An undercover investigation into a circus in Italy has revealed the horrific reality behind the “entertaining” visuals: animal abuse and exploitation of workers

Graphic video

Images from animal circuses in Italy reveal bleak reality

An undercover investigation into a circus in Italy has revealed the sad reality behind the “entertaining” visuals: animal abuse and exploitation of workers.

Eurogroup for Animals’ member, LAV, in collaboration with Franz Weber Foundation, has just launched the investigation “Il sistema circhi”, a project that highlights the same systemic issues in circuses across 19  different locations.

The two organisations received images recorded at Circo Medini in the first month of 2026, revealing poor conditions including:

• Physical abuse of animals.
• Violation of labour conditions: workers without appropriate contracts, with no safety standards in the workplace and subjected to verbal abuse.
• Unhygienic conditions and illegal dumping of manure.
   

For the first time, a person has managed to infiltrate a circus in Europe. For four months, he recorded footage both during the shows and, above all, behind the scenes, bringing to light a picture of violence and humiliation. Faced with these images, no one will be able to say that the circus is a cultural spectacle

LAV

Image

LAV | Franz Weber Foundation

The two organisations wanted to highlight, however, that this is not a one-off case, but rather a systematic status quo existing in circuses making use of animals. Touring in nine regions across 19 circuses, undercover investigations revealed the horrific situations animals face in such places, including being trapped for hours or days on end, facing beatings, kicks and blows. The findings of these videos have been reported to the relevant authorities.

Twenty-three of the EU's 27 Member States have introduced restrictions on the use of animals in circuses, or have banned the use of wild animals altogether. However, animals are still permitted to perform in circuses in several large EU countries, as decisions on circus animal legislation ultimately stand at national, and not EU level.

LAV calls on the relevant authorities in Italy to finally ban the use of animals in circuses, bringing Italy into line with the growing number of European countries that have already adopted similar measures.

Concerned citizens are encouraged to join the call here.

The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand was called to rescue a long-tailed macaque with horrific wounds inflicted by a sharp weapon ( video)

 Rescue 

In 2025, the WFFT Rescue Team was called to help an endangered long-tailed macaque in desperate need of rescue. The macaque, later named Puek, had horrific wounds, most likely inflicted by a sharp weapon. His injuries were extensive, and it was clear he had been in terrible pain for some time.

Puek was well known in his local community, and residents often saw him foraging nearby. After his attack, one compassionate homeowner offered him a safe place to rest until help arrived. Their kindness gave him a fighting chance.

When our team reached the scene, Puek was carefully transported straight to the WFFT Wildlife Hospital for urgent treatment.

Rehabilitate

Resting after the operation

At the hospital, our veterinary team immediately began working to save Puek’s life.

 

There were many deep and serious wounds that needed treating.

With intensive medical care, antibiotics, and plenty of rest, Puek began to heal. 

Over the following weeks, his strength returned, and his wounds closed.

lease

Release

After weeks of dedicated care, Puek made a full recovery. 

Once he was strong enough, our team transported him back to his home territory.

Watching Puek return to the wild was a powerful reminder of why we do

 what we do. Every rescue, every treatment, every release is made possible

 by supporters like you.

Long-tailed macaques are endangered, with populations in decline

 due to habitat loss, conflict, and cruelty. That’s why every successful 

release matters so deeply – each one is a victory for the species.

Your donations fund every rescue, surgery, and release – 

helping animals like Puek get the second chance they deserve.

https://www.wfft.org/

More than 10.000 shark fins seized in Peru with a value of $11 milion: fishermen cut the fins off whilst the sharks are alive and throw it back into the ocean to die

 

More than 10,000 shark fins have been seized in Peru in a major international operation, another powerful reminder of the horrific scale of the global shark fin trade.

I am sorry to have to show you this horric picture but unfortunatelly this how it goes. The fishermen cut the fins off whilst the shark is alive and then throws it back in the ocean where it slowly dies

On November 10, a joint operation led by the Organized Crime Investigation Division of the Environment Directorate of the National Police of Peru (DIVINCCOMA), with key support from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Anti-Narcotics Affairs and Law Enforcement Section (INL), resulted in the seizure of 9.3 metric tons of shark fins in Callao, Peru. Three members of a transnational criminal network were arrested.

This historic seizure ranks among the largest shark fin busts in Latin America, delivering a significant blow against wildlife trafficking and the criminal networks driving the destruction of marine ecosystems.

The seized fins came from blue sharks, pelagic fox sharks, and common fox sharks, all species facing varying degrees of threat. Peruvian National Police estimate the shipment’s value at more than $11.2 million on the international market.

Investigators uncovered an illegal network that purchased fins from Ecuadorian fishermen, falsely declaring them as caught in Peruvian waters to move them through the supply chain. Once dried and stored in Callao, Peru, the fins were destined for export to China.

At the request of Peruvian authorities, INTERPOL provided digital forensics and analytical support to assist with follow-up transnational investigations. A November 19 report confirmed that those arrested were linked to a criminal scheme involving illegal extraction, trafficking of genetic resources, and organized environmental crime.

The shark fin trade is one of the most brutal forms of wildlife exploitation on the planet. Sharks are often hauled onto boats, their fins sliced off while they are still alive, and their mutilated bodies thrown back into the ocean to slowly suffocate or bleed to death. This cruelty is driven entirely by greed and profit.

Each year, tens of millions of sharks are killed for their fins, decimating shark populations worldwide. As apex predators, sharks play a critical role in maintaining balance in marine ecosystems. Their removal triggers ripple effects that destabilize food webs, degrade coral reefs, and push oceans closer to ecological collapse.

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing also threatens Peru’s economy and coastal communities, with impacts felt far beyond its borders, including in the United States.

The USFWS provided financing, operational coordination, and specialized training throughout the investigation. Doug Ault, Deputy Director of Law Enforcement for the USFWS, stated, “This operation demonstrates the direct impact of cooperation between the United States and Peru to confront wildlife trafficking and organized environmental crime, which threaten marine ecosystems, local economies, and regional security.”

This operation was carried out by the same team that launched the Joint Planning and Coordination Center in Chorrillos in October. Funded by the USFWS, the center enhances Peru’s law enforcement capacity to counter illegal fishing, maritime trafficking, and other illicit activities in its waters.

World Animal News commends all investigators involved for their commitment to protecting sharks and other critical marine species. This seizure has saved countless sharks from a brutal fate, but the fight is far from over. The shark fin trade is driving our oceans toward ecological collapse, and it must end once and for all.

World Animal News

Animal Equality's UK reveal horrific animal abuse and neglect in pig farms Southwest England in Spain, Italy, Germany and US ( graphic video)

• Animal Equality’s UK Executive Director–joined by photographer Aitor Garmendia–revealed distressing footage from Cross Farm, a Red Tractor-certified pig farm in Southwest England.
• Mother pigs were kept in farrowing crates, unable to turn around, with piglets subjected to mutilations without anesthesia.
• The investigation found dead piglets, unsanitary conditions, and evidence of psychological distress among the pigs.
• Cross Farm, previously exposed for similar abuses in 2017, continues to operate despite its history and recent findings.
• Animal Equality has partnered with a law firm to file a formal complaint, citing potential breaches of animal protection laws.

Animal Equality’s UK Executive Director–alongside award-winning photographer Aitor Garmendia–has uncovered distressing animal suffering within a UK pig facility known as Cross Farm. Despite its Red Tractor certification–which claims to ensure high standards of animal welfare–the farm’s practices appear to tell a different story.

The Southwest English farm confines about 12,000 pigs at any given time. Female pigs are kept in small cages known as “farrowing crates.” These cages confine pregnant pigs shortly before giving birth and for several weeks after they have given birth, typically for 4-5 weeks each time. The space of the crates is so small that the mother pigs are prevented from turning around. These pigs endure constant confinement and stress, repeatedly giving birth to piglets destined for the UK pig meat market. Eventually, mother pigs are also slaughtered.

Cross Farm supplies Tesco, one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains. The investigative findings, recently highlighted in The Daily Mail and The Times, raise questions about the true value of “high-welfare” labels. They also provide further evidence for the need to shift towards a plant-based food system.

Dead piglets, cages, and decaying corpses

Animal Equality UK’s Executive Director–Abigail Penny–and a team of investigators visited the farm six times across 2023 and 2024. They captured over 100 hours of footage. 

They found: 

• Piglets “thumped” against concrete walls with enough force to kill them
• Piglets having their tails cut off and teeth clipped without anesthesia
• A piglet thrown by workers across the shed
• Dead piglets throughout the farm, with paperwork noting deaths from starvation, sickness, or crushing
• A bin full of dead piglets and rotting corpses on the barn floor
• Mother pigs biting at the bars of their metal cages from psychological distress
• A pig, caught beneath metal bars while trying to turn, suffering from deep, bloody wounds
• Mother pigs with raw leg sores and injuries to their genitals from repeated cycles of giving birth
• Filthy conditions in the barns, with cobwebs and dust throughout

"Having visited Cross Farm personally on several occasions, I witnessed the suffering of these animals first-hand. I looked caged mother pigs in the eye and their deep sorrow will stay with me forever."

Abigail Penny, Executive Director, Animal Equality UK

Cross Farm won the National Pig Award in 2016 and 2017. This year, Adrian Russell–a Director at Cross Farm–ran for an elected seat on the National Pig Association Pig Industry Group. Although he didn’t win, Adrian has worked in the pig industry for over 30 years.

Cross Farm has been exposed for its disturbing practices before. In 2017, after a tip-off, Animal Equality filmed pigs in leaking, rundown buildings, covered in liquid manure, and lying in their own waste. Investigators also recorded pigs with their tails cut off, others suffering from large hernias, as well as pregnant pigs in concrete pens without anything to keep them occupied.

Animal Equality 2017 Cross Farm Investigation

In March, Glass Wall Films released footage from another Cross Farm investigation. Captured in late 2023, the footage shows dead piglets and decomposing bodies, pigs engaging in cannibalism due to the stressful and unnatural conditions, caged pigs with untreated wounds, and cramped, filthy conditions.

Formal complaint to authorities

Animal Equality has instructed Advocates for Animals, a law firm, to file a formal complaint with the UK’s Trading Standards and the Animal, Plant, and Health Agency. Animal Equality believes there are several potential legal breaches, including the treatment and killing of piglets, untreated injuries to pigs, piglet carcasses, lack of stimulation for caged pigs, and unsanitary conditions found throughout the farm.

The potential breaches to animal welfare laws seen in the footage captured by Animal Equality is very concerning.

Taylor Mcleod, Solicitor, Advocates for Animals

Typical of the industry, experts claim

Animal Equality’s investigations repeatedly show that animals suffer for meat, and experts agree.

Dr. Alice Brough, a veterinarian who worked with UK pig producers from 2015 to 2019, says, “Most of what we see here is typical of the industry as a whole… very little of UK pig farming is suitable for the eyes of the public.”

Eva Read, a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics, agrees. She has researched commercial pig farming in the UK and studied pig vocal communication in France, and is familiar with typical British farming practices.

"This footage is distressing, not because it is an example of extreme but rare horrors that are possible in UK pig farms, but rather because it is not rare. I see here standard practice and that is what should motivate us all to demand better."

Eva Read, PhD candidate, London School of Economics and Political Science

Legal enforcement lacking in the UK

In 2022, Animal Equality and The Animal Law Foundation released a groundbreaking report on “The Enforcement Problem.” Our teams found that fewer than 3% of the UK’s 290,000 farms are inspected annually, and only 0.33% of complaints lead to prosecution.

The report also reveals that nearly three-quarters of pigs have their tails cut off without pain relief to prevent tail-biting, a painful practice caused by stress, inadequate space, and lack of stimulation.

Global response to pig farming cruelty

This investigation highlights pig farming issues that resonate globally. Animal Equality’s investigators have found piglets’ body parts strewn about Italian farms, cannibalism amongst pigs in Spain, and severe, deliberate abuse on one of Germany’s largest pig farms. 

In the UK, previous investigations have found piglets hammered to death in “high-welfare” facilities. 

Similar problems are rampant in the United States, where factory farms subject pigs to extreme confinement, painful procedures without anesthesia, and unsanitary conditions. Critics note that inspections are infrequent and legal enforcement is lacking, allowing these illegal practices to continue.

Animal Equality needs your support to eliminate factory farming cruelty. By signing the U.S. petition, you can advocate for stronger regulations and a future where animals are respected and protected. 

https://animalequality.org/

A CNN investigation has uncovered rise in cat torture videos made in China where a global demand for this horrific cruelty is growing daily

 

A CNN investigation has uncovered a disturbing rise in cat torture videos made in China and shared online. These violent videos are part of a dark global market aimed at people who enjoy watching animals suffer.

The investigation reveals how weak animal protection laws, poor online moderation, and global demand have created a dangerous and growing problem.

Over several months, CNN infiltrated secret online communities that share these videos. The reporters discovered that many of the videos are created in countries with little to no protection for animals. These videos are then sold or traded through international networks.

CNN’s Ivan Watson spoke with animal rights activists and online investigators who are working to expose and shut down these torture networks.

Feline Guardians

Animal rights group Feline Guardians reported a shocking 500% increase in cat torture videos produced in China in less than a year.

In June 2024, a new video was uploaded every 14 hours. By February 2025, the number had increased to one every 2 hours and 38 minutes.

In just the first two months of 2025, over 500 new videos were uploaded. These videos showed more than 300 cats being tortured and killed.

Criminologist Jenny Edwards explained that some people make or watch these videos due to “sexual sadism,” a mental disorder where people enjoy the pain of others.

CNN also interviewed a man who admitted to buying these videos. He called it “a fetish I can’t quit.” He explained that he often searched for more extreme scenes and even asked the video creators to perform specific acts of abuse.

These requests show how dangerous and organized this market is. People are not just watching; they are ordering cruelty like a product.

Activists threatened by abusers

The people trying to stop this network face serious risks. Activists working with Feline Guardians often choose to remain anonymous to protect themselves.

Photo of Laura

One volunteer, known only as Laura, told CNN that she hides her identity for safety reasons. She said many of the people making or buying these videos are part of hidden communities, and exposing them can lead to threats or worse.

These activists often track the creators, collect evidence, and report them to authorities or social media platforms.

The videos are usually shared on encrypted apps like Telegram, where it is hard for outsiders or police to find them.

However, they also appear on public platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter), where children and other users can easily come across them. This raises serious concerns about online safety and the failure of big tech companies to remove harmful content.

Weak animal welfare laws in China

Chen, a Chinese volunteer for Feline Guardians, said the Chinese government is quick to censor political speech and pornography but rarely acts against animal cruelty. This lack of action has made China a hub for these violent videos.

While China fails to respond, other countries are starting to act. Police in the United States and Turkey have arrested people involved in creating or distributing similar content.

In these countries, animal cruelty is treated as a serious crime, especially when it involves online videos. But in China, where there are no strong laws protecting pets and companion animals, most offenders are not punished.

One Chinese university student was caught torturing over 80 stray cats. In another shocking case, a man poured boiling water over a pregnant cat.

In Hangzhou, a kitten was killed with steel blow darts. After that attack, a popular Chinese influencer asked a chilling question: “What if he shoots humans one day?”

The legal situation in China remains a big part of the problem. China only has one national law protecting wildlife, not pets or companion animals like cats and dogs.

A draft law to punish animal cruelty with jail time has been discussed, but it has not been passed. Cultural views and lack of political interest have blocked its progress. This gap in the law allows abusers to act without fear of arrest or punishment.

Animal abusers often also torture humans

The issue also goes beyond animal cruelty. Studies have shown a strong link between abuse of animals and violence against people.

The FBI in the United States has long said that many serial killers and violent criminals started their crimes by hurting animals. One famous case is Jeffrey Dahmer, who tortured animals as a child before going on to kill people.

A 20-year study showed that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans.

Another study found that 70% of animal abusers had committed other crimes, and nearly 40% had committed violent crimes. In the most extreme cases, like sexual homicide, 100% of the offenders had a history of abusing animals.

Psychologists say that these offenders often show signs of low empathy, bullying behavior, and a need for power or control. These feelings can easily shift from animals to humans.

Convicted animal abuser kills three people

In September 2023, a 32-year-old university student in Rotterdam opened fire at a hospital and a nearby house, killing three people. He had been known to police and had a 2021 conviction for animal abuse.

Another global case that highlights this risk is Luka Rocco Magnotta, a Canadian who murdered and dismembered Chinese student Jun Lin in 2012.

Before the murder, Magnotta had become known online for torturing and killing cats. He posted videos showing him suffocating and drowning kittens. Activists had warned authorities that he was a threat to humans, but no action was taken until it was too late.

Social media accountability

Social media companies are also failing. Platforms owned by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram, host the majority of online animal cruelty content. Yet only about 36% of reported content is actually removed, according to data from Feline Guardians.

This poor enforcement allows the videos to keep spreading and puts children at risk.

In response, countries like the UK and the EU are taking stronger steps. The UK’s Online Safety Act and the EU’s Digital Services Act both classify animal cruelty as illegal online content.

These laws demand better action from social media companies and allow large fines if they fail to act.

The rise in online animal torture is a serious and growing problem. Activists, lawmakers, and tech companies must work together to stop this cruelty and prevent it from spreading further.

https://www.theanimalreader.com/