SHOW’S OVER

If you thought that the use of wild animals in circuses had long been abolished, think again. Incredibly, a law that finally outlawed travelling circuses using animals only came into force in England this January, after decades of relentless and dogged campaigning from animal welfare groups.

“We’re just relieved to finally see this legislation, which bans this outdated practice and rightly consigns it to the history books,” says Dr Ros Clubb, senior scientific manager at the RSPCA.

So, what does the new law actually mean? Quite simply, the legislation prevents any travelling circus from being able to use wild animals in their performances in England.

Scotland has had a similar ban in place since 2018, whilst a ban in Wales is shortly set to come into force following its passage through the Welsh Assembly. Northern Ireland, meanwhile, started moves to implement