Burnham-On-Sea’s MP Tessa Munt has this week joined campaigners from Animal Defenders International in urging the government to ban circuses in the UK which use wild animals.
Her comments come after the Austrian Constitutional Court in Vienna last week announced that it had thrown out an application by a circus to overturn Austria’s ban on wild animals in circuses. The decision clears the way for a UK ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, something which the Government has been reluctant to support to date.
The Government said earlier this year that there were legal impediments to a ban, and cited the upcoming Krone case.
But Tessa Munt said this week: “I am thrilled by this news from Austria. I have been in favour of the ban for years and I find it hard to believe that in this day and age wild animals are still being exploited in the name of so called entertainment.”
Ms Munt has approached the government asking whether the minister involved can confirm that there are no legal obstacles at European Union level to enact an outright ban.
Jan Creamer, Chief Executive of Animal Defenders International, added: “This case proves that there are no obstacles at EU level that will prevent the UK from enacting an immediate ban. This is a wonderful Christmas present for all the animals suffering in UK circuses. The excuses presented by DEFRA officials in their attempts to avoid taking action to end the suffering have been swept away. The public want it, parliament wants it, the Government must listen, and act now.”
Pictured: Tessa backing the Animal Defenders International campain in Westminster (Photo: ADI)
