Wales to Ban Wild-Animal Circuses in the Next Year!
Update: The ban will come into force on 1 December 2020.
This week, the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, announced that the Welsh government will introduce a bill to prohibit the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.
The government released a statement in which it said, “The way animals are treated is an important reflection of society and over the next 12 months, a bill will be introduced to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses on welfare grounds.”
PETA is thrilled that the Welsh government is making a firm commitment to banning wild-animal circuses, an archaic and patently inhumane form of animal exploitation. Captivity is a living hell for animals such as tigers, zebras, and lions, and a circus environment can’t possibly meet their complex needs.
They understandably become frustrated, stressed, and depressed from a lifetime of being denied everything that’s natural and important to them. They’re kept caged in trailers that are hauled around the country, and they’re forced to perform confusing tricks under the big top out of some Victorian-era idea of entertainment.
The tide is turning against cruel wild-animal circuses – both Ireland and Scotland have introduced bans. England has also announced one, which is set to come into effect in 2020. This is welcome news, but the move is already long overdue, and animals suffering in circuses shouldn’t have to endure another two years of abuse.
What You Can Do
Please contact the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, and urge him to introduce a ban immediately. For animals’ sake, the show must not go on.
