The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)
The protection of the welfare of performing wild animals in circuses is a matter that the Government take very seriously. Rigorous standards for the protection of animals kept by man are already set in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 but there are a few areas—including the use of wild animals in travelling circuses—where additional safeguards are necessary.
The Austrian Government have recently been taken to court for their attempt to ban wild animals in circuses. This Government want to take action as soon as possible to protect wild animals in circuses without waiting for the outcome of that judgment. For this reason we propose to introduce a strict licensing regime using powers provided under the 2006 Act.
Any circuses that perform in England that wish to have wild animals such as tigers, lions and elephants performing in them will need to demonstrate that they meet high animal welfare standards for each animal before they can be granted a licence to keep those animals.
Areas being considered as part of licensing conditions include:
The rules for transport of the animal, including how long animals can spend being transported without rest periods;
The type of quarters that must be provided for the animal, including the size of the quarters and the facilities provided, including winter quarters;
The treatment of animals by trainers and keepers, including performance and the training methods that may be used.
Most circuses choose not to feature wild animals in their shows, and I believe that most people would prefer not to see them performing in circuses. But where circuses do choose to show wild animals, people expect those animals to be kept in the best possible conditions.
If circuses cannot meet these high welfare standards, they will not be allowed to use wild animals in their performances.
The Government will consult on the standards, which will be drawn up in consultation with welfare experts and other interested parties.
The licensing scheme will be enforced through inspections by Government-approved vets.
In the summer of 2009 there were 39 wild animals being used by circuses in the UK, which included elephants, tigers, lions, camels, zebras and crocodiles. There are now no longer any elephants kept in circuses in the UK.
The previous Government were similarly concerned and that is why they launched a public consultation. This consultation closed in 2010 and a summary of the responses can be found on the DEFRA website.