JohnCenaFan28
03-02-2009, 03:38 AM
The Government department responsible for animal welfare is looking at the possibility of regulating the use of wild animals in circuses.
The announcement follows the controversial introduction of three elephants into shows by the Great British Circus.
The circus has fallen under fire from animal charities and demonstrators have protested outside the showground in Newark, Nottinghamshire, where it is having its shows, since Friday.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "The Animal Welfare Act makes it an offence for an owner or keeper to fail to provide for their animal's welfare - this applies to circuses as to anyone else.
"In addition it is also an offence, under the Animal Welfare Act, to cause an animal any unnecessary suffering.
"If anyone considers that they have evidence of poor welfare or of unnecessary suffering they are free to report the matter to the appropriate authorities or to bring a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act. Defra is conducting a feasibility study into the possibility of regulating the use of wild animals in circuses."
On Friday the RSPCA branded the return of elephants to the ring - the first time in 10 years in the UK - a "body blow for animal welfare".
Other charities and Tory MP Mark Pritchard called for a public boycott of the circus and urged the Government to intervene.
A small group of protesters gathered outside the showground in Newark ahead of the afternoon's show to urge visitors to reconsider.
But on Friday the Great British Circus said it was doing nothing wrong. Spokesman Jeff Link said: "There's no ban, it's perfectly legal and therefore we feel that we have got the green light to go ahead and do what the UK can do very well - because the circus was invented here. It's part of our culture, our heritage."
-Nova
The announcement follows the controversial introduction of three elephants into shows by the Great British Circus.
The circus has fallen under fire from animal charities and demonstrators have protested outside the showground in Newark, Nottinghamshire, where it is having its shows, since Friday.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "The Animal Welfare Act makes it an offence for an owner or keeper to fail to provide for their animal's welfare - this applies to circuses as to anyone else.
"In addition it is also an offence, under the Animal Welfare Act, to cause an animal any unnecessary suffering.
"If anyone considers that they have evidence of poor welfare or of unnecessary suffering they are free to report the matter to the appropriate authorities or to bring a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act. Defra is conducting a feasibility study into the possibility of regulating the use of wild animals in circuses."
On Friday the RSPCA branded the return of elephants to the ring - the first time in 10 years in the UK - a "body blow for animal welfare".
Other charities and Tory MP Mark Pritchard called for a public boycott of the circus and urged the Government to intervene.
A small group of protesters gathered outside the showground in Newark ahead of the afternoon's show to urge visitors to reconsider.
But on Friday the Great British Circus said it was doing nothing wrong. Spokesman Jeff Link said: "There's no ban, it's perfectly legal and therefore we feel that we have got the green light to go ahead and do what the UK can do very well - because the circus was invented here. It's part of our culture, our heritage."
-Nova