Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

In 2006, it was believed that 4 circuses toured Great Britain with a total of approximately 40 wild animals, which included an Asian elephant, tigers, lions, a black bear, zebra, pythons and Bactrian camels.

Circus animals are subjected to a routine of frequent and extended transport for many months of the year, with regular loading and unloading, training and performance, and housing in small, restricted enclosures. These factors are likely to be stressful to the animals and have significant negative impacts on their welfare. Such conditions would not be allowed even in zoos.

Latest polls indicate that 80% of those members of the UK public questioned thought that the use of wild animals in circuses was not acceptable (2005 MORI poll commissioned by Animal Defenders International, confirmed by a 2006 ICM Omnibus poll commissioned by the Born Free Foundation).

Several countries, including Austria, Croatia, Costa Rica, Israel and Singapore, have banned the use of wild animals in circuses.

Since 1925, animals in circuses were legislated under the Performing Animals Act, which was predominantly concerned with licensing and public health issues. The new Animal Welfare Act in England and Wales, and the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act, were an opportunity for the welfare of circus animals to be readdressed.

Despite Born Free’s diligent campaigning and submission of evidence, and considerable public and Parliamentary concern, a ban on wild animals in circus was not put directly into the Animal Welfare Act. Nevertheless, on 8th March 2006, the then Minister for Animal Welfare, Ben Bradshaw, announced his intention to ban the use in travelling circuses of “certain non-domesticated species” using regulations enabled by the Act. Similar intentions were indicated in Scotland and Wales.

The Government established the Circus Working Group (of which Born Free was a member) to consult on regulations relating to the use of wild animals in circuses. Despite considerable submissions by Born Free and other animal welfare groups, the personal opinion of the Chairman of the Group, published in a report on 20th November 2007, was there is insufficient scientific evidence to support a ban on wild animals in circuses.

The Born Free Foundation profoundly disagrees with this view, pointing out that the Circus Working Group was:

- Advised before the process started that little objective scientific evidence was available.

- Prevented from considering training and performance as part of its remit, two aspects which, for many people, define the circus.

- Precluded from considering extensive footage of the life endured by wild animals in circuses (as gathered by Animal Defenders International and others) as this was deemed inadmissible.

By limiting the remit of the Circus Working Group in this extraordinary way, DEFRA seems to have got the result it desired.

What You Can Do:

Please write immediately to your Member of Parliament urging them to sign EDM 965.

• Email your MP via www.WriteToThem.com
  
• Letters can be sent to your MP at:
  House of Commons,
  London SW1A 0AA
  
• If you don’t know the name of your MP, ring the House of Commons information office on 020 7219 4272.

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