Calls to ban use of circus animals

A Cork City councillor is to call for a ban on the use of animals in circuses in the city — a ban which councillors voted to implement four years ago.

As a circus worker remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital after being crushed by an elephant, Mick Barry said it was a “disgrace” that a motion passed four years ago banning wild animals from circus performances in the city was “obstructed” by council officials and, in the end, was never implemented.

“Had it been implemented, the events of the last days might have been cut across,” the Socialist Party councillor said. “In the interests of public safety and animal welfare I will be raising this issue once again in the council in the immediate future.”

In 2008, the council voted 11 to nine in favour of introducing its own ban on circuses featuring wild animals. At the time, officials said they could not introduce bylaws but said they could attach conditions to the licences they grant to circuses allowing them to perform on municipal land.

No one was available from Cork City Council last night to respond to Mr Barry’s claims.

The Cork councillors’ vote to ban the animals came a year after Fingal County Council also sought to ban the practice.

The ISPCA last night became the latest organisation to criticise the events of last week. ISPCA inspector Lisa O’Donovan pointed out that elephants are herd animals which roam for up to 20 kilometres a day.

“It is fair to say that in the circus they have nothing like that,” she said, adding that the ISPCA continuously applied to councils to introduce bylaws banning the use of animals in circuses.

She said when those with animals come into their areas they would pop in to check on the welfare of the creatures, but without legislation in place to back them up in relation to wild animals, there would be little they could do if they found issues.

Last night the Department of Agriculture confirmed “there are no plans to ban use of wild animals in circuses” through the Animal, Health and Welfare Bill.

It did, however, say the Protection of Animals Act 1911 and EU Commission Reg 1739/2005 and SI 257/07 govern the treatment of animals in circuses here.