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PAN seeks ban on circus performances that include animals

lionCircusThe People-Animals-Nature political party, famous for having but one MP, is determined that the circus sector in Portugal should not be allowed to continue to use live animals.

The ‘Circos Sem Animais’ campaign started in Olhão on September 11th, and aims to "alert the municipal executive of each of the sixteen regional councils of the need to stamp out the use of animals in the circus."

There have been encouraging legal moves approved by parliament which, in 2009, banned the breeding and sale of many animals used in the circus, including big cats, apes and chimps, snakes, elephants, bears and camels.

But the circus trade in Portugal has hundreds of wild animals trained to perform, which live in cages and have generally unnatural and restricted lives. For a circus to put on a show, the local mayor must issue a licence and it is here that PAN aims to strike.

PAN wants all animals to be banned from all circuses in Portugal. The party’s view is that, "no animal should be exploited by humans, be it a dog, a pig, a goat or any other, because it has no capacity to defend itself against abuse and mistreatment, or simply decide when to stop training or performing," explains PAN’s Susana Santos.

The exposure of children to performances featuring live animals perpetuates a culture that this somehow is an OK thing to be doing despite laws in Portugal clearly stating that animals have certain rights and should be afforded protection from exploitation.

Many European countries have banned all or some categories of live animals in circuses, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic and Finland.

Romania made it own legislative changes in June 2017. “No tiger, lion, bear or elephant will suffer any more in Romania for the amusement of people,” Magor Csibi, director of WWF Romania, said in a statement, “our society is evolving.”