17th April 2013: Victory, Wild animals to be banned from UK circuses

The Government has today published draft legislation to ban the use of wild animals in traveling circuses in England. The ban will come into force on the 1st December 2015, and from that day on, wild animals will no longer be used by circuses traveling the country.

Yes, the December 2015 implementation date is too far away for our liking and yes, we would like to see this ban apply to all animals (whether wild or domesticated) but, notwithstanding those concerns, as we start to scrutinise the proposals in detail, today is also a time to celebrate the achievement of all those that have contributed to the campaign over many years. Today is a day to appreciate all those that have got us this far, knowing that the light at the end of the tunnel is finally in sight, for us and the animals.

Congrats to @rspca_official @bffoundation @captiveanimals @britishvets and all involved (past and present) in circus wild animal ban.

More at Captive Animals Protection Society and full report by Daily Mail


11th February 2013: CAPS reveal that 21 wild animals will be forced to perform in big tops in England during this circus season if license applications are successful. Circus Mondao and Peter Jolly’s are refusing to bow to public, parliamentary and expert opinion and plan to continue to use wild animals in their shows. The animals used by these circuses are: one ankole, three camels, one fox, one raccoon, six reindeer, six snakes and three zebra. …more…

28th January 2013: CAPS list of circuses that do and don’t use animals.


Like the RSPCA We don’t believe animals should be subjected to the conditions of circus life. Regular transport, cramped and bare temporary housing, forced training and performance, loud noises and crowds of people are all typical and often unavoidable realities for the animals.

This site gathers together information from a range of different groups campaigning against the use of animals by circuses, campaign resources, press reports and campaigning info, including tour dates of animal circuses.

These UK-based circuses use animals including ankole, camels, reindeer, snakes, zebras, a fox and a raccoon, as well as horses, dogs and budgies.

Whilst this page is work in progress, see also: