Ban on using wild animals in circuses could lead to closure of zoos, MSPs warned

THE chairman of the organisation representing circus owners has told MSPs that a ban on using wild animals in travelling circuses will eventually lead to zoos in Scotland being closed down.

Holyrood’s Environment Committee was taking evidence on the Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (Scotland) Bill.

The legislation sets out measures to strengthen animal welfare legislation, including a ban on the use of any wild animal in a travelling circus on ethical grounds.

Martin Burton, chairman of the Association of Circus Proprietors of Great Britain, said the move could have massive implications for animal shows and, eventually, zoos.

He told the committee there are no circuses with wild animals that have visited Scotland in recent times.

He said a lack of clarity around what constitutes a travelling circus and the definition of a wild animal, along with an emphasis on ethics, could have far-reaching consequences.

“The economic impact on animal displays in shopping centres, on displays at outdoors shows of hawks and wild birds, on reindeer and santa, and eventually zoos will be massive.

“Eventually that is where this will all go, this will eventually close your zoos.”

He added: “Once you start banning things, particularly on ethical grounds, it is clear that this will spread, because if it’s ethically not right to have a wild animal in a circus, then it is ethically not right to have a wild animal appear at a gala or a county show, and it is ethically not right to have a wild animal appear in a shopping centre, and it is ethically not right to have a wild animal appear in a zoo.

“It is clear and logical that that is the only way an ethical ban can go. You can’t choose your ethics, you’re either going to say it is ethical or it is not ethical.”

The bill, if passed, would make Scotland the first part of the UK to outlaw wild animal circuses.

A public consultation showed widespread support for the ban.

Animal protection organisations such as the Born Free Foundation, Captive Animals’ Protection Society and OneKind have also welcomed the move.