Bundestag votes against ban on wild animals in circuses
For centuries, humans have put wild animals on display in zoos and circuses. Many lead a miserable existence in cramped cages and enclosures. Behavioural disorders such as constantly repeated movement patterns are an expression of the fact that wild animals suffer under poor keeping conditions and are unable to express their natural behaviours in enclosures that are too small and insufficiently structured.
The Agriculture Committee of the Bundestag voted today against a motion by BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN to ban wild animals from circuses. Tomorrow's rejection in the Bundestag is therefore a mere formality. «Experts, veterinarians, associations and the Bundesrat have been calling for years to finally ban Experts, veterinarians, associations and the Bundesrat have been calling for years to finally ban wild animals from circuses.
«We are deeply disappointed that the governing parties refuse to abandon their obstructionist stance and continue to cling to an outdated concept of entertainment involving extensive animal cruelty», says Katharina Lameter of the animal and species protection organisation Pro Wildlife.
Germany lags behind in the EU
««Germany is one of the stragglers in Europe and among the few countries in the EU that have not adopted any regulations on wild animals in circuses», adds Lameter. Twenty-three European countries have already passed a general ban on wild animals in circuses, and five further European countries prohibit certain species such as elephants and lions.
In addition to the German Federal Veterinary Chamber, the Bundesrat has already spoken out three times in favour of a ban on certain animal species in circuses. Furthermore, the agriculture ministers of the federal states reaffirmed their demand to the federal government for a ban as recently as April. According to a representative Forsa survey from May 2014, 82 percent of Germans also hold the view that wild animals cannot be kept in a species-appropriate manner in circuses.
Many municipalities are unwilling to permit circuses with wild animals on their land and are resorting to local bans. «Since the federal government is not acting, municipalities and cities are having to manage with such stopgap solutions. In our view, this is an untenable situation that urgently needs to be remedied», says Lameter.
At a public hearing on October 14 before the Committee on Food and Agriculture, numerous experts confirmed that keeping wild animals in circuses is not species-appropriate. “Constant transport, small cages, and training for unnatural tricks cause stress for the animals. They cannot engage in their natural behaviors and frequently display behavioral disorders”, says Lameter.
Wild animals in the circus are no longer acceptable
Hundreds of elephants, giraffes, tigers, and many other wild animals continue to be transported across Germany, kept under inadequate conditions, and forced with whips or so-called elephant hooks to perform unnatural movements. Experts and authorities confirm that elephants, for example, can only be made to comply through force. Numerous videos also show animals being brutally mistreated in circuses. Information from the federal government and several state governments has revealed that, on average, violations of animal husbandry standards are found in roughly every second official inspection — and this despite the fact that the underlying guidelines are outdated. Dangerous accidents and escapes of animals from circus operations continue to occur on a regular basis.
Surveys consistently show that the majority of Germans do not want to see wild animals in circuses. “Most people know that it is animal cruelty to make an elephant do a headstand in the ring or to force lions to perform pointless tricks. We therefore urge the federal government to finally read the signs of the times and ban the keeping of wild animals in circuses in Germany”, concluded Lameter.
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