News – wild animal circus ban to come into force in scotland by end of may
WILD ANIMAL CIRCUS BAN TO COME INTO FORCE IN SCOTLAND BY END OF MAY
Born Free has welcomed news from the Scottish government that the ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in Scotland – the first ban of its kind in the UK – will come into force on 28th May 2018.
The introduction of the new legislation marks a successful end to a long campaign by Born Free and campaign partners including OneKind and Freedom for Animals, to bring down the curtain on the archaic and cruel use of wild animals in the Big Top once and for all.
Dr Chris Draper, Head of Animal Welfare and Captivity for Born Free, said: “We are delighted that Scotland is leading the way in the UK in bringing an end to wild animal suffering in circuses. What the animals need now is for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to swiftly follow suit.”
Born Free has worked closely with campaign partners over many years to bring about an end to the use of wild animals in circuses in Scotland by engaging with government, presenting evidence in the Scottish Parliament and working to raise the public profile of this issue.
Dr Draper added: “This wonderful victory has been made possible by the tireless efforts of our supporters who always responded to our calls for action, helped maintain pressure to act on the Scottish government and, importantly, helped us to demonstrate that people no longer want to see wild animals being exploited in the Big Top. Thank you to everyone who played a part in this campaign, and thank you to MSPs for supporting this important step.”