Lion tamer Thomas Chipperfield defends animal show
- Published
Thomas Chipperfield is understood to be the last lion tamer in Britain
The man behind an animal show featuring performing lions and tigers has denied his animals suffer in captivity.
Animal welfare groups have called for Thomas Chipperfield's show, An Evening with Lions and Tigers, to be banned.
Its 10-day run in Welshpool, Powys, starts on Friday.
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Jason Mohammad programme, Mr Chipperfield said all relevant animal welfare licences are in place and the animals are checked by vets.
"There's no scientific evidence whatsoever to support that claim (of animals suffering)," he said.
"The amount of studies that have been done with regards to the use of animals in live entertainment and zoos... the results always come back overwhelmingly in favour."
But animal welfare groups want the show stopped.
Adam Roberts, chief executive of the Born Free Foundation, said: "In the last two years, the big cats in question have been hauled around the whole of the UK and Ireland for the sole purpose of performing outdated circus tricks for paying audiences.
Checks are made on the animals kept by Thomas Chipperfield
"In 2010, 95% of respondents to the UK government consultation on this issue demanded a ban.
"A promise was made by Westminster in 2012 that a ban would be introduced in England before the end of 2015 and the Welsh assembly has suggested that it would support a ban in Wales."
However, Mr Chipperfield said his show includes training displays, talks and feeding with hundreds of people buying tickets to see it.
"What we are doing isn't actually a circus. It's animals in a show - it's educational," he said.
A Welsh government spokesperson said Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans, has "made it clear that she wishes to move to a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses".
The spokesperson added: "Because the circuses in question tend to operate in England and Wales we believe it is important that the legislation banning the use of wild animals should be on an England and Wales basis. We are pressing the UK government to deliver on the promise to legislate as soon as possible."