Good news from Spain! In the autonomous region Castilla-La Mancha, a new animal protection law has passed that prohibits circus shows with wild animals. With this region added, more than three quarters of the Spanish population now lives in a region or municipality without circuses with wild animals!
It took four years to include this regulation in the new law, after earlier efforts to ban it in the main municipalities in the region. Castilla-La Mancha is the 11th autonomous region (next to the autonomous city of Ceuta) that bans circus shows with wild animals. Six Spanish regions do not yet have such a ban.
InfoCircos, a coalition of animal welfare organization that also includes AAP, is very pleased with this victory: “The ban on circuses with wild animals had the support of all parliamentary groups. In fact it was one of the most important parts of the new legislation.”, says Marta Merchán, director of AAP Primadomus and coordinator of InfoCircos.
The use of wild animals in circuses causes enormous suffering to these animals, poses a threat to public safety and endangers animal health. The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) and the General Council of Veterinary Colleges of Spain confirm these facts and, for these reasons, recommend that the authorities prohibit circus performances involving wild animals.
InfoCircos has always offered solutions for the care of animals when the few Spanish circuses that still have wild animals want to give them up. In AAP Primadomus (member of InfoCircos), 80% of the big cats rescued come from circuses or breeders associated with circuses.
AAP will not stop at this and will continue to work with InfoCircos to convince the six remaining autonomous regions to adapt the law there too. It is time for Spain and all the whole of the EU to end shows that pose a risk to public safety, health and animal welfare.
