Congress Has an Epic Opportunity to Ban Wild Animals in Circuses

http://www.care2.com/causes/congress-has-an-epic-opportunity-to-ban-wild-animals-in-circuses.html





This week Rep Jim Moran took yet another awesome stand for animals by reintroducing the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act (H.R. 4525), which would would end the use of wild and exotic animals in traveling circuses over concerns about their welfare and the safety risks they pose to us.

According to Animal Defenders International (ADI), which is supporting the bill, there are an estimated 300 wild and exotic animals in U.S. circuses today. For them, life is restricted to confinement in unnatural barren enclosures and long journeys in between being used as performers for our entertainment.

Research, undercover investigations and news reports have exposed not only the problems inherent with keeping animals this way, but also the heartbreaking and violent abuses they’re exposed to behind the scenes that range from having food withheld to being beaten in training and blatantly mistreated.

“From video and photographic evidence, it’s clear that traveling circuses aren’t providing the proper living conditions for exotic animals. This legislation is intended to target the most egregious situations involving exotic and wild animals in traveling circuses,” said Moran in a statement. “The mounting evidence of inhumane treatment and the growing public concern for these animals demands that we reconsider what are appropriate living conditions for these intelligent, social creatures.”

FULL story at link.