Portugal Bans Use of Wild Animals in Circuses
Just last month, Portugal became the latest country to place a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
On October 29, the law was “passed by parliament and applauded by animal rights groups,” with Yahoo noting it was “approved with support of both left-wing and right-wing lawmakers.”
The ban includes over 1000 animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, camels and zebras.
Andre Silva of political party PAN stated:
“Parliament has finally realised that larger cages, stricter rules and more controls were not the solution for the problems of these animals, who were reduced to mere puppets, deprived of their dignity.”
Bianca Santos, vice president of the AZP local animal rights group added:
“Wild animals have no place in the circus. People should be able to enjoy themselves without animals suffering.”
The ban will officially go into effect in 2024, and until then:
“Circus owners will have to list their wild animals on a register created by the government so they can eventually be placed in wildlife shelters in Portugal or overseas.”
Portugal joins a growing number of countries and cities that have banned the use of wild animals in circuses, including Warsaw, Dublin, Iran, the Netherlands, Norway, Bucharest, Slovakia, Italy, and 275 cities in Spain.
Photo Credit: http://www.rte.ie
