The circus is in town! This is the 33rd International Festival of Circus at Monte Carlo and it's considered the most prestigious event in the circus world, with acts from all over the world competing for the coveted prizes.This festival was started by the late Prince Rainier III. Princess Stephanie of Monaco, youngest daughter of Prince Rainier and the late Princess Grace, is known as the Queen of the Festival - she opens it and she takes a massive interest in everything going on, including overseeing the care of the animals. You see her darting about all the time, a big smile and 'Bonjour' to all the Artistes of the Circus.
Today we see the tigers - seven, including three white tigers - in an enclosure just outside the circus tent. (Click small photo to enlarge) They were playing like kittens and all in magnificent condition. I get upset when I read of circus animals living under poor conditions - not so these. They obviously adore their trainer and it was a privilege to be so close to these magnificent creatures.
Do take a look at Tamarindo Daily Photo and David's post on the Las Pumas Rescue Centre. You'll see a marvellous photograph of a beautiful jaguar.
Tomorrow - we meet Roger, their young trainer.
10 comments:
Such regal faces!
It's still horrid that they're kept in cages & made to perform when they really should be in the wild ... Don't even get me started on Monaco zoo!
Anon, I so agree about the Monaco Zoo in the past but now the tigers have been sent to the Born Free Foundation in SA and so far as I know, the plan is to create a petting area for children with farm animals. I'm not sure there are many, if any, real zoo animals left anymore, thanks to Prince Albert making arrangements for them to go to a better place.
These animals are beautiful. Back in Ranier's time it was considered okay to have animals caged and no doubt, they were probably far better off in monaco than someplace else. But, these days such an "in the environment' is considered more healthier for the overal psyche of an animal. However, there is so much going on with global warming. It's probably assumable that 50/50 chance an animal will fare better in a well kept environment like Monaco, rather than in wild. However, the more 'natural' approach towards animals is good.
There is one thing on which we can all agree regarding the debate about animals in zoos or circuses. Jilly, your photo today has inspired me to change my post for tomorrow. I will show a jaguar up close. Yes, it is in a cage, but the cage is part of the Las Pumas Rescue Center. It saves sick or orphaned wild animals, cares for them, and then reintroduces them to the wild.
I trust that we will all agree that it is good to keep the animals in cages where they can be viewed up close by visitors, as long as we are doing so to save the animals and to enable them to live free again.
Look at that beautiful face. Wow, Jilly, this is gorgeous.
Love this photo! I took a photo of a tiger in the Chitwan Jungle of Nepal many years ago while perched on the back of an elephant. The tiger was crouched down in the jungle shrubbery, and the only proof that we had seen a rare sighting of a wild tiger was the eye which showed up on the film.
What a gorgeous white tiger! A rare sight from that close..
My favorites are the white tigers. This is a great close-up!
"However, there is so much going on with global warming. It's probably assumable that 50/50 chance an animal will fare better in a well kept environment like Monaco, rather than in wild"
Global warming only affects polar bears ... Giraffe, Rhino, Elephants, Zebra, Lion etc.. are more than fine in the wilds of South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania etc ... Monaco zoo was never a 'well kept enviroment' ... There is absolutely no way an animal would fare better there than in the wild ... The only reason some of the animals have been sent away was because many residents in Monaco & numerous charities campaigned so much for better treatment! My Parents have lived in Monaco for 20 years, I'm well aware of the failures of that zoo.
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