Italy Is Preparing To Ban The Use Of Animals In Circuses

It is useless to hide that, until the last century, the circus also had a didactic value. When technology and means of transport offered knowledge more limits than opportunities. Children all over the world, like zoos, loved circuses because here they could finally see cats, dromedaries, hippos, but also penguins, piranhas or crocodiles. An era that has ended, however.

Thanks to a new awareness, which comes from respect for animal life as well as human life. Nature can now count on a new common feeling that repudiates shows in which, too often, animals are exploited and in any case kept in a state of forced captivity. Many countries have already done a lot in this regard.

Now it’s up to Italy and, according to the latest news, the future of circuses will be without animals in Italy too.

The circus with animals is no longer liked

A delicate issue that strongly returns after the publication of a new study. The research, carried out by CENSIS with the collaboration of the Anti-Vivisection League, brings to light a series of information that shows that circuses with animals no longer pull.

Parents and children prefer performances with artists, where the focus is on skills and talent. The awareness of the fact that tigers, lions and elephants must remain free is now the mirror of a society that continues to make mistakes, but more sensitive and attentive than in the past.

In addition to the decline in spectators and shows (-11% in the last five years), public funding has also decreased, forcing many circuses to forgo the costly maintenance of wild animals. These, according to the LAV estimate (carried out in 2010) would be over two thousand, held in circus circles on the Italian territory. On the crisis of circuses with animals, an interesting news report was also made on TG1.

The circuses in Italy

Defining the situation of circus activities in Italy as “chaotic” is probably exaggerated, but quite likely. If we talk about the official data of the SIAE, in 2015 there were 151 organizers in our country. However, only 43 (less than a third) are members of the only trade association, the National Circus Organization .

Even with respect to the management of animals, wild and not, there are more lights than shadows. Firstly, there is no official register of these and, moreover, the conditions under which they are maintained are not monitored in a uniform and detailed manner. For example, with respect to the reproduction of these specimens, circuses manage everything autonomously, in a limbo that does not comply with the current regulations for zoos.

The ‘Censimento Circo Italia’ initiative, which ended in 2016, indicated the presence of 2000 or more animals. They also included 160 tigers, 50 elephants, 20 hippos and 6 rhinos.

Animals await a definitive law

In Italy, the only law that regulates circus activities with wild animals is very old. It dates back to 1968 and was the result of the reception of European standards shared by other nations that still do not ban animal shows. In addition to our country, these are: France, Germany, Lithuania, Romania and Ireland.

Fortunately, however, it is the minority of governments of the Old Continent. In Europe, and in the rest of the world, to date there are about 30 countries that have abolished circuses with animals.

Let’s see together what they are:

• Europe (18) : Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Malta, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Sweden.
• Americas (9) : Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru.
• Asia (3) : Israel, Singapore, Taiwan.

Obviously, it is unthinkable to continue to refer to a single law, promulgated over 50 years ago. In the meantime, the world has changed and children, fortunately, can observe lions and elephants in freedom, in their natural habitat. With a tablet and WiFi connection, they learn about nature every day without cages or whip instructors.

The animals that are today in Italian circuses await, like all of us, the approval of the reform on entertainment, provided for by the Bill 2287-bis. An initiative launched during the XVII Legislature and which provides for the gradual discharge of animals from circuses. In these days LAV will participate in a meeting with the Senate Culture Commission to make an important contribution to the political discussion.

We will go to the circus of course, but to observe clowns, acrobats, magicians and magicians, with more pleasure. In short, without having to attend shows with animals, now frankly anachronistic and profoundly useless.