Wild animals to be banned from travelling circuses



Elephants, tigers and other wild animals will be banned from the family circuses under new animal welfare rules.

Widespread outrage at the use of animals will see the family circus tamed. Only domesticated animals, such as rabbits, cats and dogs, will be allowed to be used in live performances.

A public consultation by the government found a massive 94.5 per cent of people opposed the use of animals including tigers, elephants and kangaroos in performances.

Fearsome display: Askold Zapashny of the Zapashny Brothersí circus rides a lion in St Petersburg, Russia. Such displays will be banned in the UK

Other animals used by circuses in England including lions, zebras, camels, llamas, reindeer, crocodiles and snakes, will all need to be rehomed, possibly in zoos and wildlife parks.

Jim Fitzpatrick, Animal Welfare Minister, said: ‘I agree with the clear view emerging from the huge response to the government’s consultation that keeping wild animals to perform in travelling circuses is no longer acceptable. So, I am minded to pursue a ban on the use of these animals in circuses.

‘We also want to make sure that circus animals are well looked after once they stop performing. Nobody wants to see them simply destroyed, and we will work with all concerned to secure a future for these animals.’

A massive public consultation on the use of animals was launched in December 21 and closed last week, attracting nearly 13,000 responses.

It proposed a complete ban, a regulatory system or more checks on wild animals.

Most respondents wanted a complete ban and a majority thought circuses should be given six months or less to rehome their animals.

Most wanted inspectors to give circuses spot checks to ensure they were not mistreating animals.

Banned: Artists of The Casselly perform during the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo in Monaco on elephants



Keeping animals caged and subjecting them to cruel training regimes were top of people’s concerns.

Most people thought it was unnatural for wild animals to be made to perform tricks.

Other countries including Bolivia and Greece have already banned the use of wild animals.

The circuses surveyed argued that it would be stressful to remove an animal once it had been born and bred in a circus environment.

The Animal Welfare Act which applies to England only will need to be overhauled before any new rules can come through, which cannot happen before the general election.

But the message by Mr Fitzpatrick will appeal to millions of animal lovers in Britain ahead of the general election.

The RSPCA said it was delighted with the proposed ban.

Wildlife scientist Dr Ros Clubb said: ‘Circuses are clearly no place for wild animals.



'Confining animals like elephants to beast-wagons and cramped temporary cages, transporting them from site to site and exposing them to abnormal social groups and noisy conditions all add up to a recipe for poor animal welfare. Watching animals perform unnatural tricks also does nothing to educate the public or promote compassion for animals.

‘I hope this brilliant response to Defra’s consultation is the start of a journey that will finally bring an end to this unnecessary animal suffering’.