Belgium bans wild animals in circuses

Federal ministers last Friday ratified a bill introduced by the deputy prime minister Laurette Onkelinx, responsible for Animal Welfare, banning the use of wild animals in circuses. This new legislation now has to be passed by parliament. Belgium follows the example set by Austria and the UK, where there is a ban on using wild animals in circuses. The animal rights organisation GAIA, which has been campaigning for such a ban for ten years, is highly satisfied with this outcome, and speaks of an important step forward for animal welfare in our country. “The government's decision is the culmination of a ten-year long struggle conducted by GAIA for a Belgian ban on circuses with wild animals. It is clear that the welfare of wild animals cannot be guaranteed in circuses; they have no place there. A ban is the only logical step. We are very pleased; it's yet another victory in the fight for animals,” says Ann De Greef, director of GAIA. More than 130 Belgian cities and towns already prohibit the presence of circuses with wild animals.