A video posted by Animals Asia (@animalsasia) on Feb 8, 2017 at 11:29pm PST

 

Shocking footage shows two dolphins loaded onto a PLANE in Indonesia to take part in a travelling circus – they need YOUR HELP – sign the petition.

These live dolphins are being transported by air, time and time again for a travelling circus in Indonesia.

We are calling on all animal lovers to join local campaigners today and sign the petition asking Sriwijaya Air to stop this cruel freighting of dolphins.

And please, ask everyone you know to do the same.

The footage was taken by Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) which is part of the Asia for Animals (AfA) network alongside Animals Asia.

JAAN's work locally, in partnership with the Dolphin Project, has meant that within Indonesia, celebrities and thousands of animal lovers are already demanding an end to this practice. Now you can help us apply greater international pressure and further shine a light on this cruelty.

Indonesia is the last country in the world to still host travelling dolphin circuses, with three companies believed to own over 70 dolphins.

Their lives are utterly miserable.

These dolphin are taken from the wild for a life of performance which will ultimately kill them.

In the wild, dolphins can expect to live up to 50 years, while those in the circus don't survive anything like that long. JAAN and the Dolphin Project suspect the dolphins are dying perhaps as young as five years old as it is known they are being regularly replaced.

The stress of performance and travel, the captivity, the lack of social relationships and natural behaviours, the unsuitable pool water and the noise of crowds will ultimately kill this highly complex mammal.

Animals Asia's Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale said:

"People are quite rightly outraged by the fate of dolphins in aquariums. Even the biggest pools are totally unsuitable for these animals, but what they suffer in travelling circuses is unparalleled. The performance pool is far too small but even this must be a welcome relief compared to how they travel.

"The crates the dolphins are boxed into are barely the size of their body. What a bewildering, stressful and horrific experience for an animal which naturally roams hundreds of miles with family and extended social group.

"Once the nightmare of air travel ends, the dolphin's only reward is to jump through hoops of fire in a tiny pool in exchange for food while surrounded by loud music. To subject dolphins to a life like this is nothing short of extreme cruelty, it is little wonder they die so terribly young."

However, despite the obvious cruelty of transporting a dolphin by plane for a travelling circus, neither the airline nor the circus has broken any Indonesian laws.

In 2013, pressure from JAAN, supported by the AfA coalition, resulted in a promise to end the practise by then Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan. However, in the years since, not a single dolphin has been confiscated. This is despite facilities being available to rehabilitate them and release them back into the wild.

This cruelty can only continue with the participation of the airline. Stand with us and call on Sriwijaya Air to end its appalling business agreement with an industry built on suffering.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Sign and Share: Make sure everyone is aware of the cruelty legally taking place in Indonesia and then let the airline know. Sign the petition so this business can be in no doubt as to the feeling of its potential customers. Businesses are quick to understand and change when they foresee a negative financial consequence to their actions.

Contact the Indonesian government: The last time enough international pressure built up, the Indonesian government scrambled for a response. They made promises to appease the international community, but then didn't follow through. Let them know this problem hasn't gone away and will not disappear until they complete their promise to confiscate the dolphins suffering needlessly in travelling circuses.

To keep the pressure up, politely speak to the Indonesian Ambassador in your country by phone, letter or email. Embassy contact details can be found here.

Sign up to the Asia for Animals action team: We need your help to improve the lives of animals across Asia. Writing a letter on a specific welfare issue or signing a petition is a valuable way to support our campaigns. Sign up now to receive email alerts on the latest action in which we need your help. For more details, click here.

Animals Asia is a member of the Asia for Animals coalition. A coalition of 18 international NGO's campaigning on animal protection issues across Asia.

Find out about our End Bear Farming, Cat & Dog Welfare, and Captive Animal Welfare Programmes.

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