Worldwide Circus Bans
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Animal Defenders International (ADI)
February 2016

Updated November 11, 2015

EUROPE

  • Austria: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
  • Belgium: Nationwide ban on the use of most wild animals in circuses (Parrots and camel are classed as domestic)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina: Nationwide ban on all animals in circuses
  • Bulgaria: Nationwide ban on certain wild animal species in circuses, variety shows and other entertainment facilities
  • Croatia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
  • Czech Republic: Nationwide ban on the use of certain species in circuses
  • Cyprus: Nationwide ban on all animals in circuses
  • Denmark: Nationwide ban on the use of certain species in circuses
  • Estonia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild-born animals in circuses
  • Finland: Nationwide ban on the use of certain species in circuses
  • Greece: Nationwide ban on all animals in circuses
  • Hungary: Nationwide ban on the use of wild caught animals in circuses, the purchase and training of elephants and primates for circus performances and the purchase, training and use of CITES (Appendix 1) listed species in circuses
  • Ireland: Local bans on the use of animals in circuses in Drogheda, Fingal, Galway City, Kildare, Monaghan, Moyle, South Dublin and Waterford
  • Malta: Nationwide ban on all animals for performances, exhibitions, shows or training for the circus
  • The Netherlands: Nationwide ban on the use and transport of animals in circuses, with exemptions for certain, mostly domestic, species
  • Norway: Local ban on wild or exotic animal shows in Tromsø municipality
  • Poland: Nationwide ban on the use of wild-born animals in circuses
  • Portugal: Nationwide ban restricting the use of great apes in circuses and the acquisition and breeding of CITES listed species
  • Slovenia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
  • Spain: Local bans on the use of wild animals in circuses in several towns including Barcelona
  • Sweden: Nationwide ban on the use of certain species in circuses
  • UK: Over 200 local authorities have bans on animal circuses (more than two thirds of these ban all performing animals, the remainder ban just wild animals). A Government commitment to ban the use of wild animals in circuses – this is yet to be enacted

NORTH AMERICA

  • USA: 50 partial or full bans on circus animals in municipalities in the US, in 22 states
  • Canada: Local bans on the use of animals in circuses in 28 municipal jurisdictions

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

  • Argentina: Local bans on the use of wild animals in circuses in over 20 cities including a ban in the city of Buenos Aires
  • Bolivia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild and domestic animals in circuses
  • Brazil: Local bans on the use of wild and domestic animals in circuses in the districts of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Pernambuco, Paraiba, Rio Grande do Sul, Espiritu Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Alagoas and a number of bans in cities within another four Brazilian states
  • Chile: Local bans on the use of wild and domestic animals in circuses in the city of Santiago
  • Colombia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses; Local ban on the use of animals in circuses in the capital, Bogota
  • Costa Rica: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
  • Ecuador: Nationwide ban on the use of native wild animals; restrictions on the use of exotic animals; ban on the import of both native and exotic wild animals with circuses
  • El Salvador: Nationwide ban on the “Income, use or abuse of wildlife species in all kinds of entertainment”
  • Mexico:Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
  • Panama:Nationwide ban prohibiting “entry of wild animals for use in static and travelling circuses and similar shows”
  • Paraguay: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
  • Peru: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses as well as a local ban on all animals in Magdalena del Mar

OCEANIA

  • Australia: Local bans on the use of animals in circuses in several towns including Hobsons Bay, Surf Coast Shire, Parramata and Lismore
    ASIA
  • India: Nationwide ban on the use of certain species in circuses
  • Israel: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
  • Singapore: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
  • Taiwan: Nationwide prohibition on the import or export of protected wildlife for circuses

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