Wild animals banned from UK circuses

After many years of campaigning by groups including Born Free and RSPCA, a ban is being imposed on animals being used in travelling circuses in England. According to this article, there are 24 wild animals including big cats and zebras still used in circuses in the UK.

Although the practice seems somewhat outdated, animals such as lions, tigers, zebras and snakes are still used by several travelling circuses in the UK. The practice is recognised as cruel for several reasons:

• Animals are often kept in cramped cages whilst in transit.
• They are forced to perform tricks which are not natural to them
• They are subject to loud noises from the crowds, light, and special effects such as pyrotechnics, which can be scary for the.

This report, published by the RSPCA shows that circus life has a negative impact on animal welfare.

According to the BBC in July last year, some MPs believed that the then-intended ban went too far, saying that animals such as snakes and zebras* should still be allowed in UK circuses.

It is thought that Born Free and the RSPCA will help to rehome animals currently in circuses.


*On a side note, after elephants, zebras are responsible for the most human deaths in zoos worldwide, predominantly because people fail to realise how dangerous they are, and assume they can be treated the same as domestic horses.