Ban on wild animals in circuses long overdue

Thursday, 11 March 2010 12:03

Advocates for Animals has this week submitted its response to the DEFRA Consultation on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. We believe that a complete ban on wild animals in circuses is long overdue. 

The needs of wild animals can simply not be met in a travelling circus. Extreme confinement, frequent transport and relocation and training for performance increase the risk of stress and, in some cases, ill-treatment of the animals. Just last year, an undercover investigation secretly filmed a member of the Great British Circus staff hitting an elephant with a metal hook. The staff member was subsequently sacked, but his is not a standalone incident.

There are no specific animal welfare regulations for wild animals used in circuses in the UK, and the authorities have difficulty in monitoring their activities.

An opinion poll carried out for Advocates for Animals indicated that 83% of the Scottish public supported a ban on the use of some or all animals in circuses. Travelling circuses with performing wild animals are fundamentally out of step with modern views on the proper way to treat animals.  They are an inheritance from past ages that accepted the existence of dungeon menageries and the travelling showman with his dancing bear - but they should have no place in 21st century Britain.

You can read our full response to the consultation, which is based on evidence from scientific reviews, NGO investigations (including our own) and trends in public and parliamentary opinion over recent years, here.