Circus with Wild Animals in Séné: Town Hall Objects to Show

Four years ago already, the arrival of the Rolph Zavatta circus had sparks in Séné. A handful of activists from the animalist cause had visited the Circassians, the tone had risen very high. The circus is back from September 27 to October 12, on the same, private land, of the racetrack. This time, it is an indirect confrontation, via social networks, and the press. The mayor of Séné, Sylvie Sculo, was not favorable to the installation of the circus, which, specifies its director, Mikaël Prein, “had asked for authorization to set up the marquee at the racetrack from April”, passing directly by the prefecture. “There was a big pressure from the circus,” comments the mayor, who had to bow. The same defenders of the Sinagots animals as in 2021 protested. “Everyone has the petoches, and suddenly we let it go,” said the Sinagote Marie Ramblier, a member, among others, of the animal party. The law provides for the end of wild animals in circuses from December 1, 2028, but they want an immediate ban. “These animals (…) spend their lives locked up in cramped cages, city lodged in city in trucks in summer, forced to make numbers against their nature, using whips and other instruments of torture,” said Maria MacDowell, member, among others, of the animalist party and One Voice.

Tagged posters

On the racetrack, Mikaël Prein, the director of the Cirque Rolph Zavatta, is used to fighting to set up his marquee. “We posed our posters last Saturday and they were tagged,” he deplores. We had to put new ones, because if we leave them with the tags on it, it is that we have something to blame ourselves ”. In 2022, the town hall of Blois tried, in vain, to expel the circus from its location. In May 2025, the town hall of Migennes, in Yonne, sent the police to dislodge the circus, installed without authorization. In Séné, everything is in good standing. “All this is legal, but it is not practical, judge Sylvie Sculo. There is still a big pressure on the parking lot around the racetrack ”. But above all, she had already said it in our columns, her municipal majority is not favorable to circuses with wild animals. “In July, Séné had welcomed a circus without animals, much more in line with what we wear,” she said.

No circus without zebras

Anticipating the ban on wild animals scheduled for December 1, 2028, other circuses have already created shows without them. Out of the question for Rolph Zavatta. “We are forced to comply with the law, but we will do everything to fight, to keep our animals, insists Mikaël Prein. The Prefecture of Morbihan knows our installations and knows that we are in good standing to the fingertips. We have our relaxation cages for our felines. They are very, very good ”. Moreover, the ban in 2028, he does not believe it: “Our animals, we will still have them for a good fifteen years. Because the state does not want to give money to make shelters ”. The plan of 35 million euros decided by the State remained only at the stage of the announcement. “For the moment, no circus has benefited,” says Mikaël Prein.

“In 2028, there are derogations, as there have been in the Delphinariums,” said Marie Ramblier.