source: www.ad-international.org/animals_in_entertainment/go.php?id= ;amp;ssi=10Posted: 3 February 2012. Updated: 3 February 2012Weare delighted to announce that the Greek Government has banned the useof all animals in circuses following a campaign by ADI and the GreekAnimal Welfare Fund (GAWF), backed by over 50 local animal protectiongroups across Greece.The new animal protection law also addresses anumber of important issues concerning stray animals.Tim Phillips of ADI, who launched the Stop Circus Suffering campaign in Greece in 2006 said: “Incircuses in Greece we saw horrific suffering. I remember a hippo livingin a small, filthy cage on the back of a lorry with a stinking poolbarely bigger than a bath tub to wallow in. This is a great day foranimal protection in Greece and indeed Europe. We applaud the GreekGovernment for taking a strong, unequivocal stand against animalsuffering in circuses.”[*]Help us stamp out circus suffering worldwide, donate https://www.secure.adi-navs-ldf.org/donate.asp?id=295& ;amp;cachefixer=[/*][*]View our Greek Stop Circus Suffering video www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTRHdbXcKRc& ;amp;feature=youtu.be – warning contains disturbing images of violence to animals[/*][*]Read about our Greek campaign www.ad-international.org/animals_in_entertainment/go.php?id= ;amp;ssi=10[/*]Evgenia Mataragka of the GAWF, based in Athens said: “Weare delighted that Greece has said no to cruelty in the name ofentertainment. We have witnessed terrible suffering of animals intraveling circuses here and these animals often have to endure longjourneys by sea from Italy. Many municipalities have already bannedanimal circuses in Greece, so we believe that this will be a popularwith Greek people.”Greeceis the first country in Europe to ban all animals from circuses andsimilar performances. Austria currently has a ban on wild animal acts,and several European countries including Portugal, Denmark and Croatiahave measures to ban or phase out wild animals in circuses.Boliviawas the first country to ban all animals from circuses and, in February2011, ADI completed an enforcement operation with the Bolivianauthorities closing down and rescuing every animal from circuses defyingthe law. This included relocating 29 lions to the USA as well asrescuing primates and horses. www.ad-international.org/adi_usa/go.php?id=2506ADI and GAWF have said they are committed to assisting the Greek Government with enforcing the ban.InJuly 2011, Peru banned wild animals in circuses following an undercoverinvestigation and campaign by ADI. It is clear now that the days arenumbered for keeping animals in travelling facilities and forcing themto do tricks in the name of entertainment. Legislation is currentlybeing considered by the Governments of the USA, Brazil, Colombia, Chileand Ecuador.UK will now be under considerable pressure to implement a ban on theuse of wild animals in circuses, which was called for by an overwhelmingvote by back bench MPs last year. The British Government had cited alegal challenge to Austria’s ban on wild animal acts as a reason for notimplementing a UK ban. However, in December the Austrian ConstitutionalCourt in Vienna announced that it had thrown out the application byCircus Krone to overturn Austria’s ban.