Germany plans to ban wild animals in the circus: "Have no place in the ring"

The Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner wants to ban wild animals in traveling circuses.

The animals would suffer particularly badly there.

Berlin - The message is clear: "Wild animals have no place in the ring," says

from the

The Rhineland-Palatinate calls for a ban on keeping certain

in traveling circuses (* FR reported).

Because it is precisely there that

suffer from

constant

and

.

Traveling circuses should therefore be banned from buying new giraffes, elephants, rhinos, hippos, monkeys and big bears.

Klöckner: "Time has changed, and so has the view of circus visitors"

In addition, legal

for the keeping, transport and training of animals in the traveling circus are to be specified.

The aim is to regulate the

, expert

the animals, professional

sick animals and aspects of

.

But before the ban proposed by Klöckner is valid and legally secure, a

basis

must be

created.

Therefore, the conditions for each animal species in the traveling circus have to be examined individually and only “if we can regulate this legally, will further bans follow”, says Klöckner.

It is not about blanket allegations against traveling circuses.

“But time has changed, and the perception of circus visitors has also changed,” says Klöckner.

Animal rights activists: A ban on wild animals does not go far enough

In the case of

there is currently no scientific basis for such a ban.

For this reason, the Agriculture Minister

does not want to ban

and

yet.

For animal rights activists, the government's plans do not go far enough.

It is important to impose bans, but this is not a sufficient measure, criticize animal rights activists.

They complain, for example, that lions and tigers should not be part of the new regulation.

The

therefore calling for all wild animals in circuses to be banned.

In addition, the animals currently kept should be housed in "suitable reception camps" after a period has elapsed, such as Klöckner Zoos, for example.

* FR.de