Animal welfare groups have boycotted a DEFRA meeting on the regulation of wild animals in circuses in England.
OneKind is supporting leading UK animal welfare groups in rejecting an offer from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to attend a meeting about the future licensing of wild animals in circuses because they feel the government has persistently ignored their concerns that such a licensing scheme will not work.
Groups including the RSPCA, Born Free Foundation, Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS), WSPA, OneKind and FOUR PAWS are convinced that an outright ban is the only way to properly address the welfare problems associated with the use of wild animals like elephants, lions and tigers by travelling circuses.
They are outraged that the Government has ignored both public opinion and the clear view of the House of Commons which, following a debate in June, unanimously voted in favour of a ban. It is in spite of the fact that the UK now lags far behind countries such as Germany, which is in the process of agreeing a ban.
The Government claims that a ban might be open to challenge under European legislation, although details of the advice that led to this claim have been kept secret.
The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, seemingly oblivious to the mood of the country, are pressing ahead with the licensing package for July 2012, and were hoping to secure the input of animal welfare groups at the meeting which had been scheduled for Wednesday, December 14.