Colombia bans use of circus animals

[Judi Lynn]

Colombia bans use of circus animals
posted by Adriaan Alsema
Jun 12, 2013

Colombia’s Congress on Wednesday approved a bill that prohibits the use of animals in circuses.
The new law, once approved by President Juan Manuel Santos and the Constitutional Court, gives circuses two years to remove animals from their acts before authorities start imposing the law and fining those who fail to abide.

Following the two-year term, “the use of animals of any species in traveling circus shows, regardless of their denomination,” the law says.

However, circuses that are found to treat their animals particularly cruelly will have their stock removed immediately and will face criminal, House Representative Augusto Posada, proponent of the bill, told media. Additionally, the law disallows the state to grant circus licenses to new enterprises planning to use use animals in their show.

The Andean country is the fourth country in Latin America to ban on circus animals. Bolivia, Peru and Paraguay preceded Colombia.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-bans-use-of-circus-animals/

(Short article, no more at link.)

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Recommended! I haven't been to the circus in years because i couldn't bear...

...to see those poor animals!

[Judi Lynn]

2. If there's any justice, places like the ranch operated in Colorado

by Bob Barker's group will take them, as they have already taken lions, etc. from a circus in Bolivia, which was well covered by the media there.

They were given a new life, a lot of room to stretch their legs, breath, get sunshine, for a change.

Here's an old thread regarding that operation with a couple of photos:

Rescued lions from Bolivia arrive in Colorado
Posted: Feb 16, 2011 8:51 PM CST
Updated: Feb 16, 2011 8:51 PM CST

DENVER (AP) - Twenty-five lions, most of them rescued from Bolivian circuses, arrived in Colorado on Wednesday to start their new lives at a wildlife sanctuary.

The 14 males and 11 females landed at Denver International Airport around 4:30 p.m. The jetliner pulled into a maintenance hangar and police officers armed with assault rifles stood by as a precaution.

The animals were rescued from deplorable conditions after a law was passed last year in Bolivia prohibiting all performances involving animals, Animal Defenders International said. Most of the lions were dehydrated and suffered from eye and foot infections when rescued, the group has said.

Television personality and animal advocate Bob Barker helped finance the $200,000 airlift. He was on hand to welcome Operation Lion Ark and said he was excited to see the animals headed to a sanctuary where they will have room to roam.

Read more: http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=14046046

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4736211

Really, really hoping these animals will be saved.