I am also a part time Lecturer on animal welfare in entertainment and Primary Assessor for the NVQs.
1.Throughout my career it became obvious to me that the best animals to work with on a film set were circus animals. This is because they are used to being trained, they don’t mind lights or large film crews. Circus animals travel quite happily without any signs of stress and generally enjoy their work with no welfare problems.
2.Circus animals are kept in tip top condition and are healthy and fit, their minds are alert and their inquisitive nature bring to films which require animals a unique performance which is a joy to watch for cinema goers across the world.
3.Although a lot is being talked about the CGI method of showing animals in films the truth is that they cannot get the CGI images without a real animal—so they film the real animal and then in post production change the image into action that the real animal may not be able to do or to glorify the action into make believe land.
4.Of recent years the film Flyboys was made in the UK, this was the story of dysfunctional American young men who went to France to work as pilots in World War One. Based on a true story these airmen had a lion as a mascot. I was the animal Consultant on that film and I resourced the lion from the Great British Circus. Had there not been lions in that circus the film would have been made in Europe, thus losing the UK the input of 60 Million US Dollars. The film also provided over 200 jobs for English filming crews which would have gone to European crews.
5.So I would make plea to the Select Committee to save this valuable resource as there is nothing like this outside of the circus world.
6.I would also like to put forward a case that if the ban were to be brought in it would be total discrimination against circuses based on nothing but a feeding frenzy of the press who listen to the lies of the welfare groups. The people who want a ban have never been to a circus to see for themselves.
7.If you are to ban wild animals in circuses on ethical grounds then you would have to include businesses that own camels and take them up and down the country to county shows and do camel rides and races. Also the person who owns the raccoon which gave dancing entertainment on Britain’s Got talent, also the only zoo which provides animals for films etc. but who travels their animals all over the country for filming and television purposes. If you did not include all these other entities it would be blatant discrimination aimed at circuses.
8. It has been quoted by those who should know better that 95% of the British public support a ban, this would add up to approximately 55 Million people. The government survey of recent time showed that approximately 10,000 people replied and that the majority supported a ban. However the survey did not support or check addresses of the responders only their name at the bottom of the e-mail making it totally flawed and open to multiple entries by animal rights personnel.
9.My own view is that the regulations brought in last year totally protects the animals in circuses and the circus industry worked hard with their support to the policy team to give them access to their animals and also wholeheartedly embraced the regulations. This resulted in the only two circuses with wild animals being granted a license by the Secretary of State to travel with wild animals in England.
10.There are other English trainers who work abroad in circuses with wild animals and who would like to return to the UK with a circus and this ban if enacted would abuse their rights under the European Free Trade agreement.
11.I would like to see the licensing regulations kept in place and monitored as planned. Of course any circuses failing to comply with the regulations should be brought to book, but this should be done on a circus by circus basis, not by banning the whole industry. Government does not ban all children’s hospitals just because one hospital falls below the expected standards. Neither should Government do this with circuses.
12. In conclusion I would like to suggest that there is nothing wrong with entertainment for entertainments sake. The public do not go to the cinema to watch documentaries or educational dialogues—they go to watch and enjoy a story which entertains them and has a feel good value to it. The same with taking children to a zoo, they go to see the animals—if you watch any conservational talk in a zoo the public and the children soon become bored and want to go and ride an elephant. Of course subconsciously they do get educated by discussing the difference between camels for instance and by the signage as to where in the world the animals were from. So it is with circus animals—the children, parents, grandparents and other family members go to a circus where they can be entertained by seeing the animals.
13.Also parents take their children to circuses as they know it is safe—safe from bad language, or sexual content. It is also safe from hooligans and abuse. You only have to watch the children lining up to be first in the ring with the clown and his educated pony or waiting excitedly to ride a camel in the interval. Also they all want to visit the stable at the end of the show where circus staff is readily available to answer questions. Circuses also provide signage with regards to their animals care, welfare and origins.
May 2013
