Moscow circus readies European bison for main arena

French trainer Ivan Deforge is preparing two European bison to perform in the main arena of the Great Moscow Circus in December, despite wider concern in Europe over the use of wild animals in circuses.

Deforge, 56, has trained circus animals for three decades and moved to Russia eight years ago. He is working with Karym and Ural, two-year-old bison that have been with the circus since August last year.

The animals have so far appeared only in summer shows in a small tent in a Moscow park. Deforge said preparing them for the main dome requires careful training, including short commands in Russian.

Circuses using wild animals have lost support across much of Europe over animal cruelty concerns, and France plans to ban them from December 2028. In Russia, more than 1,000 animals are currently made to perform in circuses, nearly all of them state-run, official statistics show.

A bill proposing to ban animals in Russian circuses was submitted to the State Duma this year, but lawmakers rejected it. They said humane treatment of animals was already sufficiently regulated and cited the economic interests of animal circuses.

Deforge said he treats the animals humanely and that trust is central to training them. He also works with elephants at the Great Moscow Circus and is planning a new elephant show.