Stop Circus Suffering

Circus bans LANDING PAGE

An expanding list of worldwide circus bans and restrictions

EUROPE

Armenia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
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; from January 2022 circuses prohibited from obtaining and breeding wild animals and using those born after this date
Cyprus: Nationwide ban on all animals in circuses
Denmark: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
England: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Estonia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Finland:Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses and travelling animal shows
France: Nationwide ban on use of wild animals for public display/travelling circuses; prohibits keeping, acquisition, breeding and transport of animals for such use
Germany: Local bans in more than 90 towns and cities
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: Ban on wild animals in circuses
Italy: Ban on the use of animals in circuses – to be implemented
Latvia: Nationwide restrictions effectively banning the use of wild-caught animals
Lithuania: Nationwide ban on the use of wild mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in circuses
Luxembourg:
Nationwide ban on wild animals in circuses
Macedonia: Nationwide ban on the use wild animals in circuses
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: Use of wild species effectively banned nationwide – positive list of permitted animals only includes domestic animals (apart from camels)
Poland: Nationwide ban on the use of wild-born animals in circuses
Portugal: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Romania: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses (apart from certain exotic bird species and cetaceans)
Scotland: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Serbia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Slovakia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Slovenia: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Spain: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Sweden: Nationwide ban on the use of certain species in circuses
UK: Scotland, England and Wales have passed nationwide bans on the use of wild animals in circuses; no such legislation is currently in place in Northern Ireland. 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).
Ukraine: Nationwide ban on “mobile menageries” and the transportation of wild animals for use in circus performances
Wales: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses

NORTH AMERICA

USA:  115 partial or full bans on performing animals in jurisdictions in the US, in 34 states.  A ‘partial’ ban or restriction includes restrictions on specific species, or types of performance, or certain uses of animals or animal management practices (such as use of elephant hooks).

Statewide bans in New Jersey, Hawaii, California, Colorado, and Maryland.

Arkansas – Eureka Springs, Hope, Sherwood; California – Corona, Encinitas, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Los Angeles, Marin County, Oakland, Pasadena, Rohnert Park, Rolling Hills, San Francisco, Santa Ana, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and California state; Colorado – Boulder and Colorado state; Connecticut – Bridgeport, Stamford; Florida – Clearwater, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Margate, Miami Beach, Pompano Beach, Sebring, Seminole County, Tallahassee, Weston; Georgia – Fulton County; Hawaii – Maui County and Hawaii state; Idaho – Blaine County, Boise, Ketchum; Illinois – Collinsville and Illinois state; Indiana – Boise, Fort Wayne, St John, Kansas – Douglas County; Maine – Bar Harbour; Portland; Maryland – Montgomery County, Gaithersburg; Massachusetts – Amherst, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Mendon, Northampton, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Provincetown, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Topsfield, Weymouth, Wilmington; Michigan – Ferndale; Minnesota – Minneapolis, Rochester; Missouri – Richmond; Montana – Missoula; New Jersey – Bergen County, City of Clifton, Cumberland County, Hudson County, Jersey City, Passaic County, Vineland and New Jersey state; New Mexico – Albuquerque, Sante Fe; New York – Greenburgh, New York City, Plattsburg, Southampton, Westchester County, and New York state; North Carolina – Asheville, Charlotte, Orange County;  Ohio – Cincinnati, Delaware, and Ohio state; Oklahoma – El Reno, Mustang; Oregon – Benton County, Clatsop County, Multnomah County; Pennsylvania – Pittsburgh, Sharpsburg, Whitemarsh; Rhode Island state; South Carolina – Aiken County, Chester; Texas – Austin, City of Denton, Simonton; Utah: Salt Lake County; Vermont – Burlington; Virginia – Richmond; Washington – Port Townsend, Redmond, Spokane; Wenatchee; Wisconsin – Dane County, Green Bay, Madison.

Canada: Local bans on the use of animals in circuses in more than 33 municipal jurisdictions including Vancouver

LATIN 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 animals in circuses in 11 states and over 20 cities
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”
Guatemala: Nationwide ban on the use of animals in circuses
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
Iran: Use of wild animals in circuses effectively banned nationwide (no permits issued)
Israel: Nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses
Lebanon: Nationwide ban on the use of certain species 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