Minister Promises That Full Wild Animal Circus Ban Will Go Ahead

Good news: we’re one step closer to the full ban on wild animals in circuses that we’ve all been waiting for!

On Tuesday, DEFRA Minister Lord de Mauley confirmed that the government will go ahead with plans to keep all wild animals out of circuses and rightly dismissed an absurd select committee recommendation to water down the ban so that it would apply only to elephants and big cats. “The Government cannot agree to this recommendation”, this week’s report stated explicitly – meaning that camels, zebras, reindeer and other animals will also be spared abuse and exploitation by circus owners.

Wild animals used by circuses often spend their entire lives being carted around from one performance to another, in an environment where their most basic welfare needs cannot be met. They never have the opportunity to exercise their natural instincts or to lead a normal life. Barbaric behind-the-scenes training methods can include beatings, electrocution and punishment. This kind of abuse shouldn’t happen for any reason – but especially not for “entertainment”.

Compassionate people have helped to make sure it won’t happen anymore in England and Wales. Over the past three months, more than 15,000 PETA supporters wrote to the Minister, urging him to make the right decision for animals. To our enormous relief, he listened.

The ban is set to come in at the end of 2015. Given the government’s track record of dragging its heels on this key issue, animals in circuses – and the people who care about them – won’t rest completely easy until the day that it actually enters into force. Until then, we’ll remain vigilant, to make sure that no further delays threaten to prolong the suffering of wild animals who are currently being forced to perform.

If you’d like to help make sure that the ban goes ahead as planned, please contact your MP and ask her or him to question Minister de Mauley about the timeframe for bringing the ban into effect.