Circus lions in a small cage
Prime Minister Urged To Break Decade Of Broken Promises On Animal Circus Ban
7 years ago 
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Animal campaigners are hoping a Private Members’ Bill to ban wild animals in circuses will help galvanise Prime Minister Theresa May into action. Animal Defenders International (ADI) is calling on MPs to support Conservative MP Kevin Foster’s ‘Wild Animals in Circuses Prohibition’ which has its second reading on Friday 24th February. A wild animal ban has been promised since 2006, with three successive governments failing to keep their word.
Jan Creamer, President of Animal Defenders International, said: “After a decade of broken promises, the ban on wild animals in circuses is long overdue. ADI urges Prime Minister Theresa May to take decisive action where her predecessors have failed and stop circus suffering in England without delay.”
Kevin Foster MP says: “The evidence is clear. The needs of wild animals simply cannot be met in travelling circuses. These acts belong in the past, and parliament must legislate to prohibit wild animals in circuses.”
Stanley Johnson, former Conservative MEP, author, journalist and environmental and animal welfare campaigner: “It is Britain’s shame that we have failed to bring in a ban on wild animals in circuses to date, in spite of a clear manifesto commitment. Instead of leading the way on animal protection we are falling further behind. Parliament must act swiftly to prevent further suffering.”
Due to the level of cross-party support, the Labour Government first promised to ban wild animals in circuses during the passage of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Following the shocking abuse of three elephants at the Great British Circus in 2009, exposed by ADI, a public consultation on the issue was launched by Defra. The results published in 2010 showed 94.5% supported a ban on wild animal acts and resulted in a commitment from the Labour Government before the General Election resulted in a Coalition Government.
In 2011, ADI exposed the terrible abuse of Anne the elephant at Bobby Roberts Super Circus, leading to backbench MPs demanding a ban, again with cross-party support. With a commitment from the Coalition Government in 2012, legislation was drafted the following year but the bill has simply gathered dust. In the 2015 election 98% of MPs stood on a manifesto promise to ban wild animals in circuses.
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, Green Party Member of the House of Lords: “The science shows that the complex needs of wild animals cannot be met in a travelling circus. Knowing the suffering these animals are born into, we can no longer turn a blind eye. It’s time for the government to ban these acts.”
Lorraine Platt, Co-Founder, The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation: “The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation urge the Conservative party to seize the opportunity to demonstrate our continued commitment to animal welfare. The time has come to act and ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses and consign it to the history books without further delay.”
Changing attitudes and awareness of animal suffering have seen the number of wild animal circuses in Britain plummet. Only two circuses are currently performing in England with wild animals, Circus Mondao and Peter Jolly’s Circus. With no bar to wild animal circuses in place, the door is open to others joining them and big cat trainer Thomas Chipperfield plans to go on tour this year with his show ‘An Evening with Lions and Tigers’.
Last year ADI revealed the miserable lives of Chipperfield’s lions and tigers, caged on the back of a truck. Situated between two busy main roads, the big cats were shut behind metal shutters at night and had restricted access to an outdoor exercise area during the day. ADI also revealed suffering at the winter quarters of Peter Jolly’s Circus. Appalling overcrowding, fighting between animals, a worker tormenting a camel, animals shut inside for days on end, and failure to comply with government regulations were documented.
Given the constant travel and their temporary nature, circuses cannot provide animals with adequate facilities to keep them physically or psychologically healthy. Welfare is always compromised.
A July 2016 expert analysis of scientific evidence commissioned by the Welsh Government and undertaken by Professor Steven Harris at Bristol University concluded, “The available scientific evidence indicates that captive wild animals in circuses and other travelling animal shows do not achieve their optimal welfare requirements.” The report stated that “Life for wild animals in travelling circuses…does not appear to constitute either a ‘good life’ or a ‘life worth living’”.
The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) has concluded “there is by no means the possibility that their [wild mammals in travelling circuses’] physiological, mental and social requirements can adequately be met.” and the British Veterinary Association that “The welfare needs of non-domesticated, wild animals cannot be met within a travelling circus - in terms of housing or being able to express normal behaviour.”
34 nations around the world have now restricted either wild animals, or all animals, from travelling shows. When the bans passed in Bolivia, Peru and Colombia ADI has helped enforce the law, rescuing and rehoming every animal and assisting with implementation and enforcement arrangements. Scotland is set to introduce legislation in May.
Join the global campaign to Stop Circus Suffering: www.stopcircussuffering.org
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